Mark 7:22 (KJV)

What does Mark 7:22 mean?

Mark 7:22 lists several wrong attitudes and actions that Jesus says come from within a person, not from outside influences. Jesus is explaining that these inner qualities—such as theft, greed, wickedness, deceit, lust, envy, slander, arrogance, and foolishness—are what truly defile someone.

In this scene, Jesus is speaking to a crowd, including religious leaders, after being questioned about ritual handwashing. He is challenging the idea that external rituals make a person clean or unclean before God. Instead, Jesus shifts the focus to the heart, teaching that moral impurity starts from within, not from what someone eats or touches.

The Greek behind Mark 7:22

• "Thefts" (κλοπαί, klopai, G2829) refers to acts of stealing, highlighting that dishonesty is an inward problem before it becomes an outward act.
• "Covetousness" (πλεονεξίαι, pleonexiai, G4124) means an intense desire for more, especially what belongs to others; this points to greed as a root issue.
• "Lasciviousness" (ἀσέλγεια, aselgeia, G766) is often understood as unrestrained, shameless behavior, especially in a sexual sense, showing that Jesus includes even hidden desires.
• "An evil eye" (ὀφθαλμὸς πονηρός, ophthalmos ponēros, G4190 + G3788) is a Greek phrase for envy or jealousy, not just literal eyesight, so Jesus is naming inner attitudes, not just visible actions.

Why Mark 7:22 matters

• Mark 7:22 clarifies that Jesus is not just concerned with outward behavior, but with the inner motives and attitudes that lead to wrongdoing.
• This verse helps correct the misunderstanding that religious rituals or traditions alone can make someone spiritually clean.
• Mark 7:22 fits into Jesus’ larger teaching in this chapter, where He emphasizes that true purity is a matter of the heart, connecting personal morality to one’s relationship with God.