Tool Beta
The Ancient World Behind the Text
Pick a passage anywhere in the New Testament. See the customs and ideas a first reader knew without being told.
Matthew 15:21-28, A Canaanite mother and the dogs
In the region of Tyre and Sidon a Canaanite woman begs the Son of David to free her daughter. Jesus is silent, then speaks of bread and dogs, and her answer wins him over.
Matthew 15:21-28, in every translation this tool compares.
In Gentile territory on the Phoenician coast, a local Canaanite mother begs Jesus to free her daughter from a demon. He first says nothing, then tells her his mission is to Israel and that the children's food should not go to dogs. She turns his own picture back on him, asking only for the scraps, and he praises her faith and heals her daughter. Readers have long disputed how harsh his words were meant to sound.
- {"u":"https:\/\/jayms.com\/bible-study-tools-2\/ancient-world-ideas\/gentile-lands\/","n":"Gentile territory","s":"Across the lake and to the north lay Greek-run cities with pagan temples and pig herds. Jesus crossed into them more than once.","r":""}
- {"u":"https:\/\/jayms.com\/bible-study-tools-2\/ancient-world-ideas\/messiah\/","n":"The Messiah, son of David","s":"The anointed king most Jews expected from David's line, who would free Israel from its enemies. Nobody expected him to be killed.","r":""}
- {"u":"https:\/\/jayms.com\/bible-study-tools-2\/ancient-world-ideas\/unclean-spirits\/","n":"Unclean spirits and exorcists","s":"Spirits that defiled and harmed people. Exorcists of the day used names, oaths, spells and foul smells to drive them out. Jesus gave an order.","r":""}
- {"u":"https:\/\/jayms.com\/bible-study-tools-2\/ancient-world-ideas\/honor-and-shame\/","n":"Honor before a crowd","s":"Public standing was the currency of the ancient Mediterranean. People competed for honor and dreaded being shamed in front of others.","r":""}
Matthew's word Canaanite names the people the Old Testament most despised; yet a widow from this same region had once received food and healing for her child through Elijah (Keener; the cultural backgrounds notes). By calling Jesus Son of David she recognizes him as Israel's rightful king (the cultural backgrounds notes). Whether the word dogs was softened is disputed. The cultural backgrounds notes say "Gentiles sometimes raised dogs as pets" and could feed them scraps, though dog used as a label was a harsh insult; the ESV Study Bible reads the diminutive as affectionate and says "Jesus is not insulting the woman but testing her faith." Bailey answers that in the Middle East "Dogs are never pets," and reads the exchange as a test staged for the disciples, voicing their prejudice so that the woman can expose it. Wright says she accepts the label and argues from Israel's own calling that its Messiah must bless the world. Wilkins rejects the affectionate reading: the diminutive pairs with the children's bread and means a dog in the house but "nonetheless still a dog"; against Bailey he notes that some dogs were kept as household watchdogs and fed indoors.
- Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament, on Matthew 15:21, 15:22 and 15:25-28
- NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, notes on Matthew 15:21, 15:22, 15:26 and 15:27
- ESV Study Bible, study note on Matthew 15:26-27
- Kenneth E. Bailey, Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes, ch. 16, The Syro-Phoenician Woman
- N. T. Wright, Matthew for Everyone, Part One, comment on Matthew 15:21-28
- Michael J. Wilkins, Matthew, in Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary, ed. Clinton E. Arnold, on Matthew 15:26 and 15:27
