Mark 7 — Clausal Layout (English)

independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecomparativecontentconditionalphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended

Flush-left = a main (independent) clause. Each dependent line begins directly beneath the word it attaches to in the line above — the anchor word is dotted-underlined, and lights up when you hover its dependent clause; each tag also names the attachment. A dashed border marks verbless, elliptical, or suspended lines. Where a long sentence's staircase runs wider than the page, the diagram scrolls sideways. (In print, or without JavaScript, lines fall back to stepped indent columns.)

Hands, tradition, and the commandment of God 7:1–13

vv. 1–5 — the observation, Mark's aside, and the question

And the Pharisees gather to him, and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem.independent — historic present συνάγονται — the Jerusalem deputation converges; official scrutiny arrives from the capital

And having seen some of his disciples,participial — preposed circumstantial — anacoluthon: it leans forward across the parenthesis of vv. 3–4 to ἐπερωτῶσιν (v. 5)

that with defiled — that is, unwashed — hands they eat their breadcontent — ὅτι-content of the seeing; Mark glosses the ritual term κοιναῖς ('common') as ἀνίπτοις for outsiders

(for the Pharisees and all the Jews —cause — the narrator's parenthesis opens — explanatory γάρ for Gentile readers; subject suspended before its protasis

unless they wash their hands with a fist,conditional — protasis — πυγμῇ notoriously obscure ('with the fist,' 'up to the wrist,' 'carefully'); left literal

they do not eat,cause — the aside's main verb — customary present

holding to the tradition of the elders,participial — κρατέω — the tenacious grip on the oral tradition, the chapter's contested word

and coming from the marketplace, unless they wash themselves,conditional — second protasis — βαπτίσωνται (some witnesses ῥαντίσωνται, 'sprinkle'); market contact risked defilement

they do not eat;cause — the refrain of the aside repeats

and there are many other thingscause — the traditions multiply beyond handwashing

which they have received to hold —relative — παρέλαβον — the technical verb of receiving tradition, cognate to παράδοσις

washings of cups and pots and copper vessels.)phrase modifier — apposition — the inventory of immersions; the parenthesis closes

And the Pharisees and the scribes question him:independent — historic present — the sentence broken off at v. 2 is finally resumed; the challenge lands

'Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders,content — περιπατεῖν — the halakah idiom: conduct as walking

but eat bread with defiled hands?'content — the charge in their own ritual vocabulary — κοιναῖς again

vv. 6–8 — Isaiah's indictment and the verdict

And he said to them:independent — the reply — speech-frame

'Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites,content — the first Καλῶς — Isaiah 'aptly' described them; ὑποκριτής, the play-actor

as it is written:comparative — citation formula with recitative ὅτι — the standing record of Scripture

'This people honors me with their lips,content — Isa 29:13 LXX — lip-honor; covenant language turned to indictment

but their heart is far distant from me;content — καρδία — the chapter's key term enters: the far heart behind the near lips

and in vain they worship me,content — the citation's verdict — worship voided

teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'participial — the manner that empties the worship — human ἐντάλματα dignified as διδασκαλίαι

Having abandoned the commandment of God,participial — preposed aorist participle — the abandonment loaded before the verb strikes; leans on κρατεῖτε

you hold to the tradition of men.content — the verdict applied — their κρατεῖν (v. 3) grips παράδοσις, not ἐντολή

vv. 9–13 — Moses versus Korban

And he said to them:independent — iterative imperfect — the rebuke continues in a second wave

'Rightly do you set aside the commandment of God,content — the second Καλῶς — biting irony: how skillfully they annul

so that you may keep your tradition!purpose — the purpose stated bluntly — ὑμῶν: the tradition is now theirs, not the elders'

For Moses said,cause — the scriptural ground — Moses' 'said' set against their 'say' (v. 11)

'Honor your father and your mother,'content — Exod 20:12 — the fifth commandment, including material support

and, 'Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must surely die.'content — Exod 21:17 LXX — the capital sanction; θανάτῳ τελευτάτω renders the Hebrew infinitive absolute

But you say:content — the antithesis — emphatic ὑμεῖς against Μωϋσῆς: their counter-torah

