Matthew 15:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, "Send her away, for she is crying out after us."

NIV: Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us."

NASB: But He did not answer her with even a word. And His disciples came up and urged Him, saying, 'Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us!'

CSB: Jesus did not say a word to her. His disciples approached him and urged him, "Send her away because she’s crying out after us."

NLT: But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. 'Tell her to go away,' they said. 'She is bothering us with all her begging.'

KJV: But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.

NKJV: But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.”

Jesus has done something unusual to withdraw from the crowds and religious leaders. He has left the borders of Israel, travelling to Tyre and Sidon, east of Galilee, with His disciples. This area is not only dominated by Gentiles, it's the example Jesus used to shame Israelites for their lack of repentance (Matthew 11:20–24). Jesus knows He is much less likely to be recognized and mobbed outside of Israel, and Mark tells us that He is staying in a house and didn't want anyone to know He was there (Mark 7:24).

All the same, He is approached in the house by a Canaanite woman. She seems to know exactly who He is and what He can do for her "little daughter" (Mark 7:25), who is severely oppressed by a demon. She calls Jesus the "Son of David," suggesting she knows Him to be the Messiah of Israel. She wants Jesus to free her daughter from the demon.

At first, Jesus remains silent. In fact, He seems to ignore the woman completely, the exact opposite of His normal response to such requests (Matthew 14:35–36; 15:29–30). The woman will not take His silence for an answer, however, and continues to cry loudly. The disciples eventually lose patience and ask Jesus to send the loud woman away.

It's unclear if the disciples wanted Jesus to send her away without helping her. More likely, they wanted the Master to heal the woman's child, so she'd go away and leave them alone (Luke 18:1–8).

Matthew 15:21–28 describes an encounter between Jesus and a Gentile woman. She knows Jesus is the Messiah and tells Him her daughter is severely oppressed by a demon. At first, Jesus chooses not to cast the demon out. He tells the woman His mission is only to Israel, using a metaphor about table scraps. The woman persists, and Jesus praises her for her for faith. Her daughter is healed instantly. This seems to be a teaching moment for the disciples, as Jesus will continue to another Gentile-heavy area and heal many, in the next passage.

Pharisees and scribes come from Jerusalem to challenge Jesus. They are offended that His disciples break the religious leaders' tradition about ritual handwashing before meals. Jesus turns that attack upside down, pointing out that His critics honor tradition above God's actual commands! He insists that nobody is defiled by what goes in the mouth—by the literal matter itself—but by the overflow of the spirit, such as the words that come out of the mouth. He and the disciples travel out of the country. Jesus casts a demon out of the daughter of a persistent Canaanite woman. They travel to the southeast side of the Sea of Galilee where Jesus feeds thousands of people from a few loaves and fishes. These last two events set up the eventual spread of the gospel beyond the people of Israel.

Matthew 15 begins with a confrontation between some Pharisees and Jesus. They ask why His disciples break the traditional practice of ritual handwashing. Pointedly, Jesus asks why they allow the obvious intent of God's commandments to be broken through their traditions. Jesus and the disciples travel out of Israel, encountering a Canaanite woman. He praises her faith and casts a demon from her daughter. They travel to the southeast side of the Sea of Galilee where Jesus heals more people and feeds thousands more from another few loaves and fishes. This sets up another confrontation with religious leaders, warnings about their teachings, and predictions of Jesus' death in the next chapter.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.