But he answered her not a word
Not that he did not hear her, or that he despised either her
person or petition, or that he was not moved with it; but to
continue her importunity, and try her faith, and make it
manifest: for like reasons the Lord does not always, and
immediately, answer the requests of his people. This giving her
no answer, either that he would, or would not help her, carried
in it a tacit repulse of her, and a denial of assistance to her;
and it seems as if she did for a while desist from her
application to him, and betook herself to his disciples to plead
with him for her:
and his disciples came;
to the house where he was; who, it seems by this, had been
elsewhere;
and besought him, saying, send her away;
not in any shape, with any sort of answer, without curing her
daughter, or without a promise of a cure; no, they desired she
might be dismissed, with a grant of her request, to her entire
satisfaction, as appears from Christ's answer: the reason they
give is,
for she crieth after us;
not only because she was troublesome to them, was importunate
with them, and would take no denial from them: she followed them
wherever they went; there was no getting rid of her: but also,
because her case was so moving, was delivered in such an
affecting manner, and her cries were piercing, that they could
not bear them; and therefore entreat him, that he would relieve,
and dismiss her.