“And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault. defiled: or, common”
With common hands. It may be translated, with defiled hands; as also ver. 15; but the circumstances plainly shew the sense. (Witham)
“For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. oft: or, diligently: in the original, with the fist: Theophylact, up to the elbow”
Often washing, &c.[1] Some would have the Greek to signify unless they wash up to the elbows, but I think without sufficient grounds. (Witham)
“And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables. pots: sextarius is about a pint and an half tables: or, beds”
Washed: literally, baptized. By beds are not understood night beds, but couches to eat upon, as it was then the custom. (Witham)
“Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”
See the annotations Matthew xv. 9, 11. It is groundless to pretend from this text, that the precepts and traditions of the Church are not binding and obligatory, for Christ himself has commanded all to hear his Church, and obey their lawful pastors. These indeed may be called the precepts of men, but they are precepts of men invested with power and authority from God, and of whom Christ himself said, (Luke x. 16.) He that heareth you, heareth me; and he that despiseth you, despiseth me.
“And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. reject: or, frustrate”
Well do you. Christ here speaks by the figure called irony. (Witham)
“And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable.”
Asked him the parable. Asked him to explain its meaning.
“And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid.”
If he desired to conceal himself, and could not, his will it seems was under control; but this is impossible. His will must always take place. On this occasion, therefore, he wished himself to be sought for by these Gentiles, but not to be made known by his own apostles. Wherefore it came to pass, that not the persons who were his followers, but the Gentiles who entered the house in which he was, published his fame abroad. (St. Augustine) — Jesus Christ commanded his disciples not to publish that he was come into that country; not that he intended to cease from healing the infirm, and curing diseases, when he saw the faith of the inhabitants deserved it; for he informed the Gentile woman of his coming, and made it known to as many others as he thought worthy; but that he might teach us, by his example, to decline the applause of men. (Ven. Bede)
“For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:”
This part, in which St. Mark says that Christ was in the house, when the woman came to petition in behalf of her daughter, seems to differ from the narration of St. Matthew, who says that the disciples besought Christ to dismiss her, because she cried after them; by which he signifies, that she followed them as they were on the road. These apparent differences may thus easily be reconciled. The woman came to our Lord when he was in the house, and he, according to St. Matthew, not answering her a word, went out during the silence: the woman followed after, and by her perseverance obtained her request. (St. Augustine)
“And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him.”
Dumb.[2] The Greek signifies one that speaks little, or with difficulty. (Witham) — They besought him. In the Greek it is, they beseech him, which agrees so well with they bring, that we have every reason to believe that this was the original reading.
“And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.”
Ephphetha, a Syriac word. Jesus Christ, in the cure of this man, uses many and various actions; but as of their own nature they are no ways equal to such a cure, they shew: first, that the cure was miraculous; and secondly, the virtue, which his divinity communicated to his sacred body. (Bible de Vence) — We must not suppose that our Saviour here groaned on account of any difficulty he experienced in working this miracle, but only from commiseration for the man, whom he was about to heal; as likewise to shew, how very difficult is the cure of those who are spiritually deaf and dumb by sin. He was affected in a similar manner when he raised Lazarus to life, to shew with what difficulty a man, dead and buried in sin by evil habits, can arise from that miserable state. (Denis the Carthusian)