1 Then come to Jesus the scribes and Pharisees, which were away from Jerusalem, (the seat of authority in these maters) saying,
2 "Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? (not of age [old men], but of communal officers and heathen priests) for they wash not their hands when they eat bread." (To wash before eating is still a rigorous custom in Palestine.)
T3 r 3. Pharisees. Transgression.
s 4. God's Commandment.
t 5,6. "You say".
r 7. Pharisees. Hypocrisy.
s 8,9. God's Word.
t 10,11. "I say".
3 But He answered and said to them, "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God on account of your tradition?
4 For God commanded, saying (quoted from Ex. 20:12;21:17), 'Honor your father and mother:' and, 'He that curse father or mother, he shall surely die.' (See Ex. 21:17. Lev. 20:9. Deut. 5:16;27:16. Prov. 30:17)
5 But you say, 'Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, 'Be that dedicated to God, by whatsoever you (i.e. the parent) might be helped of me', (i.e. the son)
6 And [in consequence of this evasion] you certainly do not honor his father or his mother, he shall be free.' Thus have you made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
7 You hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy concerning you, saying, (Quoted from Isa. 29:13)
8 'This people draws near to Me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips; but their heart keep far distant away from Me.
9 But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of people.'"
10 And He called to [Him] the multitude, and said to them, "Hear, and understand:
11 Not that which goes into the mouth defiles the person; but that which comes out of the mouth, this defiles a person."
U3 u 12. Disciples. Report. Opposition of Pharisees.
v 13,14. The Lord. Explanation of opposition.
u 15. Disciples. Peter's request.
v 16-20. The Lord. Explanation of statement.
12 Then came to [Him] His disciples, and said to Him, "Do You know that the Pharisees were offended (= stumbled), after they heard this saying?"
13 But He answered and said, "Every plant (implying the scribes [Kenites]. See note on "dogs", v.26, and on "leaven" [16:6]), which My heavenly Father has not planted, shall be rooted up.
14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." (Experience will show it.)
15 Then answered Peter and said to Him, "Expound to us this parable."
16 And Jesus said, "Are you also still without understanding?
17 Do you yet not understand, that whatsoever enters into the mouth goes into the belly, and is cast out into the sewer?
18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth out of the heart; and they defile the person.
19 For out of the heart proceed evil resonings, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
20 These are the things which defile a person: but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a person."
R4 E1 21. Departure.
F1 22-28 Miracle. Woman of Canaan.
E2 29. Departure.
F2 30-38. Miracle. The 4,000.
E3 39. Departure.
21 Then Jesus went from there, and departed into the parts of Tyre and Sidon.
F1 w1 22. Woman. Her Prayer. "Have mercy".
x1 23-. The Lord. No answer. No claim.
w2 -23. Woman. Disciples' Prayer. "Send her away".
x2 24. The Lord. Answer. Explanation of silence.
w3 25. Woman. Prayer. "Lord, help".
x3 26. The Lord. Answer delayed.
w4 27. Woman. Plea. Confession. I have no claim.
x4 28. The Lord. Answer. Healing given.
22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came from the same borders, and cried to Him, saying, "Have mercy (= pity) on me, O Lord (Gr. Kurios), You Son of David (the 4th of 9 occurrences of this title. The woman [a dog" of the Gentiles] had no claim on the "Son of David". Hence the silence of the Lord); my daughter is miserably possessed with a demon."
23 But He answered her not a word. (Because a Gentile had no claim on the Son of David)
And His disciples came and besought Him, saying, "Send her away; for she cries after us."
24 But he answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep (because being without a shepherd. But see 1 Kings 12:17) of the house of Israel." (Therefore it was still presented by those in the land. See Acts 2:14,22.36)
25 Then came she and threw herself at His feet [and remained there] (cp. John 9:36), saying, "Lord, help me." (This was a better plea, but there was no definition of the "me", as with the publican: "me, a sinner" [Luke 18:13)
26 But He answered and said, "It is not fair to take the bread of the children (emphasis on children), and to cast it to puppies. (Or little household dogs; this is only true of such. Dogs are not cared for [in the East] when grown. The Lord used a figure of speech, implying that she was only a Gentile, and thus had still no claim even on tht ground. Gentiles were known as "dogs" by the Jews, and despised as such 1 Sam. 17:45. 2 Sam. 3:8; 9:8. 2 Kings 8:13. Phil. 3:2)
27 And she said, "Yes, Lord: for even (assenting to the Lord's words, while using them as an additional ground for her plea) the dogs eat of the scraps which fall from their masters' table."
28 Then Jesus exclaimed and said to her, "O woman, great is your faith (contrast the disciples [16:], where the same fig. is used, and ought to have been understood): be it to you even as you choose." And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
29 And Jesus departed from there, and came besides the sea of Galilee; and went up into the mountain, and was sitting down there.
30 And great multitudes came to Him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many differently affected, and cast them down beside Jesus' feet; and He healed them:
31 Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb speaking, the maimed sound, the lame walking, and the blind seeing: and they glorified the God of Israel. (See Isa. 29:23)
32 Then Jesus called to [Him] His disciples to Him, and said, "I have compassion upon the multitude, because they continue with Me already the third day, and have not anything to eat: and I am not willing to send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way."
33 And His disciples say to Him, "From where should we have so much bread in a desert place, as to satisfy so great a multitude?"
34 And Jesus said to them, "How many loaves have you?" And they said, "Seven, and a few little fishes."
35 And He commanded the multitude to recline on the ground.
36 And He took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and broke them, and gave to His disciples, and the disciples gave to the multitude.
37 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that was left seven large baskets full. (Our modern clothes baskets. Cp. 11:20. See 9:25)
38 And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children.
39 And he sent away the multitude, and entered into the ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala.