Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Mark 7:20

"And he said, That which proceedeth out of the man, that defileth the man." — Mark 7:20 (ASV)

The main force of this passage is the same as in v.15b: the source of uncleanness in anyone is the heart (Jeremiah 17:9), for that is where the true issues of life lie. The list that follows has no parallel in any other known sayings of Jesus, but it is typically Jewish (cf. Romans 1:29–31; Galatians 5:19–23). The list seems to move from overt sins to sinful attitudes or dispositions.