Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Mark 7:2
A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.
Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
And when they saw some of his disciples, etc..] An opportunity soon offered of giving them an handle against him: for observing some of his disciples to sit down to meat, they took notice that they eat bread with defiled (that is to say, with unwashen) hands, and they found fault; with them, and charged them with the breach of the traditions of the elders, and took an occasion from hence of quarrelling with Christ. The Jews use the same phrase the evangelist here does, and interpret it in just the same manner: so, speaking of things eaten, twbawm ydyb, “with defiled hands”; that is, says the commentator f129, it is all one as if it was said, ydy tlyjn alb, “without washing of hands”; which was esteemed a very great crime, and especially if done in a contemptuous way: for they say f130, s µ µ “he that despiseth washing of hands, shall be rooted out of the world; for in it is the secret of the decalogue:” and particularly to eat with unwashed hands, was unpardonable in a disciple of a wise man; for they looked upon this to be the characteristic of one of the vulgar people, a common and illiterate man: for they ask f131, “who is one of the people of the earth, or a plebeian? he that does not eat his common food with purity.” By this also they distinguished a Jew from a Gentile; if he washed his hands, and blessed, he was known to be an Israelite, but if not, a Gentile f132 ; (see Gill on “<401502>Matthew 15:2”).
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