received to hold, as the washings of cups, and vases, and brasen vessels, and couches :) then the Pharisees and Scribes asked him, "Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands, when they eat bread." But he answered and said unto them, "And why do ye transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washings of vases and cups, and many other such like things ye do." And he said unto them, "Full well ye make void the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. For God commanded by Moses, saying, 'Honour thy father and thy mother;' 1 and, 'He that revileth father or mother, let him surely die.' But ye say, 'If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, (that is to say, a gift,) by whatsoever thou mightest have been profited by me; and honour not his father or his mother, he is guiltless.3 And ye no longer suffer him to do anything for his father or his mother; making the word of God of no effect by your tradition which ye deliver: and many such like things ye do. Ye hypocrites! well did Isaiah prophecy concerning you, saying, "This people honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain do they reverence me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.' And he called all the multitude unto him, and said unto them, "Hearken ye all unto me, and understand: there is nothing from without the man, which going into him can defile him : but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.” 1 Ex. xx. 12. 2 Lit., Let him die by death: Ex. xxi. 17. 3 Or, he must not honour (i. e. aid) his father or his mother: v. H. n. 4 Is. xxix. 13. 5 Mk.: not that which entereth into the mouth defileth the man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth, M. N And when he entered into the house from the multitude, then came his disciples, and said unto him, "Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, when they heard thy word?" But he answered and said, "Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they are blind leaders of the blind. And if a blind man lead a blind man, both shall fall into the ditch.” And Peter answered and said unto him, “Declare unto us this parable." But Jesus said, "Are ye also still thus without understanding? Do not ye yet perceive, that nothing from without which entereth into the man, can defile him because it entereth not into his heart; but every thing which entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught, cleansing all food. But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and these defile the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, false witness, covetous desires, malignant purposes, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, folly all these evil things come from within, and these 1 : are the things which defile the man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not the man." : 1 v. H. n. SECT. VI. Jesus goes to the Region of Tyre and Sidon, where he cures the Daughter of the Syrophenician Woman: He then returns to the Neighbourhood of the Lake of Galilee; and, in the Decapolis, he cures a Deaf Man and many others, and miraculously supplies Four Thousand with Food. MATT. XV. 21-39. MARK vii. 24—viii. 9. AND Jesus went forth from thence, and withdrew to the regions of Tyre and Sidon. And, behold, a Canaanite woman, whose little daughter had an unclean spirit, came forth from those borders, and cried aloud unto him, saying, "Have compassion on me, Lord, thou son of David! my daughter is grievously afflicted by a demon.” But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came to him, and entreated him, saying, "Send her away; for she crieth after us." But he answered her and said, "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”1 And he entered into the house, and desired that no one should know: yet he could not remain hidden: for, having heard concerning him, she came and fell at his feet, saying, "Lord, help me:" and she entreated him to cast forth the demon out of her daughter. (Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophenician by nation.) But Jesus said unto her, "Let the children first be filled: for it is not well to take the children's bread, and cast it to the dogs." And she answered and said unto him, "Yea, Lord! and yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs." 3 And he said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: for this saying, go thy way. Be it unto thee as thou desirest; the 66 : 1 v. H. n. 2 Mk.: did him reverence, M. 3 Mk. the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from the table of their masters, M. demon hath gone forth out of thy daughter." And her daughter was cured from that hour. And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone forth, and her daughter laid upon the bed. And Jesus having departed thence, came near the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the region of Decapolis, and having gone up to the mountain, he sat down there. And great multitudes came unto him, having with them the lame, the blind, the dumb, the maimed, and many others, and they laid them down at the feet of Jesus; and he healed them so that the multitudes wondered when they saw the dumb speaking, the maimed whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing: and they glorified the God of Israel. And they bring unto him a deaf man of imperfect speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him. And having taken him aside from the multitude, he put his fingers into his ears; and he spat, and touched his tongue; and looking up to heaven, he groaned, and saith unto him, "Ephphatha!" that is, Be opened. And straightway his ears were opened, and the bond of his tongue was loosed, and he spake aright. And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more abundantly they published it. And they were beyond measure astonished, saying, "He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak." In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, he called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now remained with me three days, and have nothing to eat and I am not willing to send them away fasting to their own home, lest they should grow faint on the way: 1 v H. n. And Jesus saith for some of them come from far." And his disciples say unto him, "Whence can we have so many loaves in a desert place, as to fill so great a multitude?" unto them, "How many loaves have ye?" And they said, "Seven." And he directed the people to place themselves on the ground; and having taken the seven loaves, and given thanks, he brake, and gave them to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people. And they had a few small fishes: and having blessed, he bade them to set these also before the people. And they all ate, and were filled; and they took up of the fragments that remained, seven baskets full. Now they that ate were four thousand men, beside women and children. And having sent away the multitude, he went into the vessel, and came to the borders of Magdala. SECT. VII. When near Dalmanutha, some Pharisees and Sadducees seek for a Sign from our Lord: After crossing the Lake, he warns the Disciples against their Doctrine; and, on arriving at Bethsaida, restores a Blind Man. MATT. xvi. 1-12. MARK viii. 10-26. AND straightway he entered into the vessel with his disciples, and came into the region of Dalmanutha.1 And the Pharisees and Sadducees came forth, and began to dispute with him; and, trying him, desired him to show them a sign from heaven. But he answered and said unto them, "When it is evening, ye say, 'It will be fair weather: for the heaven is red.' And in the morning, 'It will be stormy to-day for the heaven is red and lowering.' Ye hypocrites! ye know how to discern the face of the heaven; but ye can. 1 v. H. n. |