The Meaning of Mark 7:15 Explained

Mark 7:15

KJV: There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.

YLT: there is nothing from without the man entering into him that is able to defile him, but the things coming out from him, those are the things defiling the man.

Darby: There is nothing from outside a man entering into him which can defile him; but the things which go out from him, those it is which defile the man.

ASV: there is nothing from without the man, that going into him can defile him; but the things which proceed out of the man are those that defile the man.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

There is  nothing  from without  a man,  that  entering  into  him  can  defile  him:  but  the things which come  out of  him,  those  are they  that defile  the man. 

What does Mark 7:15 Mean?

Context Summary

Mark 7:1-23 - Breaking The Bonds Of Tradition
The Pharisees laid great stress on ritual. They followed endless rules, both intricate and troublesome, as to ablutions and outward ceremonials. So long as their devotees were careful in the minor observances, they were permitted a wide license so far as the weightier matters of the Law were concerned. This is a natural tendency of the human heart. It is glad to be able to reduce its religious life to an outward and literal obedience, if only its thoughts may be unhampered. In the life of true holiness everything depends on the control of the thoughts. "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." With infinite wisdom the wise man said, "Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life," and Jesus put "evil-thoughts" first in the black category of the contents of the evil heart. A gang of thieves sometimes put a very small boy through a tiny window that he may unlock the front door. So one evil thought will often admit an entire crew of evil. Heart of mine, hast thou learned this lesson? Art thou careful enough of thy cleanliness? That the hands should be often washed, that vessels of household use should be kept cleansed, that there should be decorum and neatness in the outward life, all these customs are good. But it becomes thee to inquire whether thou art not more eager for the outward than the inward cleanliness. "Create in me a clean heart," should be thy constant prayer. [source]

Chapter Summary: Mark 7

1  The Pharisees find fault with the disciples for eating with unwashed hands
8  They break the commandment of God by the traditions of men
14  Food defiles not the man
24  He heals the Syrophenician woman's daughter of an unclean spirit;
31  and one that was deaf, and stammered in his speech

What do the individual words in Mark 7:15 mean?

Nothing there is from outside the man entering into him which is able to defile him but the things out of proceeding are defiling the man
οὐδέν ἐστιν ἔξωθεν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου εἰσπορευόμενον εἰς αὐτὸν δύναται κοινῶσαι αὐτόν ἀλλὰ τὰ ἐκ ἐκπορευόμενά ἐστιν κοινοῦντα τὸν ἄνθρωπον

οὐδέν  Nothing 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: οὐδείς 
Sense: no one, nothing.
ἐστιν  there  is 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: εἰμί  
Sense: to be, to exist, to happen, to be present.
ἔξωθεν  from  outside 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἔξωθεν  
Sense: from without, outward.
ἀνθρώπου  man 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: ἄνθρωπος  
Sense: a human being, whether male or female.
εἰσπορευόμενον  entering 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle or Passive, Nominative Neuter Singular
Root: εἰσπορεύομαι  
Sense: to go into, enter.
εἰς  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: εἰς  
Sense: into, unto, to, towards, for, among.
δύναται  is  able 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: δύναμαι  
Sense: to be able, have power whether by virtue of one’s own ability and resources, or of a state of mind, or through favourable circumstances, or by permission of law or custom.
κοινῶσαι  to  defile 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Infinitive Active
Root: κοινόω  
Sense: to make common.
τὰ  the  things 
Parse: Article, Nominative Neuter Plural
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
ἐκ  out  of 
Parse: Preposition
Root: ἐκ 
Sense: out of, from, by, away from.
ἐκπορευόμενά  proceeding 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle or Passive, Nominative Neuter Plural
Root: ἐκπορεύομαι  
Sense: to go forth, go out, depart.
κοινοῦντα  defiling 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Neuter Plural
Root: κοινόω  
Sense: to make common.
ἄνθρωπον  man 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: ἄνθρωπος  
Sense: a human being, whether male or female.