Jesus isn't just talking about outward actions; he's revealing that the true source of defilement is the internal "heart"—the seat of our thoughts, desires, and intentions. What comes out is merely the visible symptom of a deeper, internal corruption.
And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just been challenged by the Pharisees about his disciples not following their traditions of ritual handwashing before eating. After demonstrating their hypocrisy and then directly addressing the crowds, Jesus explains that true defilement doesn't come from external things like food or unwashed hands, but from what originates within a person's heart and comes out through their actions and words. He then calls his disciples aside to further clarify this crucial point, as they too are struggling to grasp its depth.
Jesus cuts through religious traditions to reveal the real issue. It's not about what goes in, but what comes out.
Jesus is flipping the script on the Pharisees' meticulous rules about clean and unclean foods. He makes it clear that external practices, like ceremonial washings or dietary laws, don't touch the core of a person's spiritual state.
Jesus points to a surprising, yet profound, source of all impurity: the human heart.
Jesus identifies the heart as the origin point for all that defiles. This isn't just about emotions; it's about the deep-seated intentions, desires, and thoughts that drive our actions.
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Understand the original words
dialogismoi kakoi · Greek Noun phrase
General moral corruption, malice, or depravity that originates within the human condition and manifests in sinful attitudes and behaviors.
porneiai · Greek Noun
A broad term for any form of sexual activity outside of the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman, including premarital sex, prostitution, and general impurity.
klopai · Greek Noun
The act of taking what belongs to another without permission, violating the commandment against stealing and reflecting a lack of trust in God's provision.
phonoi · Greek Noun
The unlawful and intentional taking of human life; it is the ultimate expression of hatred and violation of the image of God in man.
moicheiai · Greek Noun
Sexual relations involving at least one person who is married to someone else, breaking the covenant vow made before God and spouse.
pleonexiai · Greek Noun
An intense, sinful desire for what belongs to another or a greedy desire for illicit gain, contrary to contentment in God.
ponēriai · Greek Noun
Moral depravity, malice, or evil intentions that actively manifest in harmful actions toward others.
dolos · Greek Noun
The act of misleading others through falsehood, trickery, or craftiness, often with the intent to harm or manipulate.
aselgeia · Greek Noun
Unrestrained indulgence in fleshly appetites and desires, characterized by a lack of moral shame or self-control.
ophthalmos ponēros · Greek Noun phrase
Painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another, often accompanied by a desire to deprive them of it.
blasphēmia · Greek Noun
Malicious or defamatory speech against another person, often involving gossip or speaking against someone's character.
hyperēphania · Greek Noun
An attitude of self-exaltation and arrogance, viewing oneself as superior to others and independent of God.
aphrosunē · Greek Noun
A lack of spiritual understanding or wisdom; moral stupidity that ignores God’s truth and reality.
koinoo · Greek Verb
To make someone or something spiritually or ritually unclean and unacceptable before a holy God.
Jesus' declaration directly challenged the deeply ingrained purity laws and traditions of the Pharisees, shifting the focus from external rituals to the internal state of the heart as the true source of defilement.
c. 450 BC
Ezra convenes the people
Ezra calls the people of Judah to assemble, confessing their sins of intermarriage with foreign women, which had defiled them and the land.
c. 440 BC
Nehemiah confronts intermarriage
Nehemiah also addressed the issue of intermarriage, seeing it as a defilement of the covenant and the community.
c. 20 BC
Pharisaic purity laws codified
The Pharisees rigorously developed and emphasized oral traditions and laws concerning ritual purity, particularly around food and hand washing.
c. AD 28-30
Jesus' Galilean ministry
Jesus travels and teaches throughout Galilee, encountering various groups, including the Pharisees and scribes, and challenging their interpretations of the Law.
c. AD 30— this verse
Jesus conflicts with Pharisees over tradition
Jesus publicly confronts the Pharisees and their followers regarding their man-made traditions, particularly their rules about ritual hand washing before meals.
c. AD 30
Jesus retreats to Gentile territory
Following his public challenge to the Pharisees and the ensuing opposition, Jesus withdraws with his disciples to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
This passage from Matthew directly parallels Mark's teaching, listing the same internal sources of defilement like evil thoughts and desires originating from the heart.
Luke 6:45Jesus states, 'The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.' This reinforces the idea that what we say and do stems from our inner condition.
Romans 8:5-7Paul contrasts the mindset of the flesh, which is death and defilement, with the mindset of the Spirit, which is life and peace. This highlights the internal battle that determines what 'comes out' of us.
Galatians 5:19-21This passage lists 'works of the flesh' such as immorality, hatred, and jealousy, which are manifestations of an inner state that defiles. It shows the outward consequences of an impure heart.
James 3:6-10James powerfully illustrates how the tongue, a part of what 'comes out of a person,' can be a source of immense defilement and destruction, showing how internal thoughts manifest through our words.
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…
pulpitMark 7:20: "And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man."
Verses 20-23. - From within, out of the heart of men; that is, from the reason and the will, of which the heart is the symbol and the labouratory. For the heart ministers the vital fore to the intellect to enable it to understand, and to the will to enable it to live, although the seat of the intellect is in the brain. St. Mark's enumeration of evil things is in a somewhat different order from that of St. Matthew…
Jesus isn't just talking about outward actions; he's revealing that the true source of defilement is the internal "heart"—the seat of our thoughts, desires, and intentions. What comes out is merely the visible symptom of a deeper, internal corruption.
Jesus has just been challenged by the Pharisees about his disciples not following their traditions of ritual handwashing before eating. After demonstrating their hypocrisy and then directly addressing the crowds, Jesus explains that true defilement doesn't come from external things like food or unwashed hands, but from what originates within a person's heart and comes out through their actions and words. He then calls his disciples aside to further clarify this crucial point, as they too are struggling to grasp its depth.
Jesus has just been challenged by the Pharisees about his disciples not following their traditions of ritual handwashing before eating. After demonstrating their hypocrisy and then directly addressing the crowds, Jesus explains that true defilement doesn't come from external things like food or unwashed hands, but from what originates within a person's heart and comes out through their actions and words. He then calls his disciples aside to further clarify this crucial point, as they too are struggling to grasp its depth.
"And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolish…" — Jesus isn't just talking about outward actions; he's revealing that the true source of defilement is the internal "heart"—the seat of our thoughts, desires, and intentions. What comes out is merely t…
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Last reviewed October 2026
