Mark 7:20 (KJV)

What does Mark 7:20 mean?

Mark 7:20 records Jesus saying that what comes out of a person is what makes them unclean or defiled, not what goes into them. This means that a person’s words and actions, which come from within, are what truly affect their moral and spiritual state.

In this scene, Jesus is speaking to a crowd after a dispute with religious leaders about traditional rules on food and ritual washing. He shifts the focus from external rituals to the inner life, teaching that true purity is about what comes from the heart, not just following outward rules.

The Greek behind Mark 7:20

• ἐξέρχεται (exerchetai, “cometh out”): This Greek word means to go out or come forth, emphasizing that the source of defilement is something that originates from within a person, not from outside influences.
• κοινοῖ (koinoi, “defileth”): This word means to make common or unclean, especially in a religious or ceremonial sense. Here, Jesus uses it to challenge the common belief that uncleanness comes from external things, highlighting instead the importance of inner character.

Why Mark 7:20 matters

• Mark 7:20 clarifies that Jesus is challenging the traditional view that external things, like certain foods or rituals, make a person spiritually unclean.
• This verse shifts the emphasis from outward religious practices to the condition of a person’s heart and their behavior, which was a significant departure from the religious norms of the time.
• Understanding this verse helps make sense of the larger conversation in Mark 7, where Jesus explains that true defilement is a matter of inner morality, not just external observance.