Jesus quotes Torah’s severe sanction against reviling father or mother as part of His argument against traditions that undermine the command to honor parents. The citation shows that His rebuke rests on explicit written law rather than a general appeal to family values.

First Timothy condemns “menstealers,” corresponding closely to Torah’s explicit condemnation of kidnapping a person for sale or enslavement. The connection is certain in substance: both texts treat the seizure and trafficking of human beings as grave wrongdoing, even though Paul does not introduce Exodus 21:16 with a quotation formula.

Jesus quotes Exodus’ warning against cursing father or mother alongside the command to honor parents, strengthening His rebuke of a tradition that could excuse neglect of family obligations. Mark 7 therefore uses two Exodus texts together to expose a practice that nullified the moral force of God’s command.