1ThenG2532 came togetherG4863 toG4314 himG846 the PhariseesG5330, andG2532 certainG5100 of the scribesG1122, who cameG2064 fromG575 JerusalemG2414. 2AndG2532 when they sawG1492 someG5100 of hisG846 disciplesG3101 eatingG2068 breadG740 with defiledG2839, that is to sayG5123, with unwashedG449, handsG5495, they found faultG3201. 3ForG1063 the PhariseesG5330, andG2532 allG3956 the JewsG2453, exceptG3362 they washG3538 their handsG5495 oftenG4435, eatG2068 notG3756, holdingG2902 the traditionG3862 of the eldersG4245. 4AndG2532 when they come fromG575 the marketG58, exceptG3362 they washG907, they eatG2068 notG3756. AndG2532 manyG4183 other thingsG243 there areG2076, whichG3739 they have receivedG3880 to holdG2902, as the washingG909 of cupsG4221, andG2532 potsG2532 G3582, and of brasen vesselsG5473, andG2532 tablesG2825. 5ThenG1899 the PhariseesG5330 andG2532 scribesG1122 askedG1905 himG846, WhyG1302 walkG4043 notG3756 thyG4675 disciplesG3101 accordingG2596 to the traditionG3862 of the eldersG4245, butG235 eatG2068 breadG740 with unwashedG449 handsG5495? 6He answeredG611 andG1161 saidG2036 to themG3754 G846, WellG2573 hath IsaiahG2268 prophesiedG4395 concerningG4012 youG5216 hypocritesG5273, asG5613 it is writtenG1125, ThisG3778 peopleG2992 honourethG5091 meG3165 with their lipsG5491, butG1161 theirG846 heartG2588 isG568 farG4206 fromG575 meG1700. 7ButG1161 in vainG3155 do they worshipG4576 meG3165, teachingG1321 for doctrinesG1319 the commandmentsG1778 of menG444. 8ForG1063 laying asideG863 the commandmentG1785 of GodG2316, ye holdG2902 the traditionG3862 of menG444, as the washingG909 of potsG3582 andG2532 cupsG4221: andG2532 manyG4183 otherG243 suchG5108 like thingsG3946 ye doG4160. 9AndG2532 he saidG3004 to themG846, Full wellG2573 ye rejectG114 the commandmentG1785 of GodG2316, thatG2443 ye may keepG5083 your ownG5216 traditionG3862. 10ForG1063 MosesG3475 saidG2036, HonourG5091 thyG4675 fatherG3962 andG2532 thyG4675 motherG3384; andG2532, Whoever cursethG2551 fatherG3962 orG2228 motherG3384, let him dieG5053 the deathG2288: 11ButG1161 yeG5210 sayG3004, IfG1437 a manG444 shall sayG2036 to his fatherG3962 orG2228 motherG3384, It is CorbanG2878, that is to sayG3603, a giftG1435, byG1537 whateverG3739 G1437 thou mightest be profited byG5623 meG1700; he shall be free. 12AndG2532 ye permitG863 himG846 no moreG3765 to doG4160 any thingG3762 for hisG846 fatherG3962 orG2228 hisG846 motherG3384; 13MakingG208 the wordG3056 of GodG2316 of no effectG208 through yourG5216 traditionG3862, whichG3739 ye have deliveredG3860: andG2532 manyG4183 suchG5108 like thingsG3946 ye doG4160. 14AndG2532 when he had calledG4341 allG3956 the peopleG3793 to him, he saidG3004 to themG846, HearkenG191 to meG3450 each oneG3956 of you, andG2532 understandG4920: 15There isG2076 nothingG3762 from outside ofG1855 a manG444, thatG3739 enteringG1531 intoG1519 himG846 canG1410 defileG2840 himG846: butG235 the things which comeG1607 out ofG575 himG846, thoseG1565 are theyG2076 that defileG2840 the manG444. 16If any manG1536 hathG2192 earsG3775 to hearG191, let him hearG191. 17AndG2532 whenG3753 he had enteredG1525 intoG1519 the houseG3624 fromG575 the peopleG3793, hisG846 disciplesG3101 askedG1905 himG846 concerningG4012 the parableG3850. 18AndG2532 he saithG3004 to themG846, AreG2075 yeG5210 soG3779 void of understandingG801 alsoG2532? Do yeG3539 notG3756 perceiveG3539, thatG3754 whatever thingG3956 from outsideG1855 enterethG1531 intoG1519 the manG444, it cannotG3756 G1410 defileG2840 himG846; 19BecauseG3754 it enterethG1531 notG3756 intoG1519 hisG846 heartG2588, butG235 intoG1519 the stomachG2836, andG2532 goeth outG1607 intoG1519 the draughtG856, purgingG2511 allG3956 foodsG1033? 20AndG1161 he saydG3004 G3754, That which comethG1607 out ofG1537 the manG444, thatG1565 defilethG2840 the manG444. 