Mark 7:20

He also said, “It is the thoughts and actions that come from within people that cause God to consider them unacceptable to him.

Translation for Translators

In The King James Version

And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.

In Context

19Instead of entering and ruining our minds/souls, it goes into our stomachs, and afterwards the refuse passes out of our bodies.” By saying this, Jesus was declaring that people can eat any food without causing God to reject them.

21Specifically, it is people’s innermost being that causes them to think things that are evil; they act immorally, they steal things, they commit murder.

Read all of Mark 7

Cross References

Psalms 41:6When my enemies come to me, they falsely say that they are concerned about me. They listen to bad news about ◄me/my health►. Then they go away and tell everywhere what is happening to me.

Matthew 12:34What you teach harms people spiritually like poisonous snakes harm them physically [MET]! You are not able to speak good things because you are evil [RHQ]. Evil people [SYN] like you speak what comes from all that is in their ◄inner beings/hearts►.

Hebrews 7:6But this man Melchizedek, who was not among the descendants of Levi, took tithes from Abraham. He also asked God to bless Abraham, the man to whom God promised many descendants.

James 3:6Just like a fire damages a forest [MET], when we say things that are evil, we harm many people. What we say [MTY] reveals that we are very evil. What we say contaminates/defiles everything that we think and do [PRS, MET]. Just like a flame of fire easily causes the whole surrounding area [MET] to burn, what we say [MTY] can cause others to want to do evil. It is the devil himself [MTY] who causes us to say evil things.

Matthew Henry on Mark 7:2-24

The Traditions of the Elders; The Worst Defilement from Within. 1 Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem. 2 And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault. 3 For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. 4 And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

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