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.

MARK 7:15KJV
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Mark 7:15 (KJV)

What does Mark 7:15 mean?

Mark 7:15 teaches that nothing coming from outside a person and entering them can make them spiritually unclean; instead, it is what comes out from within a person—like their words and actions—that truly defiles them. This verse shifts the focus from external rituals or foods to the inner moral and spiritual state of a person.

Jesus is speaking to a crowd, responding to religious leaders who were concerned about ceremonial purity, especially regarding food and traditions. By saying this, Jesus challenges the common belief of his time that external things, such as what one eats, are what make a person impure before God. Instead, he points to the heart and what flows from it as the real source of defilement.

The Greek behind Mark 7:15

  • ἔξωθεν (exōthen, "without"): This word means "from outside" or "external." Jesus uses it to refer to things like food or ritual impurities that come from outside a person, emphasizing that these do not reach or corrupt the true self.
  • κοινοῦν (koinoun, "defile"): This Greek word means "to make common" or "to make unclean," often in a ritual or religious sense. Here, it highlights that true impurity is not about breaking external rules but about what comes from within a person.
  • ἐκπορευόμενα (ekporeuomena, "come out"): This word means "to go out" or "to proceed from." Jesus uses it to point to actions, words, and attitudes that originate from within a person as the real source of spiritual defilement.

Why Mark 7:15 matters

  • Mark 7:15 clarifies that spiritual purity is not about following external rituals or dietary laws, but about the condition of one’s heart and the actions that flow from it.
  • This verse helps correct the misunderstanding that religious rules alone can make someone right or wrong before God, shifting the focus to personal responsibility for one’s own words and deeds.
  • Mark 7:15 sets up the following verses, where Jesus further explains to his disciples that evil thoughts and actions come from within and are what truly defile a person, deepening the lesson about inner morality.