'If a man says to his father or mother,conditional — protasis inside quoted speech — leans forward across the Korban words to the apodosis (v. 12)

'Korban'content — the vow-word itself — transliterated Hebrew/Aramaic qorbān, withdrawing the thing from ordinary use

(that is, a gift to God)relative — Mark's parenthetic gloss for his readers — the first of the chapter's translation asides

is whatever you might have gained from me —relative — the thing vowed away — the very support the parent would have received

you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother,content — the apodosis — their ruling actively forbids the help the commandment requires

nullifying the word of God by your traditionparticipial — result/means participle — ἀκυρόω, stripping God's word of its authority

which you have handed down;relative — dative ᾗ attracted to its antecedent — παρεδώκατε, the cognate verb: they perpetuate what they received

And many such things like this you do.'content — the close — Korban is representative, not isolated

What defiles — nothing outside, everything from the heart 7:14–23

vv. 14–15 — the aphorism to the crowd

And calling the crowd to him again,participial — preposed circumstantial — leans on ἔλεγεν; the audience widens beyond the deputation

he said to them:independent — the public pronouncement — speech-frame

'Hear me, all of you,content — the programmatic summons — the parable-audience formula (cf. 4:3)

and understand:content — συνίημι — the understanding the disciples will be shown to lack (ἀσύνετοι, v. 18)

There is nothing outside a person, entering into him,content — the negative half of the aphorism — ἔξωθεν, the doomed direction

that is able to defile him;relative — κοινόω — the ritual-pollution verb that frames the whole unit (vv. 15, 18, 20, 23)

but the things coming out of a person are what defile the person.'content — the positive half — εἰσπορευόμενον answered by ἐκπορευόμενα; defilement's direction reversed

vv. 17–19 — the house explanation (no v. 16: the critical text omits the ears-to-hear refrain as harmonization to 4:9, 23)

And when he entered a house, away from the crowd,conditional — temporal ὅτε (typed cnd; no temporal key) — the Markan house, the schoolroom of private teaching

his disciples were asking him about the parable.independent — inceptive imperfect — the saying of v. 15 is a παραβολή to them: a riddle

And he says to them:independent — historic present — the explanation begins with a rebuke

'Are you also so without understanding?content — the rebuke — καὶ ὑμεῖς: even you, like the outsiders; ἀσύνετοι answers σύνετε (v. 14)

Do you not perceivecontent — the second question — dullness pressed

that nothing entering a person from outside is able to defile him,content — the aphorism restated as content — πᾶν … οὐ, the Semitic 'nothing whatever'

since it does not enter his heart but his stomach,cause — the digestion argument — food's path is bodily, never reaching the καρδία

and goes out into the latrine?cause — the blunt terminus — ἀφεδρών; food's ἐκπορεύεται is merely physical

— thus cleansing all foods.participial — THE crux — masc. nom. participle agreeing with the subject of λέγει (v. 18): read here as Mark's editorial verdict, 'he declared all foods clean' (cf. Acts 10:15), not Jesus' own syntax; the Byzantine neuter καθαρίζον smooths it back into the quotation

vv. 20–23 — from within: the vice catalogue

And he said:independent — speech-frame with recitative ὅτι — the positive thesis resumed

'What comes out of a person — that defiles a person.content — casus pendens resumed by ἐκεῖνο — the emphatic 'that is what defiles'

For from within, out of the heart of men, come the evil thoughts:cause — the ground — ἔσωθεν against ἔξωθεν; the heart of Isa 29:13 now the wellspring of evil

fornications, thefts, murders,phrase modifier — the vice catalogue opens — plurals of concrete deed

adulteries, covetings, wickednesses, deceit, sensuality, an evil eye, slander, pride, foolishness.phrase modifier — the list turns from plural deeds to singular dispositions — ὀφθαλμὸς πονηρός the Semitic 'evil eye,' envy

All these evil things come out from within and defile a person.'content — the summary verdict — ἔσωθεν has the last word; the heart, not food, is the locus of impurity

The Syrophoenician woman — the children's bread 7:24–30

vv. 24–26 — the hidden house and the Gentile suppliant

And rising from there,participial — preposed circumstantial — the Semitic setting-out idiom; leans on ἀπῆλθεν

he went away to the region of Tyre.independent — into Gentile territory — the foods-clean verdict is at once enacted in geography

