Lexical Summary xestés: Measure, pitcher Original Word: ξεστής Strong's Exhaustive Concordance a pitcher, jugAs if from xeo (properly, to smooth; by implication, (of friction) to boil or heat); a vessel (as fashioned or for cooking) (or perhaps by corruption from the Latin sextarius, the sixth of a modius, i.e. About a pint), i.e. (specially), a measure for liquids or solids, (by analogy, a pitcher) -- pot. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originof Latin origin Definition a sextarius (about a pint), a pitcher (of wood or stone) NASB Translation pitchers (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 3582: ξέστηςξέστης, ξεστου, ὁ (a corruption of the Latin sextarius); 1. a sextarius, i. e. a vessel for measuring liquids, holding about a pint (Josephus, Antiquities 8, 2, 9 — see βάτος; Epictetus diss. 1, 9, 33; 2, 16, 22; (Dioscor.), Galen and medical writers). 2. a wooden pitcher or ewer (Vulg.urceus (A. V. pot)) from which water or wine is poured, whether holding a sextarius or not: Mark 7:4, 8 (here T WH omit; Tr brackets the clause). Strong’s Greek 3582 describes vessels used in Jewish ritual washings that Jesus cites when confronting Pharisaic tradition. The word appears only in Mark 7:4 and Mark 7:8, where it is translated in the as “pitchers” or “cups.” The passages form part of a larger discussion (Mark 7:1-23) in which Jesus reorients the concept of purity from external regulations to the condition of the heart. Literary Setting in Mark 7 Mark 7 opens with scribes and Pharisees criticizing the disciples for eating with “unwashed hands.” Jesus answers by pointing to Isaiah 29:13, exposing hypocrisy that elevates human tradition above God’s command. Into this context, Mark twice lists the ritual cleansing of “cups, pitchers, kettles, and couches” (Mark 7:4) and “the washing of pitchers and cups” (Mark 7:8). These washings involve 3582-type vessels. They illustrate how minute regulations had multiplied to the point of overshadowing the Word of God. Ceremonial Washings in Second Temple Judaism 1. Purpose: Purity laws in Leviticus 11:32-35 and Numbers 19:11-22 required cleansing objects that had become ceremonially defiled. Old Testament Background Leviticus 11:33 states, “If any of them falls into any clay pot, everything in it will be unclean, and you must break the pot.” The law addressed uncleanness but never mandated the elaborate washings cited in Mark. By Jesus’ day, hedges had been placed around the law that were thought to safeguard obedience, yet they blurred the original intent. Contrast Between Tradition and Divine Command Jesus exposes a two-fold error: He culminates, “What comes out of a man, that is what defiles him” (Mark 7:20). The reference to 3582 vessels becomes a tangible symbol of the futility of ritual without heart transformation. Symbolism of Vessels • External cleansing: Washing a cup’s surface. Thus 3582 reminds believers that God desires purity “in the inner man” (Psalm 51:6). Archaeological and Historical Notes • Numerous limestone vessels unearthed in first-century homes, mikva’ot (ritual baths), and Qumran echo the world of Mark 7. Ministry and Discipleship Implications 1. Guard against adding human requirements to divine revelation (Revelation 22:18-19). Doctrinal Observations • Justification: Declared clean by faith, not by ceremonial effort (Romans 3:28). Related New Testament Passages Matthew 15:1-20 parallels Mark 7 and reinforces the teaching. Luke 11:39-41 expands the vessel metaphor. Hebrews 9:10 speaks of “various ceremonial washings” (same concept), temporary until Christ. Colossians 2:20-23 warns against rules that “have the appearance of wisdom.” 1 Peter 3:21 draws a line from ritual washing to baptism “as the pledge of a clear conscience toward God.” Summary Strong’s Greek 3582, though rare, anchors a key confrontation between Jesus and religious legalism. The physical pitchers and cups of Mark 7 symbolize an empty formalism that neglects the heart. For the Church, the term serves as a perennial reminder that true purity flows from the inside out, accomplished by the cleansing blood of Christ and authenticated by a life of obedience to the unaltered Word of God. Englishman's Concordance Mark 7:4 N-GMPGRK: ποτηρίων καὶ ξεστῶν καὶ χαλκίων NAS: of cups and pitchers and copper pots.) KJV: of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, INT: of cups and vessels and utensils Mark 7:8 Noun-GMP |
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