Mark 7:24 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden.

NIV: Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret.

NASB: Now Jesus got up and went from there to the region of Tyre . And when He had entered a house, He wanted no one to know about it; and yet He could not escape notice.

CSB: He got up and departed from there to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it, but he could not escape notice.

NLT: Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre. He didn’t want anyone to know which house he was staying in, but he couldn’t keep it a secret.

KJV: And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid.

NKJV: From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden.

Jesus has spent much of the previous two chapters trying to find a quiet place for the disciples and Himself. He tried the east coast of the Sea of Galilee but was driven out by the people who were afraid of His power (Mark 5:1–20). He then brought them to the northern tip of the Sea of Galilee, but was met by five thousand men, plus women and children, practically before the boat landed (Mark 6:30–44).

Now He travels to the region of Tyre and Sidon, about twenty miles northwest of Capernaum. Tyre and Sidon are the major cities of a district known as the economic bully of Galilee, and the people are not loved by the Jews. Josephus called the Tyrians "our bitterest enemies." It's reasonable to expect that Jesus and His followers can avoid the Jewish crowds in a hostile Gentile district.

In the Old Testament, "Tyre and Sidon" represents the pagan world. Sidon the city is west of Damascus, and Tyre is south and a bit west of Sidon and north of Caesarea. Technically, the region is Canaanite, but the Greeks called it Phoenicia after the purple dye for which they were famous. Tyre wasn't always antagonistic toward Israel; the king sent cedar and craftsmen to help King David build his palace (2 Samuel 5:11) and did the same to help Solomon with the temple (1 Kings 5:8–11). Although the region survived Nebuchadnezzar, it was conquered by Alexander the Great.

This and the time spent in Decapolis are the only times Jesus leaves the Tetrarchy. This is the only time Jesus leaves the historical borders of Israel. In order to train His disciples, Jesus has to leave the country. The thought begs the question, do we give our spiritual leaders the space to rest? Or do we demand so much they must seek rest outside the reach of the church?

Mark 7:24–30 follows a lengthy dissertation on what makes a person clean or unclean. Jesus takes His disciples to Gentile territory. There, He acts in strict contrast to the elders' traditions by interacting closely with Gentiles. First, He heals the daughter of a Canaanite woman. Mark's account of the faith of the Canaanite woman is relatively short. Matthew 15:21–28, written specifically to Jews, is fleshed out to better drive home the point. Through the end of chapter 7 and into chapter 8, He heals a deaf man and several of his neighbors (Matthew 15:24–30). Finally, He decisively dismisses any concern about clean or unclean food by providing a meal for four thousand, many of whom are undoubtedly Gentiles.

Jesus counters another traditional error from the scribes and Pharisees, explaining that food in and of itself does not make a person unclean. Rather, it is the intent of the heart that matters to God. He specifically condemns traditions which effectively undo the original intent of God's commands. Jesus heals the daughter of a persistent Gentile woman, and a man suffering from deafness and a speech impediment.

After showing His authority over demons, death, and physics, Jesus asserts His superiority over manmade traditions. For generations, Jewish religious leaders have added to the Law in an attempt to keep the nation holy. Such traditions, however, serve to make the leaders look good but unnecessarily burden the people. Jesus argues in word and action that any law that dismisses love is either misinterpreted or manmade.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.