21ForG1063 from withinG2081, out ofG1537 the heartG2588 of menG444, proceedG1607 evilG2556 thoughtsG1261, adulteriesG3430, fornicationsG4202, murdersG5408, 22TheftsG2829, covetousnessG4124, wickednessG4189, deceitG1388, licentiousnessG766, an evilG4190 eyeG3788, blasphemyG988, prideG5243, foolishnessG877: 23AllG3956 theseG5023 evil thingsG4190 comeG1607 from withinG2081, andG2532 defileG2840 the manG444. 24AndG2532 from thereG1564 he aroseG450, and wentG565 intoG1519 the bordersG3181 of TyreG5184 andG2532 SidonG4605, andG2532 enteredG1525 intoG1519 an houseG3614, and would haveG2309 no manG3762 knowG1097 it: butG2532 he couldG1410 notG3756 be hidG2990. 25ForG1063 a certain womanG1135, whoseG3739 G846 young daughterG2365 hadG2192 an uncleanG169 spiritG4151, heardG191 ofG4012 himG846, and cameG2064 and fellG4363 atG4314 hisG846 feetG4228: 26 The womanG1135 wasG2258 a GreekG1674, a SyrophenicianG4949 by nationG1085; andG2532 she besoughtG2065 himG846 thatG2443 he would cast forthG1544 the demonG1140 out ofG1537 herG846 daughterG2364. 27ButG1161 JesusG2424 saidG2036 to herG846, LetG863 the childrenG5043 firstG4412 be satisfiedG5526: forG1063 it isG2076 notG3756 goodG2570 to takeG2983 the children’sG5043 breadG740, andG2532 to castG906 it to the dogsG2952. 28AndG1161 she answeredG611 andG2532 saidG3004 to himG846, YesG3483, LordG2962: yetG2532 G1063 the dogsG2952 underG5270 the tableG5132 eatG2068 ofG575 the children’sG3813 crumbsG5589. 29AndG2532 he saidG2036 to herG846, ForG1223 thisG5126 sayingG3056 go thy wayG5217; the demonG1140 is goneG1831 out ofG1537 thyG4675 daughterG2364. 30AndG2532 when she had comeG565 toG1519 herG846 houseG3624, she foundG2147 the demonG1140 had gone outG1831, andG2532 her daughterG2364 lyingG906 uponG1909 the bedG2825. 31AndG2532 againG3825, departingG1831 fromG1537 the regionG3725 of TyreG5184 andG2532 SidonG4605, he cameG2064 toG4314 the seaG2281 of GalileeG1056, throughG303 the midstG3319 of the regionG3725 of DecapolisG1179. 32AndG2532 they bringG5342 to himG846 one that was deafG2974, and had an impediment in his speechG3424; andG2532 they beseechG3870 himG846 toG2443 putG2007 his handG5495 upon himG846. 33AndG2532 he tookG618 himG846 asideG2596 G2398 fromG575 the multitudeG3793, and putG906 hisG846 fingersG1147 intoG1519 hisG846 earsG3775, andG2532 he spitG4429, and touchedG680 hisG846 tongueG1100; 34AndG2532 looking upG308 toG1519 heavenG3772, he sighedG4727, andG2532 saithG3004 to himG846, EphphathaG2188, that isG3603, Be openedG1272. 35AndG2532 immediatelyG2112 hisG846 earsG189 were openedG1272, andG2532 the stringG1199 of hisG846 tongueG1100 was loosedG3089, andG2532 he spokeG2980 plainG3723. 36AndG2532 he chargedG1291 themG846 thatG2443 they should tellG2036 no manG3367: butG1161 the moreG3745 heG846 chargedG1291 themG846, so much the moreG3123 a great dealG4054 they proclaimedG2784 it; 37AndG2532 were beyond measureG5249 astonishedG1605, sayingG3004, He hath doneG4160 all thingsG3956 wellG2573: he makethG4160 bothG2532 the deafG2974 to hearG191, andG2532 the dumbG216 to speakG2980.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 24 THE SYROPHśNICIAN WOMAN AND HER DAUGHTER--A DEAF AND DUMB MAN HEALED. ( =
Matt 15:21-
Matt 15:31). (
Mark 7:24-
Mark 7:37)
And from thence he arose, and went into the borders--or "unto the borders."
of Tyre and Sidon--the two great Phśnician seaports, but here denoting the territory generally, to the frontiers of which Jesus now came. But did Jesus actually enter this heathen territory? The whole narrative, we think, proceeds upon the supposition that He did. His immediate object seems to have been to avoid the wrath of the Pharisees at the withering exposure He had just made of their traditional religion.
and entered into an house, and would have no man know it--because He had not come there to minister to heathens. But though not "sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (
Matt 15:24), He hindered not the lost sheep of the vast Gentile world from coming to Him, nor put them away when they did come--as this incident was designed to show.
but he could not be hid--Christ's fame had early spread from Galilee to this very region (
Mark 3:8;
Luke 6:17).
