A.T. Robertson Commentary Mark 7

With defiled, that is unwashen hands (κοιναις χερσιν, τουτ' εστιν ανιπτοις). Associative instrumental case. Originally κοινος meant what was common to everybody like the Koine Greek. But in later Greek it came also to mean as here what is vulgar or profane. So Peter in Ac 10:14 "common and unclean." The next step was the ceremonially unclean. The emissaries of the Pharisees and the scribes from Jerusalem had seen "some of the disciples" eat without washing their hands, how many we are not told. Swete suggests that in going through the plain the disciples were seen eating some of the bread preserved in the twelve baskets the afternoon before across the lake. There was no particular opportunity to wash the hands, a very proper thing to do before eating for sanitary reasons. But the objection raised is on ceremonial, not sanitary, grounds.

Diligently (πυγμη). Instrumental case,

with the fist , up to the elbow, rubbing one hand and arm with the other hand clenched. Aleph had πυκνα probably because of the difficulty about πυγμη (kin to Latin pugnus). Schultess considers it a dry wash or rubbing of the hands without water as a ritualistic concession. The middle voice νιψωντα means their own hands. This verb is often used for parts of the body while λουω is used of the whole body (John 13:10). On the tradition of the elders see on Mt 15:2.

From the marketplace (απ' αγορας). Ceremonial defilement was inevitable in the mixing with men in public. This αγορα from αγειρω to collect or gather, was a public forum in every town where the people gathered like the courthouse square in American towns. The disciples were already ceremonially defiled.

Wash themselves (βαπτισωντα). First aorist middle subjunctive of βαπτιζω, dip or immerse. Westcott and Hort put ραντισωντα in the text translated "sprinkle themselves" in the margin of the Revised Version, because Aleph, B, and some of the best cursives have it. Gould terms ραντισωντα "a manifest emendation," to get rid of the difficulty of dipping or bathing the whole body. Meyer says: "The statement proceeds by way of climax: before eating they wash the hands always. When they come from market they take a bath before eating." This is not the place to enter into any controversy about the meaning of βαπτιζω, to dip, ραντιζω, to sprinkle, and εχχεω, to pour, all used in the New Testament. The words have their distinctive meanings here as elsewhere. Some scribes felt a difficulty about the use of βαπτισωντα here. The Western and Syrian classes of manuscripts add "and couches" (κα κλινων) at the end of the sentence. Swete considers the immersions of beds (βαπτισμους κλινων) "an incongruous combination." But Gould says: "Edersheim shows that the Jewish ordinance required immersions, βαπτισμους, of these vessels." We must let the Jewish scrupulosity stand for itself, though "and couches" is not supported by Aleph, B L D Bohairic, probably not genuine.

Well (καλως). Appositely here, but ironical sarcasm in verse 9. Note here "you hypocrites" (υμων των υποκριτων).

Ye leave the commandment of God (αφεντες την εντολην του θεου). Note the sharp contrast between the command of God and the traditions of men. Jesus here drives a keen wedge into the Pharisaic contention. They had covered up the Word of God with their oral teaching. Jesus here shows that they care more for the oral teaching of the scribes and elders than for the written law of God. The Talmud gives abundant and specific confirmation of the truthfulness of this indictment.