Some early manuscripts containing the text of this chapter are: Some Pharisees and some of the teachers of the Jewish law (scribes) come from Jerusalem to see Jesus, presumably in Galilee.

[2] The Expositor's Greek Testament speaks of Mark writing "from the Gentile point of view";[3] the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges suggests the explanation was "for Roman readers".

[4] The items listed by Mark which were customarily washed included cups, pots, and bronze kettles.

[6] He rebukes them for letting a man who makes an offering to God, i.e. money to the priests, no longer help his parents, in violation of one of the ten commandments.

That this was done is not found in other sources of the period, although "...rabbinic Jewish texts suggest that vows may be broken in such circumstances".

For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.

Mark tells the story of the Syrophoenician woman who finds Jesus at a friend's house in Tyre and begs him to heal her demon possessed daughter.

The Pulpit Commentary suggests his journey took him from Tyre "first northwards through Phoenicia, with Galilee on his right, as far as Sidon; and thence probably over the spurs of Libanus (Mount Lebanon) to Damascus, mentioned by Pliny as one of the cities of the Decapolis.

In this miracle, as opposed to the woman's healing, Jesus uses specific techniques, (the touching, the spit, the word), to effect a cure.

[citation needed] The argument with the Pharisees about food laws and the Syrophoenician woman are also found in Matthew 15:1-28 He charged them (Greek: διεστέλλετο, diestelleto) not to tell anyone.