25 For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit--or, as in Matthew (
Matt 15:22), "was badly demonized."
heard of him--One wonders how; but distress is quick of hearing.
26 The woman was a Greek--that is, "a Gentile," as in the Margin.
a Syrophśnician by nation--so called as inhabiting the Phśnician tract of Syria. JUVENAL uses the same term, as was remarked by JUSTIN MARTYR and TERTULLIAN. Matthew (
Matt 15:22) calls her "a woman of Canaan"--a more intelligible description to his Jewish readers (compare
Judg 1:30,
Judg 1:32-
Judg 1:33).
and she besought him that he would east forth the devil out of her daughter--"She cried unto Him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David: my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil" (
Matt 15:22). Thus, though no Israelite herself, she salutes Him as Israel's promised Messiah. Here we must go to
Matt 15:23-
Matt 15:25 for some important links in the dialogue omitted by our Evangelist.
Matt 15:23 :
But he answered her not a word--The design of this was first, perhaps, to show that He was not sent to such as she. He had said expressly to the Twelve, "Go not into the way of the Gentiles" (
Matt 10:5); and being now among them Himself, He would, for consistency's sake, let it be seen that He had not gone thither for missionary purposes. Therefore He not only kept silence, but had actually left the house, and--as will presently appear--was proceeding on His way back, when this woman accosted Him. But another reason for keeping silence plainly was to try and whet her faith, patience, and perseverance. And it had the desired effect: "She cried after them," which shows that He was already on His way from the place.
And His disciples came and besought Him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us--They thought her troublesome with her importunate cries, just as they did the people who brought young children to be blessed of Him, and they ask their Lord to "send her away," that is, to grant her request and be rid of her; for we gather from His reply that they meant to solicit favor for her, though not for her sake so much as their own.
Matt 15:24 :
But He answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel--a speech evidently intended for the disciples themselves, to satisfy them that, though the grace He was about to show to this Gentile believer was beyond His strict commission, He had not gone spontaneously to dispense it. Yet did even this speech open a gleam of hope, could she have discerned it. For thus might she have spoken: "I am not SENT, did He say? Truth, Lord, Thou comest not hither in quest of us, but I come in quest of Thee; and must I go empty away? So did not the woman of Samaria, whom when Thou foundest her on Thy way to Galilee, Thou sentest away to make many rich! But this our poor Syrophśnician could not attain to. What, then, can she answer to such a speech? Nothing. She has reached her lowest depth, her darkest moment: she will just utter her last cry:
Matt 15:25 :
Then came she and worshipped Him, saying, Lord, help me!--This appeal, so artless, wrung from the depths of a believing heart, and reminding us of the publican's "God be merciful to me a sinner," moved the Redeemer at last to break silence--but in what style? Here we return to our own Evangelist.
27 But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled--"Is there hope for me here? . . . Filled FIRST?" "Then my turn, it seems, is coming! "--but then, "The CHILDREN first? . . . Ah! when, on that rule, shall my turn ever come!" But ere she has time for these ponderings of His word, another word comes to supplement it.
for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs--Is this the death of her hopes? Nay, rather it is life from the dead. Out of the eater shall come forth meat (
Judg 14:14). "At evening-time, it shall be light" (
Zech 14:7). "Ah! I have it now. Had He kept silence, what could I have done but go unblest? but He hath spoken, and the victory is mine."
28 And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord--or, as the same word is rendered in
Matt 15:27. "Truth, Lord."
yet the dogs eat of the children's crumbs--which fall from their master's table" (
Matt 15:27). "I thank Thee, O blessed One, for that word! That's my whole case. Not of the children? True. A dog? True also: Yet the dogs under the table are allowed to eat of the children's crumbs--the droppings from their master's full table: Give me that, and I am content: One crumb of power and grace from Thy table shall cast the devil out of my daughter." Oh, what lightning quickness, what reach of instinctive ingenuity, do we behold in this heathen woman!
29 And he said unto her--"O woman, great is thy faith" (
Matt 15:28). As BENGEL beautifully remarks, Jesus "marvelled" only at two things--faith and unbelief (see
Luke 7:9).
