THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK - Chapter 7 - Verse 4

Verse 4. Market. This word means either the place where provisions were sold, or the place where men were convened for any purpose. In this place it probably means the former.

Except they wash. In the original, "Except they baptize." In this place it does not mean to immerse the whole body, but the hands only. There is no evidence that the Jews washed their whole bodies every time they came from market. It is probable they washed as a mere ceremony; and often, doubtless, with the use of a very small quantity of water.

The washing of cups. In the Greek, the baptism of cups.

Cups. Drinking vessels. Those used at their meals.

Pots. Measures of liquids. Vessels made of wood, used to hold wine, vinegar, etc.

Brasen vessels. Vessels made of brass, used in cooking or otherwise. These, if much polluted, were commonly passed through the fire; if slightly polluted, they were washed. Earthen vessels, if defiled, were usually broken.

Tables. This word means, in the original, beds or couches. It refers not to the tables on which they ate, but to the couches on which they reclined at their meals. See Barnes "Mt 23:6".

These were supposed to be defiled when any unclean or polluted person had reclined on them; and they deemed it necessary to purify them with water. The word baptism is here used—in the original, the baptism of tables; but as it cannot be supposed that couches were entirely immersed in water, the word baptism, here, must denote some other application of water, by sprinkling or otherwise, and shows that the term is used in the sense of washing in any way. If the word here is used, as is clear, to denote anything except entire immersion, it may be elsewhere; and baptism is lawfully performed without immersing the whole body in water.

{n} "except they wash" Job 9:30,31 {2} "and pots" "Sexatarius is about a pint and a half" {3} "of tables" or, "tables"