Mark 7:28

Mar 7:28. Ὑποκάτω τῆς τραπέζης, under the table) Arguing great submission on the part of the woman. Yet she alleges as an argument the nearness [of her country to Israel; as of the dogs to their master’s table].—τῶν παιδίων, of the boys [Engl. Vers., losing the distinction between this and τέκνων, of the children]) who often lavish bread wastely.—Παίδια[52] differ from τέκνα, children, Mar 7:27, a word whereby right to the father’s bread is denoted.

[52] Boys, not necessarily sons, and often used as servants.—ED. and TRANSL.

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mar 7:28 . ἀπεκρίθη , aorist, hitherto imperfect. We come now to what Mk. deems the main point of the story, the woman’s striking word. ὑποκάτω τ . τραπ ., the dogs under the table , waiting for morsels, a realistic touch. τῶν ψιχίων τ . π ., not merely the crumbs which by chance fall from the table, but morsels surreptitiously dropt by the children (“qui panem saepe prodigunt,” Beng.) to their pets. Household dogs, part of the family, loved by the children; hard and fast line of separation impossible.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

As if she said, it is as thou sayest Lord, for it is enough for the whelps, if they can but gather up the crumbs that are under the table: therefore I crave the crumbs, and not the children’s bread.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

(28) Eat of the children’s crumbs.—The form varies slightly from St. Matthew’s “the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table,” and has, perhaps, a certain vividness of antithesis.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

28. yet the dogs] Rather, Yea Lord, for even the little dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs. So it is rightly translated in Wyclif’s and Cranmer’s Versions, following the Vulgate “Etiam, Domine, nam et catelli edunt.” “Truth it is Maister, for indeed the whelpes eat under the table, of the childerns crommes.” Geneva, 1557. Her “yea” is the “yea” of admission not of contradiction. She accepts the declaration of Christ, and in that very declaration she affirms is involved the granting of her petition. “Saidst Thou dogs? It is well; I accept the title and the place; for the dogs have a portion of the meat—not the first, not the children’s portion, but a portion still—the crumbs which fall from the table.” Her words speak to us even now across the centuries, and our Church adopts her words of faith in the “Prayer of Humble Access” at the celebration of the Holy Eucharist.

crumbs] These were probably something more than what would accidentally fall from the table. It was the custom during the meal for the guests after thrusting their hands into the common dish to wipe them on the soft white part of the bread, which, having thus used, they threw to the dogs.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And he said unto her, for this saying,.... Or word of faith; in which she expressed such great faith in him: the Persic version reads it, "go thy way; for with the blessing of this word, the devil is gone out of thy daughter": as if this saying referred to the word Christ, and the divine power that went along with it, to the ejection of the devil; when it refers to the saying of the woman, and not to the words of Christ, which follow,

go thy way; in peace, thy request is granted; it is as thou wouldst have it:

the devil is gone out of thy daughter. Christ, who as God is every where, and whose divine power reaches to all places, persons, and things had, in a secret and powerful manner, cast the devil out of this woman's daughter; without going to her, or speaking to him, his power had wrought the miracle effectually.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

28 And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs.

Ver. 28. Yes, Lord] {See Trapp on "Mat 15:27"}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

In this verse there is a slight change of reading, causing a change of rendering; namely, thus: Yea, Lord: even kai instead of kai gar the dogs ta kunaria the little dogs under the table eat of the children"s crumbs. Observe the antithesis: "the children" (the little daughter) sitting at the table; the "little dogs" under the table. It is as though she said, "Give me, most gracious Lord, only a crumb (a small mercy compared with thy greater mercies), the healing of my little daughter, which may fall as it were obiter from thee upon us Canaanites and Gentiles, and be gratefully picked up as one of thy lesser benefits." Cornelius a Lapide enlarges beautifully upon this: "Feed me, then, as a little dog. To me, a poor Gentile, let a crumb of thy grace and mercy be vouchsafed; but let the full board, the plentiful bread of grace and righteousness, be reserved for the Jewish children. I cannot leave the table of my Lord, whose little dog I am. No; if you spurn me away with your foot, or with a blow, I will go away; but I will come back again, like a little dog, through another door. I will not be driven away by blows. I will not let thee go until thou hast given me what I ask of thee." For this Canaanite constrains Christ, arguing her case from his own words, prudently, modestly, forcibly, and with a humble faith which perceives that he is not unwilling to be overcome by petition and by reason. Indeed, she entangles him in the meshes of his own words. So great is the plenteousness of his table, that it shall abundantly suffice for her if she may but partake of the crumbs which fall from the table of his children."

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And she

She, however, answered, saying, True, Lord! and yet the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs. Rom 11:24; Eph 2:11-22.

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

28. ἡ δὲ ἀπεκρίθη καὶ λέγει. The ἀπεκρίθη is not mere amplification; it was an answer and a witty answer. She seizes on Christ’s repelling words and turns them into an argument in her favour: δραξαμένη τῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ ῥημάτων, ἀπʼ αὐτῶν πλέκει συνηγορίαν ἑαυτῆς (Euthym.). The historic pres. is recognized so completely as historic that it can be combined with an aor. See on Mar 8:29 sub fin.

Ναί, κύριε· καὶ τὰ κυνάρια. Yea, Lord, and the doggies; not “yet the dogs” (A.V.), nor “even the dogs” (R.V.). She fully assents to the Lord’s utterance and carries it on to her own conclusion; “Quite so, Lord; and in that case I may have a crumb.” Mt. has καὶ γάρ, giving an additional reason for her request. Ναί = ἀμήν, but without the religious tone of the Hebrew word (2Co 1:20; Rev 1:7; Rev 22:20). Syr-Sin. has “the crumbs which are over from the children’s table.” The words may mean the crumbs thrown by the children to their pets. In N.T., ἐσθ. ἐκ (Joh 6:26; Joh 6:50-51; 1Co 9:7; 1Co 11:28; etc.) is more common than ἐσθ. ἀπό (Gen 2:16; Gen 3:1-2; Gen 3:5).

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

28. καὶ γὰρ.…] See on Matt.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

28. Ναί, κύριε· καὶ τὰ κυνάρια … ἐσθίουσιν—Yes, lord; and the dogs … eat.

Omit γὰρ before τὰ κυνάρια, Tisch. Treg. WH. RV. א BH Δ 13, 28, 33, 69, Memph. Pesh. ἐσθίουσιν, instead of ἐσθίει, Tisch. Treg. WH. א BDL Δ.

This use of Jesus’ own words to neutralize the force of his seeming rebuff has been regarded rightly always as a unique combination of faith and wit. But it is not simply a trick of words; the beauty of it is, that it finds the truth that escapes superficial notice in both the analogy and the spiritual fact represented by it. It means, there is a place for dogs in the household, and there is a place for Gentiles in God’s world. And further, her faith was quickened by what she saw of Jesus. She knew intuitively that he was a being to take a large and sympathetic view of things, not the hard and narrow one, and that he had really prepared the way for her statement. This is of the essence of faith, to hold fast to what your heart and the highest things in you tell of God, in spite of all appearances to the contrary.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mark adds under the table.

The children 's crumbs. See on Mt 14:26. This would indicate that the little dogs were pet dogs of the children, their masters.

29, 30. Peculiar to Mark.

Laid [βεβλημενον] . Lit., thrown. She had probably experienced some fearful convulsion when the demon departed. Compare Mr 9:22, of the demon which possessed the boy : "It hath cast him, etc. [εβαλεν] ." See also Mr 1:26; Mr 9:26.

32 - 37. A narrative peculiar to Mark.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.