And when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things they have received by tradition to keep: washings of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and beds.
This verse gives a broader picture of the traditional system in which the Pharisees lived and under which the people were burdened. It was not only about washing hands, but about rules with a ceremonial character and the appearance of compulsion, formed around many details of life. In particular, after coming from the marketplace they thought that they had come into contact with ceremonial uncleanness. From this it follows that their attention was so fixed on the possibility of outward defilement that they had developed washing rules for every smallest detail of daily life. This shows how a person can be occupied with religious meticulousness and at the same time remain far from God. Excessive concern for outward cleanliness often covers an inner indifference toward sin. When a person takes care of the cleanliness of cups and vessels but neglects the cleanliness of the heart, all his religiosity becomes distorted. This verse warns that holiness is not identified with endless outward rules.