Mark 7 · a question people ask

Who is Jesus calling hypocrites?

In the text

The ones he is answering. "The Pharisees and the scribes asked him" (7:5), and Jesus answered them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites" (7:6). Mark says those who gathered to him were "the Pharisees and some of the scribes" who had come "from Jerusalem" (7:1). Then Jesus says to them, "For you set aside the commandment of God, and hold tightly to the tradition of men" (7:8). He gives an example: a man tells his father or his mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban" (7:11), and "then you no longer allow him to do anything for his father or his mother" (7:12); and he adds, "You do many things like this" (7:13). The word hypocrites is Jesus's, spoken to those who had asked him (7:5-6). These notes say only what the text says, and of whom, and make it a verdict on no people, church or group today.

From Favor's study of Mark 7

Mark 7: From within

In Mark 7, Jesus never says "the tradition of the elders"; he says "the tradition of men" (7:8), and sets it against Moses' words, which he calls "the commandment of God" and "the word of God" (7:9-13). And the one who answers him "Yes, Lord" is a Greek woman (7:26-28).

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Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions