Bible Strands
Mark 7:14
Once again Jesus called the crowd to Him and said, “All of you, listen to Me and understand:
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jesus summons the crowd to Himself and speaks directly to them. This occurs immediately after His rebuke of the religious leaders for allowing human tradition to override divine command.
The words — The participle προσκαλεσάμενος (proskalesamenos) literally means “having called to [Him],” indicating a deliberate, authoritative gathering. The imperative ἀκούσατε (akousate) commands “do listen,” stressing urgent attention to the teaching that follows.
The thread — Jesus repeats this exact summons in Matthew 15:10. The call to listen and understand echoes the wisdom instruction of Proverbs 8:5 and stands in contrast to the spiritual insensitivity described in Isaiah 6:9.
Why it lands — The text states that Jesus demands undivided attention before declaring that external rituals cannot defile a person, only internal moral corruption can. It requires the reader to abandon reliance on inherited religious rules and examine the actual source of human sin.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:
Cross-references
- Matthew 15:10 Jesus called the crowd to Him and said, “Listen and understand.
- Proverbs 8:5 O simple ones, learn to be shrewd; O fools, gain understanding.
- Isaiah 6:9 And He replied: “Go and tell this people, ‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’
- Acts 8:30 So Philip ran up and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.
- 1 Kings 18:21 Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him. But if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people did not answer a word.
- 1 Kings 22:28 But Micaiah replied, “If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me.” Then he added, “Take heed, all you people!”
- Psalms 94:8 Take notice, O senseless among the people! O fools, when will you be wise?
- Luke 12:54 Then Jesus said to the crowds, “As soon as you see a cloud rising in the west, you say, ‘A shower is coming,’ and that is what happens.
- Psalms 49:1 For the choirmaster. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all inhabitants of the world,
- Luke 12:1 In the meantime, a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling one another. Jesus began to speak first to His disciples: “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.