And entering a house,participial — preposed circumstantial — leans on ἤθελεν; the house again, now for hiding

he wanted no one to know it,independent — the attempted concealment — descriptive imperfect

and he could not escape notice;independent — the Markan pattern — the secret that will not keep (cf. 1:45)

but immediately a woman, hearing about him,participial — preposed circumstantial with εὐθύς — leans on προσέπεσεν; the report outruns the hiding

whose little daughter had an unclean spirit,relative — pleonastic αὐτῆς after ἧς — Semitic; θυγάτριον the pathos-diminutive; ἀκάθαρτον, the chapter's true uncleanness

came and fell down at his feet;independent — προσπίπτω — the suppliant's prostration

now the woman was a Greek,independent — Ἑλληνίς — a Gentile by religion and culture; Mark pauses the scene to mark the boundary

a Syrophoenician by birth;phrase modifier — verbless apposition — dative of respect τῷ γένει; emphatically outside Israel

and she kept asking himindependent — iterative imperfect — persistent entreaty

to cast the demon out of her daughter.content — ἵνα of content after a verb of asking — the request itself

vv. 27–30 — the children's bread and the crumb-riposte

And he said to her:independent — descriptive imperfect — the testing answer

'Let the children first be fed,content — πρῶτον — a sequence, not an exclusion: Israel first, a 'then' held open; χορτάζω, the feeding-miracle verb (6:42)

for it is not goodcause — the proverb's ground

to take the children's breadcontent — subject infinitive — the ἄρτος of the loaves-narrative becomes the children's portion

and throw it to the dogs.'content — the saying's edge — κυνάριον, the house-dog diminutive, softens but does not erase the insult; the layout leaves the offense standing as a test

But she answered and says to him:independent — aorist + historic present — the riposte given Mark's vivid frame

'Lord,content — the only person in Mark to address Jesus as κύριε — respectful 'sir' at least, confession at most

even the dogs under the table eat from the children's crumbs.'content — the riposte — she accepts his image and turns it: ascensive καί, the diminutives ψιχία and παιδία; the crumbs suffice

And he said to her:independent — the concession — speech-frame

'For this saying, go;content — διὰ τοῦτον τὸν λόγον — her word wins; the only argument Jesus ever concedes in Mark

the demon has gone out of your daughter.'content — perfect ἐξελήλυθεν — already done and standing; healing at a distance, no rite, no touch

And going away to her house,participial — preposed circumstantial — leans on εὗρεν; she obeys the ὕπαγε

she found the child lying on the bed and the demon gone.independent — double perfect participles — the child at rest, the demon departed: v. 29 verified word for word

The deaf stammerer — Ephphatha 7:31–37

vv. 31–35 — the Decapolis route and the opened ears

And again, leaving the region of Tyre,participial — preposed circumstantial — leans on ἦλθεν

he came through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, through the midst of the region of the Decapolis.independent — the roundabout itinerary — north via Sidon, then down through Gentile Decapolis: the geography of the mission widening

And they bring to him a deaf man who could hardly speak,independent — historic present — μογιλάλος, virtually only here and Isa 35:6 LXX: the Isaianic sign walks in

and they beg himindependent — historic present — the intercessors, as at 2:3; 8:22

to lay his hand on him.content — ἵνα of content — the expected healing gesture requested

And taking him aside from the crowd privately,participial — preposed circumstantial — leans on ἔβαλεν; the cure withdrawn from spectacle

he put his fingers into his ears,independent — the first narrative aorist — touch addressed to the deaf ears themselves

and spitting,participial — preposed aorist participle — leans on ἥψατο; saliva as popular healing medium

he touched his tongue,independent — ἥψατο — the touch again (1:41), now on the bound tongue

and looking up to heaven,participial — preposed circumstantial — leans on ἐστέναξεν; the heavenward look, an implicit prayer (cf. 6:41)

he sighed,independent — στενάζω — the sigh: compassion, or the groan over a broken creation

and says to him:independent — historic present — the word of power framed

'Ephphatha,'content — the Aramaic preserved — the very syllables Jesus spoke (cf. ταλιθα κουμ, 5:41)

that is, 'Be opened.'phrase modifier — Mark's translation gloss — the chapter's third aside for Greek readers (vv. 2, 11, 34)

