Mar 7:14 Hearken unto me every one [of you], and understand:


Though this lines seems like a simple introduction to the next verse it is much more than that. In a sense, it is a summary of the entire lesson in his criticism of the Pharisees.

Christ uses the combination of the Greek words for "hearing" and "understanding" in several verses that I have studied (Mar 4:12 quoting Isiah, Mat 13:23 and Mat 13:19 explaining the parable of the sower). In all of these verses, he discusses a specific problem. People can hear the same words and not agree on their meaning.

The term translated here as "understand" means literally "come together." It carries the implicit idea of sharing a common understanding. Christ's goal was bringing everyone together to a common ground of shared understanding.

The context here, of course, is that the Pharisees offered their own interpretations of religious law and that these interpretations turned the common understanding of the words of Moses upside down. Christ directly condemns this twisting of the words, accusing religious leaders of doing this simply to increase their own power over regular people.

Christ is championing the common understanding of the people. He foresees that his words will be available to all people directly, without having to be channeled through religious leaders. In a sense, this looks toward the printing press and the wrestling of the Bible from those who wished to control its meaning by virtue of their position as religious leaders.

Christ's goal wasn't to enlighten a chosen few among the elite priests but to enlighten the general population.


"Harken" is from akouô (akouo), which means "hear of," "hear tell of," "what one actually hears," "know by hearsay," "listen to," "give ear to," "hear and understand," and "understand."

"Understand" is from suniêmi (suniemi), which means "bring together," "come together in agreement," and, metaphorically, "to perceive" "to hear," "to take notice of" and "to understand."