Mark 7 1

Mark 7:1 kjv

Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem.

Mark 7:1 nkjv

Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem.

Mark 7:1 niv

The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus

Mark 7:1 esv

Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem,

Mark 7:1 nlt

One day some Pharisees and teachers of religious law arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus.

Mark 7 verses

Mark 7 1 Meaning

Mark 7:1 introduces a deliberate confrontation between Jesus and a delegation of Jewish religious leaders from Jerusalem—the Pharisees and some scribes. It sets the immediate scene for a significant discourse concerning external religious observances versus true purity of heart and the authority of human traditions versus divine commandments. This encounter signals an intensification of the opposition Jesus faced from the religious establishment.

Mark 7 1 Context

Mark 7:1 sets the immediate scene for a crucial conflict that defines a major theological theme in Jesus' ministry. Prior to this, Jesus has performed miracles like feeding the four thousand and walking on water. Now, the religious opposition intensifies. This verse leads directly into the dispute regarding ritual hand-washing (Mk 7:2-5), which serves as a springboard for Jesus' deeper teaching on inner purity versus outward ceremonialism (Mk 7:6-23). The Pharisees and scribes were prominent Jewish religious parties, with the Pharisees being a lay movement known for their zealous adherence to the Mosaic Law and the "oral tradition" (a body of inherited interpretations and rulings). Scribes were legal experts and interpreters of the Law, often aligned with the Pharisees. Their travel "from Jerusalem," the epicenter of Jewish religious authority and the seat of the Sanhedrin, indicates that this was not a local, spontaneous encounter but a deliberate, official delegation dispatched to investigate and confront Jesus. This act reflects growing concern in Jerusalem over Jesus' teachings and influence in Galilee, challenging the established religious norms and authority. The polemic against their contemporary beliefs emerges as Jesus exposes how their human traditions overshadowed God's clear commandments.

Mark 7 1 Word analysis

• Then (καὶ - kai): This connective particle bridges the narrative, indicating that the following event logically progresses from previous accounts, though it represents an escalation in the intensity and formalized nature of the opposition Jesus faced.
• the Pharisees (οἱ Φαρισαῖοι - hoi Pharisaios): Literally "the separated ones." A significant Jewish religious group from the Second Temple period, known for their strict adherence to both the written Mosaic Law and their extensive oral traditions, which they believed held equal authority. Their presence signifies a challenge from the most influential religious authority figures among the populace.
• and some of the scribes (καὶ τινες τῶν γραμματέων - kai tines tōn grammateōn): Scribes were legal scholars and interpreters of the Torah. They were experts in the Law and its traditions. Their inclusion alongside the Pharisees strengthens the authoritative nature of this delegation, bringing intellectual and legal scrutiny to bear on Jesus.
• gathered around Him (συνάγονται πρὸς αὐτόν - sunagontai pros auton): Implies a deliberate assembly and approach, not a coincidental meeting. This gathering suggests they sought Jesus out with a specific intent, likely to challenge or scrutinize Him. It marks a formal confrontation.
• after coming from Jerusalem (ἐλθόντες ἀπὸ Ἱεροσολύμων - elthontes apo Hierosolymōn): This phrase is critically important. Jerusalem was the spiritual, religious, and political capital of Judea, housing the Temple and the Sanhedrin (the supreme Jewish judicial and administrative council). Their arrival from Jerusalem indicates that Jesus' ministry and teachings in Galilee had become a significant enough concern to warrant an official investigation or challenge from the central religious establishment, marking an elevated level of opposition. It suggests a sanctioned, perhaps coordinated, delegation to assess His activities and doctrine.

Mark 7 1 Bonus section

• The phrase "from Jerusalem" acts as a recurring motif in the Gospels, signaling a direct confrontation from the religious elite or the start of a period of heightened opposition, leading ultimately to Jesus' passion.
• This verse anticipates Jesus' later teaching in Mark 7:15, where He famously declares, "There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him," directly countering the basis of the Pharisees' objection.
• The clash between the rigid, tradition-bound legalism of the Pharisees and the transformative, Spirit-led truth of Jesus' teachings is a central theme introduced in this pivotal verse.

Mark 7 1 Commentary

Mark 7:1 serves as a profound preamble to one of Jesus' most trenchant critiques of legalism and outward religiosity. The arrival of the Pharisees and scribes, particularly from Jerusalem, highlights a strategic, escalated opposition. These were not casual observers but representatives of the authoritative Jewish religious structure, dispatched to scrutinize and condemn Jesus. Their journey from the religious heartland underscores the magnitude of the "threat" they perceived in Jesus' ministry. This verse therefore introduces the imminent debate, not just about superficial ritual (like hand-washing) but about the core values of faith: whether true piety lies in strict adherence to man-made traditions or in genuine purity of heart and obedience to God's inherent commandments. This sets the stage for Jesus to expose the hypocrisy that often cloaked itself in elaborate religious observance, contrasting human regulations with divine truth and ultimately revealing that spiritual defilement comes from within, not from external contaminants.