The Pulpit Commentary — Mark — Volume 1 — Section 294

EXPOSITION. CHAPTER VIL ' The Greek word here rendered "oft" is .,,u-yµii: literally, unth the fist, i.e. with the Vere. I, 2.-These verses, according to cloeecl hand, rubbing one against the other. the Greek construction, should rnn thus: Thie word he.a co.used a ve.et amount of 4nd there are gathered together unto him criticism; and the difficulty of explo.ining the Pharisees, and oertain of the soribes, it seems to have led to the adoption of which had oome from Jerusalem, and had a conjectural reading (,n,1<vws or 1rv1<vji) seen that some of his disoiples ate their 1·endered "oft; " crebro in the Vnlgate. bread with defiled, that is, unwashen, hands. But the Syriao Peshito Version renders '1.'he word ( lµlµ,j,avTo) translated in the the Greek word by a word whioh means Authorized Version, "they found fnult," "diligently,'' and it is interesting and hell?• does not appear in the beet authorities. It ful, as a matter of exegesis, to !mow that 1t seems to have been interpolated to help the also renders the Greek word ( briµe>..ii,s) in construction. St. Mark explains the mean- Luke xv. 8 by the same Syriao synonym, ing of the word icowai's (literally, common), "diligently." The" olenched Ii.it" implies by the word (uvl1rTOu) "unwashen." The vigour nnd resolution, and points to "dili- disciples, doubtless, washed their bands, gence," and there are very high authorities bnt they abstained from the multiplied in favour of this rendering, as, Epiphanius, ceremonial washings of the Pharisees, whioh Isaao Casaubon, and Cornelius B Lapide, they had received by tradition and puno- to say nothing of our best modern exposi- tiliously observed. The scribes and tors. It is also adopted in the Revised Pharisees, who had come from Jerusalem, Version. Holding the tradition of the were doubtless sent e.e spies, to watch and to elders. The Pharisees pretended that thi.B report in no friendly spirit the proceedings tradition had been orally delivered by God of the great Prophet of Naz1i.reth. to Moses on Mount Sinai, e.nd then trans- Ver. 3.-Exoept they wash their hands o!t. mitted orally down to their time. The.a  292 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING 'l'O ST. MARK. [olI. vn. l-37~