There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is making a radical distinction between physical and spiritual impurity. He's not just saying dietary laws are irrelevant, but that true defilement isn't about what you consume with your body, but what originates from your heart and then flows out through your actions and words.
There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just finished a sharp rebuke of the Pharisees for their hypocrisy and their tradition-laden approach to religious law. Now, turning to the crowds, He declares a radical truth: true defilement doesn't come from the outside by eating certain foods, but from the inside, from the heart. Later, when the disciples inquire about this challenging statement, Jesus clarifies that what proceeds from a person's heart—thoughts, desires, words, and actions—is what truly pollutes them in God's eyes.
Jesus flips the script on what makes someone 'unclean.' It's not about following a list of external rules, but about the condition of our hearts.
The Pharisees were obsessed with ritual purity, focusing on what went into the body – how food was prepared, hands were washed. Jesus cuts through this by stating plainly: nothing from the outside can truly defile you in God's eyes. The focus shifts entirely inward. It's not about avoiding certain foods or performing specific rituals; it's about the source of your actions and thoughts.
If external things don't defile us, where does the real pollution come from? Jesus points to the heart as the epicenter.
The second half of the verse is the punchline: '...but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.' Jesus isn't just talking about spoken words. He's talking about the overflow of the heart – evil thoughts, wicked desires, harmful intentions, and actions that spring from them. These are the true defilements that separate us from God and impact our relationships. The external actions are just symptoms of an internal condition.
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koinoo · Greek Verb
To make ceremonially or morally unclean or impure. In a biblical sense, it refers to something that separates a person from a right standing with a holy God.
Jesus' radical statement dismantled the Pharisees' outward-focused system of purity, revealing that true defilement stems from the heart's intentions and actions, a truth that would ultimately lead to the abolition of many ritual laws after the Temple's destruction.
c. 450 BC
Ezra and Nehemiah lead exiles back
After the Babylonian exile, Jewish communities returned to Judea, facing challenges in rebuilding their religious and social structures. This period saw a strong emphasis on adhering to the Law to maintain distinctiveness.
c. 200 BC - AD 70
Hasmonean rule and Pharisaic influence grows
The Hasmonean dynasty and subsequent Roman rule created a complex political and religious landscape. The Pharisees gained significant influence, promoting strict interpretations of the Law and oral traditions, including meticulous purity laws for daily life.
c. 20 BC - AD 30
Jesus' early ministry in Galilee
Jesus begins his public ministry, challenging established religious norms and leadership. His teachings often contrasted with the oral traditions and strict interpretations favored by the Pharisees and scribes.
c. AD 28-30— this verse
Jesus publicly challenges Pharisaic purity laws
Jesus directly confronts the Pharisees and scribes regarding their traditions, particularly concerning ritual purity laws. This teaching, recorded in Mark 7, openly declares that true defilement comes from within, not from external actions like eating unclean food or failing to wash hands ritually.
c. AD 30-33
Jesus' conflict escalates, leading to rejection
The direct challenge to Pharisaic authority and interpretation of the Law intensifies Jesus' conflict with religious leaders, ultimately contributing to his rejection and crucifixion.
c. AD 60-70
The Gospel of Mark is written
Mark records Jesus' teachings and actions, likely for a Roman audience, preserving this pivotal moment where Jesus redefined the understanding of spiritual purity and the Law's intent.
This passage is the parallel account in Matthew, where Jesus explicitly states that it's not what goes into the mouth that defiles, but what comes out of it, directly reinforcing Mark's statement.
Luke 6:45Jesus teaches that a good person brings good things out of their good treasure, and an evil person brings evil things out of their evil treasure, highlighting the internal source of what defiles, just as Mark 7:15 does.
Romans 14:14Paul, referencing Jesus' teaching, states 'I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for the person who thinks it is unclean,' echoing the idea that external things don't inherently defile.
Jeremiah 17:9This Old Testament passage declares 'The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?' which provides the underlying reason for Jesus' teaching that the source of defilement is internal.
James 1:14-15James explains that temptation begins with our own evil desire, which entices and then gives birth to sin, showing how internal desires are the root of actions that defile, aligning with Jesus' point about things coming out of a person.
pooleMark 7:15: "There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man."
Ver. 15,16. The addition of these words, If any man have ears to hear, let him hear, confirm what I observed before, that our Saviour looked upon what he said as a truth of very great moment, and withal as such a notion which carnal hearts and superstitious persons had no ears to hear. This great truth was, That a man in the sight of…
calvinMark 7:14-23: "And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:"
- And having called the multitudes to him, he said to them, Hear and understand. 11. What entereth into the mouth polluteth not the man, but what goes out of the mouth polluteth the man. 12. Then his disciples approaching said to him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended when they heard that saying? 13. But he answering, said, Every plant which my heave…
Jesus is making a radical distinction between physical and spiritual impurity. He's not just saying dietary laws are irrelevant, but that true defilement isn't about what you consume with your body, but what originates from your heart and then flows out through your actions and words.
Jesus has just finished a sharp rebuke of the Pharisees for their hypocrisy and their tradition-laden approach to religious law. Now, turning to the crowds, He declares a radical truth: true defilement doesn't come from the outside by eating certain foods, but from the inside, from the heart. Later, when the disciples inquire about this challenging statement, Jesus clarifies that what proceeds from a person's heart—thoughts, desires, words, and actions—is what truly pollutes them in God's eyes.
Jesus has just finished a sharp rebuke of the Pharisees for their hypocrisy and their tradition-laden approach to religious law. Now, turning to the crowds, He declares a radical truth: true defilement doesn't come from the outside by eating certain foods, but from the inside, from the heart. Later, when the disciples inquire about this challenging statement, Jesus clarifies that what proceeds from a person's heart—thoughts, desires, words, and actions—is what truly pollutes them in God's eyes.
"There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.”" — Jesus is making a radical distinction between physical and spiritual impurity. He's not just saying dietary laws are irrelevant, but that true defilement isn't about what you consume with your body,…
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Last reviewed October 2026