For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter--That moment the deed was done.
30 And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed--But Matthew (
Matt 15:28) is more specific; "And her daughter was made whole from that very hour." The wonderfulness of this case in all its features has been felt in every age of the Church, and the balm it has administered, and will yet administer, to millions will be known only in that day that shall reveal the secrets of all hearts.
Deaf and Dumb Man Healed (
Mark 7:31-
Mark 7:37).
31 And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the Sea of Galilee--or, according to what has very strong claims to be regarded as the true text here, "And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre, He came through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee." The manuscripts in favor of this reading, though not the most numerous, are weighty, while the versions agreeing with it are among the most ancient; and all the best critical editors and commentators adopt it. In this case we must understand that our Lord, having once gone out of the Holy Land the length of Tyre, proceeded as far north as Sidon, though without ministering, so far as appears, in those parts, and then bent His steps in a southeasterly direction. There is certainly a difficulty in the supposition of so long a detour without any missionary object: and some may think this sufficient to cast the balance in favor of the received reading. Be this as it may, on returning from these coasts of Tyre, He passed
through the midst of the coasts--frontiers.
of Decapolis--crossing the Jordan, therefore, and approaching the lake on its east side. Here Matthew, who omits the details of the cure of this deaf and dumb man, introduces some particulars, from which we learn that it was only one of a great number. "And Jesus," says that Evangelist (
Matt 15:29-
Matt 15:31), "departed from thence, and came nigh unto the Sea of Galilee, and went up into a mountain"--the mountain range bounding the lake on the northeast, in Decapolis: "And great multitudes came unto Him, having with them lame, blind, dumb, maimed"--not "mutilated," which is but a secondary sense of the word, but "deformed"--"and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and He healed them: insomuch that the multitude [multitudes] wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see; and they glorified the God of Israel"--who after so long and dreary an absence of visible manifestation, had returned to bless His people as of old (compare
Luke 7:16). Beyond this it is not clear from the Evangelist's language that the people saw into the claims of Jesus. Well, of these cases Mark here singles out one, whose cure had something peculiar in it.
32 And they bring unto him one that was deaf . . . and they beseech him to put his hand upon him--In their eagerness they appear to have been somewhat too officious. Though usually doing as here suggested, He will deal with this case in His own way.
33 And he took him aside from the multitude--As in another case He "took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town" (
Mark 8:23), probably to fix his undistracted attention on Himself, and, by means of certain actions He was about to do, to awaken and direct his attention to the proper source of relief.
and put his fingers into his ears--As his indistinct articulation arose from his deafness, our Lord addresses Himself to this first. To the impotent man He said, "Wilt thou be made whole?" to the blind men, "What will ye that I shall do unto you?" and "Believe ye that I am able to do this?" (
John 5:6;
Matt 20:32;
Matt 9:28). But as this patient could hear nothing, our Lord substitutes symbolical actions upon each of the organs affected.
and he spit and touched his tongue--moistening the man's parched tongue with saliva from His own mouth, as if to lubricate the organ or facilitate its free motion; thus indicating the source of the healing virtue to be His own person. (For similar actions, see
Mark 8:23;
John 9:6).
34 And looking up to heaven--ever acknowledging His Father, even while the healing was seen to flow from Himself (see on
John 5:19).
he sighed--"over the wreck," says TRENCH, "which sin had brought about, and the malice of the devil in deforming the fair features of God's original creation." But, we take it, there was a yet more painful impression of that "evil thing and bitter" whence all our ills have sprung, and which, when "Himself took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses" (
Matt 8:17), became mysteriously His own.
"In thought of these his brows benign,
Not even in healing, cloudless shine."
KEBLE
and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened--Our Evangelist, as remarked on
Mark 5:41, loves to give such wonderful words just as they were spoken.
35 And straightway his ears were opened--This is mentioned first as the source of the other derangement.
and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain--The cure was thus alike instantaneous and perfect.
36 And he charged them that they should tell no man--Into this very region He had sent the man out of whom had been cast the legion of devils, to proclaim "what the Lord had done for him" (
Mark 5:19). Now He will have them "tell no man." But in the former case there was no danger of obstructing His ministry by "blazing the matter" (
Mark 1:45), as He Himself had left the region; whereas now He was sojourning in it.
but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it--They could not be restrained; nay, the prohibition seemed only to whet their determination to publish His fame.
37 And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well--reminding us, says TRENCH, Of the words of the first creation (
Gen 1:31, Septuagint), upon which we are thus not unsuitably thrown back, for Christ's work is in the truest sense "a new creation,"
he maketh both the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak--"and they glorified the God of Israel" (
Matt 15:31). See on
Mark 7:31.
