Mark 7:22 lists a series of wrongs that Jesus says come out of a person’s heart, such as greed, deceit, envy, and pride. In the verse he is answering his disciples about what truly makes a person unclean before God. He is speaking to his disciples in Galilee, who have just asked him why some of his followers ate food without washing their hands.
Covetings, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, and foolishness.
Mark 7:22 (WEB)
What Mark 7:22 Means
Jesus has just said that food does not defile a person, since it passes through the body and does not reach the heart. The list in verse 22 is his evidence. The words “covetings” and “lustful desires” point to wanting what belongs to someone else or craving more than is good. “Wickedness” and “deceit” describe harmful action and dishonest speech, while “an evil eye” refers to a grudging, envious way of looking at others’ good fortune.
The last items, “blasphemy,” “pride,” and “foolishness,” move from how we treat people toward how we treat God and ourselves. Together they show that sin is not a matter of what enters the body but of what the heart chooses. The verse does not promise that everyone struggles with every item, nor does it say that outward rituals are worthless. It does state that inward attitudes shape a person’s moral condition more than any outward act.
The Context of Mark 7:22
The Gospel of Mark is traditionally attributed to John Mark, a companion of the apostle Peter, and was written for a largely Gentile audience that needed to understand Jewish customs. In chapter 7 Jesus confronts Pharisees and scribes who criticize his disciples for not following the tradition of washing hands before eating. Mark explains these customs to his readers and then shows Jesus cutting through the surface rules to address the heart.
Verse 22 sits within a longer teaching, beginning at verse 20, that concludes in verse 23 with the statement that these evil things come from within. The verses that follow, about a Gentile woman whose daughter is healed, show that Jesus’ concern for purity reaches beyond Israel’s borders. Read this way, the list is not a random catalogue of vices but a deliberate summary of what Jesus means by a defiled heart.
Key Phrases in Mark 7:22
Proverbs 4:23
Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.
(WEB)
This verse urges readers to guard their hearts because everything they do flows from them. It echoes Jesus’ teaching that the source of sin lies within, and it gives a wise instruction for daily life.
Psalm 51:10
Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me.
(WEB)
David asks God to create a clean heart and renew a right spirit within him. This prayer shows the response Jesus’ teaching invites: an admission that the heart needs cleansing and a plea for God to do what we cannot do ourselves.
A Short Prayer From Mark 7:22
Lord, you see the hidden places of my heart, the envy, the pride, and the quiet deceit that I would rather keep out of sight. Thank you that you do not turn away from what is inside me but invite me to bring it to you. Help me to notice the thoughts that lead to harm and to choose honesty, humility, and love instead. Cleanse what I cannot cleanse on my own, and make my heart more like yours each day. Amen.
