Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Matthew: Chapter 15]
disciples lived in a Pharisaic environment. Their religious
world-outlook was Pharisaic. They were lacking in spiritual
intelligence or sense, "totally ignorant" (Moffatt).
15:17 {Perceive ye not?} (\ou noeite\). Christ expects us to make
use of our \nous\, intellect, not for pride, but for insight. The
mind does not work infallibly, but we should use it for its
God-given purpose. Intellectual laziness or flabbiness is no
credit to a devout soul.
15:18 {Out of the mouth} (\ek tou stomatos\). Spoken words come
out of the heart and so are a true index of character. By "heart"
(\kardias\) Jesus means not just the emotional nature, but the
entire man, the inward life of "evil thoughts" (\dialogismoi
pon•roi\) that issue in words and deeds. "These defile the man,"
not "eating with unwashed hands." The captious quibblings of the
Pharisees, for instance, had come out of evil hearts.
15:22 {A Canaanitish woman} (\gun• Chananaia\). The Phoenicians
were descended from the Canaanites, the original inhabitants of
Palestine. They were of Semitic race, therefore, though pagan.
{Have pity on me} (\ele•son me\). She made her daughter's case
her own, "badly demonized."
15:23 {For she crieth after us} (\hoti krazei opisthen h•m•n\).
The disciples greatly disliked this form of public attention, a
strange woman crying after them. They disliked a sensation. Did
they wish the woman sent away with her daughter healed or
unhealed?
15:24 {I was not sent} (\ouk apestal•n\). Second aorist passive
indicative of \apostell•\. Jesus takes a new turn with this woman
in Phoenicia. He makes a test case of her request. In a way she
represented the problem of the Gentile world. He calls the Jews
"the lost sheep of the house of Israel" in spite of the conduct
of the Pharisees.
15:27 {Even the dogs} (\kai ta kunaria\). She took no offence at
the implication of being a Gentile dog. The rather she with quick
wit took Christ's very word for little dogs (\kunaria\) and
deftly turned it to her own advantage, for the little dogs eat of
the crumbs (\psichi•n\, little morsels, diminutive again) that
fall from the table of their masters (\kuri•n\), the children.
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