And immediately his ears were opened,independent — divine passive — the command 'be opened' answered verbatim

and the bond of his tongue was loosed,independent — δεσμός — the tongue's fetter: the impediment pictured as a binding undone

and he began to speak plainly.independent — inceptive imperfect — the loosed tongue keeps talking; ὀρθῶς, clear at once

vv. 36–37 — silence charged, proclamation redoubled

And he charged themindependent — διαστέλλομαι — the messianic-secret injunction

to tell no one;content — the content of the charge — the silence commanded

but the more he charged them,conditional — correlative ὅσον … μᾶλλον (typed cnd; no correlative key) — iterative imperfect: the repeated charge, leaning on ἐκήρυσσον

they proclaimed it all the more abundantly.independent — piled comparatives μᾶλλον περισσότερον — the leper's disobedience (1:45) now a chorus

And they were astounded beyond all measure,independent — ὑπερπερισσῶς — a NT hapax, the double-compound outdoing even περισσότερον

saying:participial — pleonastic speech-participle — the frame for the acclamation

'He has done all things well;content — the third Καλῶς — no longer irony: the Gen 1:31 echo ('God saw all that he had made, and it was very good'); consummative perfect

he even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.'content — Isa 35:5–6 — the messianic-age signs; the plurals generalize the one cure into the new creation

Analysis. Mark 7 keeps the narrative shape of Mark 1 — flush-left purple main clauses, preposed circumstantial participles leaning anchor-less on the verb below (Ἐκεῖθεν δὲ ἀναστάς, καὶ εἰσελθὼν εἰς οἰκίαν, ἀπολαβόμενος, ἀναβλέψας), all speech hanging blue beneath its verb of saying — but its first half is dispute, so the column fills with argument. The unwashed-hands observation of v. 2 is left as Mark leaves it, an anacoluthon: ἰδόντες leans forward across the narrator's two-verse parenthesis (vv. 3–4, flush-left cau lines tagged as the aside for Gentile readers, with the notoriously obscure πυγμῇ, 'with a fist,' rendered literally) until ἐπερωτῶσιν in v. 5 finally supplies the verb. Jesus' reply nests the Isa 29:13 LXX quotation under γέγραπται, sets Μωϋσῆς γὰρ εἶπεν against ὑμεῖς δὲ λέγετε, and runs the Korban case as a protasis chain inside quoted speech — Ἐὰν εἴπῃ leaning forward, the vow-word Κορβᾶν hanging under εἴπῃ with Mark's ὅ ἐστιν δῶρον gloss as a relative beneath it, and the apodosis οὐκέτι ἀφίετε landing two levels up. Cruxes named honestly: at v. 19 καθαρίζων πάντα τὰ βρώματα is the layout's biggest interpretive act — the masculine nominative participle is taken as Mark's editorial verdict reaching back over Jesus' whole sentence to the subject of λέγει (v. 18), 'thus he declared all foods clean' (cf. Acts 10:15), not as Jesus' own syntax, though the tag concedes the rival construals (the Byzantine neuter καθαρίζον smooths the grammar and hands the words to Jesus); v. 16 does not exist in this text — the critical editions omit the ears-to-hear refrain as a harmonization to 4:9, 23, and the numbering jumps 15 → 17; in the Syrophoenician scene the dogs-saying keeps its edge — κυνάριον is the house-dog diminutive and πρῶτον holds a 'then' open for the Gentiles, but neither softens the insult away, and it is her λόγος (v. 29), the only riposte Jesus ever concedes in Mark, that wins the exorcism-at-a-distance; the vice catalogue stands as two verbless mod lines under οἱ διαλογισμοὶ οἱ κακοί, six plurals of deed then six singulars of disposition; and the Ephphatha of v. 34 keeps the Aramaic on the line with Mark's translation gloss hung beneath it, the ὅσον … μᾶλλον correlative of v. 36 leans forward on the defiant ἐκήρυσσον, and the crowd's Καλῶς πάντα πεποίηκεν closes the chapter on Gen 1:31 and Isa 35:5–6 at once.