Matthew 15:26

But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.

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Word by word — the Greek

Word	Greek	Strong’s	Meaning
But	δὲ de	G1161	but · conjunction
answered	ἀποκριθεὶς apokritheis	G611	to conclude for oneself · verb — aorist passive deponent participle, nominative singular masculine
said	εἶπεν· eipen	G2036	to speak or say (by word or writing) · verb — second aorist active indicative, 3rd person singular
It is	ἐστί estí	G2076	he (she or it) is
not	οὐκ ouk	G3756	the absolute negative (compare G3361 (μή)) adverb · particle — negative
meet	καλὸν kalon	G2570	X better · adjective — nominative singular neuter
to take	λαβεῖν labein	G2983	while G138 (αἱρέομαι) is more violent · verb — second aorist active infinitive
the children’s	τέκνων teknōn	G5043	a child (as produced) · noun — genitive plural neuter
bread	ἄρτον arton	G740	bread (as raised) or a loaf · noun — accusative singular masculine
and	καὶ kai	G2532	and · conjunction
to cast	βαλεῖν balein	G906	to throw (in various applications · verb — second aorist active infinitive
to dogs	κυναρίοις.¶ kunariois	G2952	a puppy · noun — dative plural neuter

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Mark 7:27-28 But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.
Matthew 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again…
Philippians 3:2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
Ephesians 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having…
Galatians 2:15 We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,
Acts 22:21-22 And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.
Romans 9:4 Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, an…
Revelation 22:15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Matthew 15:21-28

We have here that famous story of Christ's casting the devil out of the woman of Canaan's daughter; it has something in it singular and very surprising, and which looks favourably upon the poor Gentiles, and is an earnest of the mercy which Christ had in store for them. Here is a gleam of that light which was to lighten the Gentiles, Luk 2:32. Christ came to his own, and his own received him not; but many of them quarrelled with him, and were offended in him; and observe what follows, Mat 15:21. I. Jesus went thence. Note, Justly is the light taken from those that either play by it, or rebel against it. When Christ and his disciples could not be quiet among them, he left them, and so left an…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Matthew 15:25

Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me--(Also see on Mar 7:26.) Next: Matthew Chapter 16

John Gill on Matthew 15:26

But he answered, and said,.... To the woman, as the Persic version reads it, and the sense requires: it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs; which he said, to try her faith the more, and make it the more illustrious; and that not so much from his own sense of things, as in the language of the Jewish people, and which she might not be a stranger to. By "the children", are meant the Jews, to whom the adoption belonged; who, as a nation and people, were the children of God in a large sense; being distinguished by many blessings and favours, which others had not, and being under the more peculiar care and notice of God; not that all of them were the children of God…

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John Calvin on Matthew 15:21-28

Matthew 15:21-28 Matthew 15:21-28 Mark 7:24-30 21. And Jesus departing thence withdrew into the territories of Tyre and Sidon. 22. And, lo, a woman of Canaan, who had come from those territories, cried saying, Have compassion on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously afflicted by a devil. 23. But he made no reply to her, and his disciples approaching implored him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. 24. But he answering said, I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25. And she came and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26. But he answering said, It is not seemly to take the children's bread, and throw it to the dogs. 27. But she said,…

The Church Fathers

" Marcion must even expunge from the Gospel, "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel; " and, "It is not meet to take the children'sbread, and to cast it to dogs," -in order, forsooth, that Christ may not appear to be an Israelite.
— Tertullian, Against Marcion Book IV

" The like lesson He both inculcates by examples, and repeatedly handles in parables, when He says, "Doth a father take away bread from his children, and hand it to dogs? " and again, "Doth a father give his son a stone when he asks for bread? " For He thus shows what it is that sons expect from their father.
— Tertullian, On Prayer

Those of whom the Lord speaks as children are the Patriarchs and Prophets of that time. By the table is signified the Holy Scripture, by the fragments the best precepts, or inward mysteries on which Holy Church feeds; by the crumbs the carnal precepts which the Jews keep. The fragments are said to be eaten under the table, because the Church submits itself humbly to fulfilling the Divine commands.
— Remigius of Rheims ((as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)), Catena Aurea by Aquinas

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Zabulon — (Matt. 4:13, 15; Rev. 7:8). See ZEBULUN.
Circumcision · The Jews: Despised as unclean those not of the — The Jews: Despised as unclean those not of the
Demons · The daughter of the Syrophoenician woman — The daughter of the Syrophoenician woman
Dog (Sodomite?) · Epithet of contempt — Epithet of contempt
Dog, The · Nothing holy to be given to — Nothing holy to be given to
Gentiles · The Jews: Despised, as if dogs — The Jews: Despised, as if dogs
Miracles Of Christ, The · Devils cast out — Devils cast out
Sidon · Syro-Phoenician woman — Syro-Phoenician woman
Syro-Phoenician · by Jesus — by Jesus
Tyre · .Heals the daughter of the non-Jewish, Syrophenician woman near — .Heals the daughter of the non-Jewish, Syrophenician woman near

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Matthew 15:21-28

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Matthew 15:25

John Gill on Matthew 15:26

John Calvin on Matthew 15:21-28

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Word by word — the Greek

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Matthew 15:21-28

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Matthew 15:25

John Gill on Matthew 15:26

John Calvin on Matthew 15:21-28

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Matthew 15:26