Matthew 15 Study Notes

15:22 By labeling the woman a Canaanite (cp. Mk 7:26), Matthew associates her with the most notorious pagan enemy of Israel. Like the magi of Mt 2, her role shows that Gentiles may follow Christ and be blessed by him (see note at 2:1). Her use of the title Son of David indicates that she recognized Jesus as the Jewish Messiah (see note at 1:1).

15:23 The disciples’ request to send her away could imply either that he would help her or he would not. The former was probably their intention because of Jesus’s reply in v. 24.

15:24 Matthew emphasized Jesus’s intention to include Gentiles in his kingdom, but he also stressed that Jesus focused his earthly ministry on Israelites who had been abused by their spiritual leaders (10:5-6).

15:25-27 Comparison of the Canaanite woman to a dog sounds like a racial slur to modern read-ers, but the word dogs (Gk kunarion) was a diminutive used as a term of endearment. It typically referred to house dogs that slept in the master’s lap. Jesus’s metaphorical statement merely implies that he had a higher obligation to serve his fellow Jews, not that he despised Gentiles. The woman replied that Jesus need not neglect Jews by meeting Gentile needs any more than children go hungry because crumbs that fall from their table are eaten by their pets.

15:28 The faith that Jesus most highly commended in Matthew was expressed by Gentiles (see notes at 8:7-10,11). The faith of the Canaanite woman even compared favorably to that of the twelve disciples (14:31).

15:29-31 The location is apparently the northern shores of the Sea of Galilee, still in Gentile territory. The list of ailments that Jesus cured is reminiscent of Is 35:5-6 and identifies Jesus as Messiah (Mt 11:1-6). The people’s praise to the God of Israel shows that Jesus’s ministry pointed Gentiles to the one true God.

Splanchnizomai (to have compassion on) is related to the noun splanchnon, which in the plural literally means bowels (insides, Ac 1:18). In the ancient world, internal organs served as referents for psychological aspects (cp. modern Eng usage of heart). Thus the bowels were considered the seat of love, sympathy, affection, and compassion (Lk 1:78; 2Co 6.12; 7:15; Php 2:1; Col 3:12). By extension, splanchnon became synonymous with the feeling itself (i.e., love, affection, compassion; Php 1:8; Phm 12). The verb splanchnizomai occurs only in the Synoptic Gospels and apart from appearing in Jesus’s parables (Mt 18:27; Lk 10:33; 15:20), the word refers to Jesus himself. His compassion led him to provide the crowds with leadership (Mt 9:36 = Mk 6:34), to feed people (Mt 15:32 = Mk 8:2), and to heal them (Mt 14:14; 20:34; Mk 1:41; Lk 7:13).

15:32-38 This miracle is similar to the previous feeding (Mt 14:13-21). In both cases Jesus was moved with compassion, used loaves and fish, and satisfied the people so completely that leftover pieces were collected. One notable difference is the audience. The first miracle was performed for Israelites, the second for Gentiles.

15:39 The Magadan mentioned here was probably ancient Magdala on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee.