Markus 7:13-28

7:13 Thus you nullify ¹  the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like this.”

7:14 Then ²  he called the crowd again and said to them, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand. 7:15 There is nothing outside of a person that can defile him by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles him.”

7:16 [[EMPTY]] ³ 

7:17 Now ⁴  when Jesus ⁵  had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about the parable. 7:18 He said to them, “Are you so foolish? Don’t you understand that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him? 7:19 For it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and then goes out into the sewer.” ⁶  (This means all foods are clean.) ⁷  7:20 He said, “What comes out of a person defiles him. 7:21 For from within, out of the human heart, come evil ideas, sexual immorality, theft, murder, 7:22 adultery, greed, evil, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, pride, and folly. 7:23 All these evils come from within and defile a person.”

A Syrophoenician Woman’s Faith

7:24 After Jesus ⁸  left there, he went to the region of Tyre. ⁹  When he went into a house, he did not want anyone to know, but ¹⁰  he was not able to escape notice. 7:25 Instead, a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit ¹¹  immediately heard about him and came and fell at his feet. 7:26 The woman was a Greek, of Syrophoenician origin. She ¹²  asked him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 7:27 He said to her, “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and to throw it to the dogs.” ¹³  7:28 She answered, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

[7:13]  ¹ tn Grk “nullifying.” This participle shows the results of the Pharisees’ command.

[7:14]  ² tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[7:16]  ³ tc Most later mss add 7:16 “Let anyone with ears to hear, listen.” This verse is included in A D W Θ Ë^1,13 33 Ï latt sy, but is lacking in important Alexandrian mss and a few others (א B L Δ* 0274 28 2427). It appears to be a scribal gloss (see 4:9 and 4:23), perhaps introduced as a reiteration of the thought in 7:14, and is almost certainly not an original part of the Greek text of Mark. The present translation follows NA²⁷ in omitting the verse number, a procedure also followed by a number of other modern translations.

[7:17]  ⁴ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[7:17]  ⁵ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:19]  ⁶ tn Or “into the latrine.”

[7:19]  ⁷ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[7:24]  ⁸ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:24]  ⁹ tc Most mss, including early and important witnesses (א A B Ë^1,13 33 2427 Ï lat), have here καὶ Σιδῶνος (kai Sidwno", “and Sidon”). The Western text, as well as several other important mss (D L W Δ Θ 28 565 it), lack the words. Although the external evidence is on the side of inclusion, it is difficult to explain why scribes would omit the mention of Sidon. On the other hand, the parallels in v. 31 and Matt 15:21 would be sufficient motivation for scribes to add Sidon here. Furthermore, every other mention of Tyre in the Gospels is accompanied by Sidon, putting pressure on scribes to conform this text as well. The shorter reading therefore, though without compelling external evidence on its side, is strongly supported by internal evidence, rendering judgment on its authenticity fairly certain.

[7:24]  map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[7:24]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[7:25]  ¹¹ sn Unclean spirit refers to an evil spirit.

[7:26]  ¹² tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[7:27]  ¹³ tn Or “lap dogs, house dogs,” as opposed to dogs on the street. The diminutive form originally referred to puppies or little dogs, then to house pets. In some Hellenistic uses κυνάριον (kunarion) simply means “dog.”

[7:27]  sn The term dogs does not refer to wild dogs (scavenging animals roaming around the countryside) in this context, but to small dogs taken in as house pets. It is thus not a derogatory term per se, but is instead intended by Jesus to indicate the privileged position of the Jews (especially his disciples) as the initial recipients of Jesus’ ministry. The woman’s response of faith and her willingness to accept whatever Jesus would offer pleased him to such an extent that he granted her request. This is the only miracle mentioned in Mark that Jesus performed at a distance without ever having seen the afflicted person, or issuing some sort of audible command.