Focused Passage

Matthew 15:21-28

Tradition, the Heart, Gentile Faith, and the Compassionate Bread of the Messiah

Matthew moves from Jerusalem leaders accusing Jesus’ disciples, to Jesus accusing them of nullifying God’s command, to Jesus teaching the crowds about heart defilement, to private explanation for the disciples, to the Canaanite woman’s persistent faith, to widespread healing and praise to the God of Israel, to the feeding of four thousand, and finally to Jesus’ departure to Magadan.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

21Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon.

22And a Canaanite woman from that region came to Him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is miserably possessed by a demon.”

23But Jesus did not answer a word. So His disciples came and urged Him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”

24He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

25The woman came and knelt before Him. “Lord, help me!” she said.

26But Jesus replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

27“Yes, Lord,” she said, “even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

28“O woman,” Jesus answered, “your faith is great! Let it be done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 21

Original words

-ΚαὶG2532ConjunctionLeavingἐξελθὼνG1831Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singularthat placeἐκεῖθενG1564Adverb-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularJesusἸησοῦςG2424Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularwithdrewἀνεχώρησενG402Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingulartoεἰςG1519PrepositiontheτὰG3588Article - Accusative Neuter PluraldistrictμέρηG3313Noun - Accusative Neuter Pluralof TyreΤύρουG5184Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionSidonΣιδῶνοςG4605Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular
Verse 22

Original words

AndκαὶG2532Conjunction. . .ἰδοὺG2400Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singulara CanaaniteΧαναναίαG5478Adjective - Nominative Feminine SingularwomanγυνὴG1135Noun - Nominative Feminine SingularfromἀπὸG575PrepositionvvvτῶνG3588Article - Genitive Neuter PluralthatἐκείνωνG1565Demonstrative Pronoun - Genitive Neuter PluralregionὁρίωνG3725Noun - Genitive Neuter Pluralcame [to Him]ἐξελθοῦσαG1831Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Feminine Singularcrying outἔκραζενG2896Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular-λέγουσαG3004Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Feminine SingularLordΚύριεG2962Noun - Vocative Masculine SingularSonυἱὸςG5207Noun - Nominative Masculine Singularof DavidΔαυίδG1138Noun - Genitive Masculine Singularhave mercy onἘλέησόνG1653Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person SingularmeμεG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 1st Person SingularMyμουG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular-G3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingulardaughterθυγάτηρG2364Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular{is} miserablyκακῶςG2560Adverbpossessed by a demonδαιμονίζεταιG1139Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Verse 23

Original words

ButδὲG1161Conjunction-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularvvvοὐκG3756Adverb[Jesus] did not answerἀπεκρίθηG611Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singulara wordλόγονG3056Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular-αὐτῇG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Feminine 3rd Person SingularSoκαὶG2532ConjunctionHisαὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular-οἱG3588Article - Nominative Masculine PluraldisciplesμαθηταὶG3101Noun - Nominative Masculine PluralcameπροσελθόντεςG4334Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural[and] urgedἠρώτουνG2065Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralHimαὐτὸνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular-λέγοντεςG3004Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine PluralSend her awayἈπόλυσονG630Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular. . .αὐτήνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Feminine 3rd Person SingularforὅτιG3754Conjunctionshe keeps crying outκράζειG2896Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularafterὄπισθενG3693PrepositionusἡμῶνG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Plural
Verse 24

Original words

-δὲG1161Conjunction-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularHe answeredἀποκριθεὶςG611Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular. . .εἶπενG2036Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularvvvΟὐκG3756AdverbI was sentἀπεστάληνG649Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 1st Person SingularonlyεἰG1487Conjunction. . .μὴG3361AdverbtoεἰςG1519PrepositiontheτὰG3588Article - Accusative Neuter Plural-τὰG3588Article - Accusative Neuter PlurallostἀπολωλόταG622Verb - Perfect Participle Active - Accusative Neuter PluralsheepπρόβαταG4263Noun - Accusative Neuter Pluralof [the] houseοἴκουG3624Noun - Genitive Masculine Singularof IsraelἸσραήλG2474Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Verse 25

Original words

-δὲG1161Conjunction-G3588Article - Nominative Feminine Singular[The woman] cameἐλθοῦσαG2064Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Feminine Singular[and] knelt beforeπροσεκύνειG4352Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularHimαὐτῷG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person SingularLordΚύριεG2962Noun - Vocative Masculine SingularhelpβοήθειG997Verb - Present Imperative Active - 2nd Person SingularmeμοιG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Singularshe saidλέγουσαG3004Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Feminine Singular
Verse 26

Original words

ButδὲG1161Conjunction-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine Singular[Jesus] repliedἀποκριθεὶςG611Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular-εἶπενG2036Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularIt isἔστινG1510Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularnotΟὐκG3756AdverbrightκαλὸνG2570Adjective - Nominative Neuter Singularto takeλαβεῖνG2983Verb - Aorist Infinitive ActivetheτὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine Singular-τῶνG3588Article - Genitive Neuter Pluralchildren’sτέκνωνG5043Noun - Genitive Neuter PluralbreadἄρτονG740Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunctiontoss [it]βαλεῖνG906Verb - Aorist Infinitive Activeto theτοῖςG3588Article - Dative Neuter PluraldogsκυναρίοιςG2952Noun - Dative Neuter Plural
Verse 27

Original words

YesΝαίG3483ParticleLordκύριεG2962Noun - Vocative Masculine Singular-δὲG1161Conjunction-G3588Article - Nominative Feminine Singularshe saidεἶπενG2036Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular-γὰρG1063ConjunctionevenκαὶG2532ConjunctiontheτὰG3588Article - Nominative Neuter PluraldogsκυνάριαG2952Noun - Nominative Neuter PluraleatἐσθίειG2068Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular-ἀπὸG575PrepositiontheτῶνG3588Article - Genitive Neuter PluralcrumbsψιχίωνG5589Noun - Genitive Neuter Plural-τῶνG3588Article - Genitive Neuter Pluralthat fallπιπτόντωνG4098Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Neuter PluralfromἀπὸG575PrepositiontheirαὐτῶνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural-τῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Pluralmaster’sκυρίωνG2962Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural-τῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingulartableτραπέζηςG5132Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular

BSB notes

  • Or puppies
Verse 28

Original words

OG5599InterjectionwomanγύναιG1135Noun - Vocative Feminine Singular-ΤότεG5119Adverb-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularJesusἸησοῦςG2424Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularansweredἀποκριθεὶςG611Verb - Aorist Participle Passive - Nominative Masculine Singular. . .εἶπενG2036Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular. . .αὐτῇG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Feminine 3rd Person SingularyourσουG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular-G3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingularfaithπίστιςG4102Noun - Nominative Feminine Singularis greatμεγάληG3173Adjective - Nominative Feminine SingularLet it be doneγενηθήτωG1096Verb - Aorist Imperative Passive - 3rd Person Singularfor youσοιG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person SingularasὡςG5613Adverbyou desireθέλειςG2309Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person SingularAndκαὶG2532ConjunctionherαὐτῆςG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Feminine 3rd Person Singular-G3588Article - Nominative Feminine SingulardaughterθυγάτηρG2364Noun - Nominative Feminine Singularwas healedἰάθηG2390Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person SingularfromἀπὸG575PrepositionthatτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularveryἐκείνηςG1565Demonstrative Pronoun - Genitive Feminine SingularhourὥραςG5610Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.