Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Mark: Chapter 7].
part of the disciples for Jesus to remain in Galilee. {And he
could not be hid} (\kai ouk •dunasth• lathein\). Jesus wanted to
be alone in the house after all the strain in Galilee. He craved
a little privacy and rest. This was his purpose in going into
Phoenicia. Note the adversative sense of \kai\ here= "but."
7:25 {Whose little daughter} (\h•s to thugatrion aut•s\).
Diminutive with tender touch. Note "whose" and "her" like
vernacular today. {Having heard of him} (\akousasa peri autou\).
Even in this heathen territory the fame of Jesus was known. When
the Sermon on the Mount was preached people were there from "the
sea coast of Tyre and Sidon" (Lu 6:17).
7:26 {A Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by race} (\Hell•nis,
Surophoinikissa t•i genei\). "A Greek in religion, a Syrian in
tongue, a Phoenician in race" (Bruce), from Euthymius Zigabenus.
She was not a Phoenician of Carthage. {She besought} (\•r•ta\).
Imperfect tense. She kept at it. This verb, as in late Greek, is
here used for a request, not a mere question. Abundant examples
in the papyri in this sense.
7:27 {Let the children first be filled} (\aphes pr•ton
chortasth•nai ta paidia\). The Jews had the first claim. See the
command of Jesus in the third tour of Galilee to avoid the
Gentiles and the Samaritans (Mt 10:5). Paul was the Apostle to
the Gentiles, but he gave the Jew the first opportunity (Ro
2:9f.). See on ¯Mt 15:24f.
7:28 {Even the dogs under the table} (\kai ta kunaria hupokat•
t•s trapez•s\). A delightful picture. Even the little dogs
(\kunaria\) under the table {eat of the children's crumbs}
(\esthiousin apo t•n psichi•n t•n paidi•n\). Little dogs, little
scraps of bread (\psichion\, diminutive of \psichos\, _morsel_),
little children (\paidia\, diminutive of \pais\). Probably the
little children purposely dropped a few little crumbs for the
little dogs. These household dogs, pets of and loved by the
children. _Braid Scots_ has it: "Yet the wee dowgs aneath the
table eat o' the moole o' the bairns." "A unique combination of
faith and wit" (Gould). Instead of resenting Christ's words about
giving the children's bread to the dogs (Gentiles) in verse 27,
she instantly turned it to the advantage of her plea for her
little daughter.
7:29 {For this saying} (\dia touton ton logon\). She had faith,
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