Mat 15:18-23 | PNT | STEP | Come forth from the heart . The emotional nature; the mind. Evil deeds are begotten of evil thoughts; evil words are the expression of these evil thoughts. These indicate a sinful heart and make a man sinful, or defiled.

Matthew 15:18-23

Come forth from the heart. The emotional nature; the mind. Evil deeds are begotten of evil thoughts; evil words are the expression of these evil thoughts. These indicate a sinful heart and make a man sinful, or defiled. Jesus . . . departed into the coasts. Compare Mr 7:24-30.

Tyre and Sidon. Tyre and Sidon were the two principal cities of Phoenicia, on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Tyre was about twenty miles south of Sidon, and about one hundred miles in a straight line northwest of Jerusalem. In the days of David and Solomon, Tyre was the leading seaport of the world. It was afterwards taken by the Babylonians, the Persians, and Alexander, but up to the time of Christ it remained a great commercial city. Since then its harbor has been filled with sand, and there remains only a wretched shadow of its former greatness. Both were Gentile cities in a Gentile country. That is the only instance in the Lord's ministry when he went beyond the bounds of Palestine. Behold, a woman of Canaan. The name Canaan was the oldest bestowed upon the country, and all the heathen inhabitants were often called Canaanites, whether of the same stock or not. Mark says that the woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician (Mr 7:26); i.e., a Gentile, and a Syro-Phoenician, because she lived in the district of Syria called Phoenicia.

Have mercy on me. She has a boon to ask for her daughter, or rather indeed for herself, for so entirely had she made her daughter's misery her own.

O Lord, [thou] son of David. It is remarkable that two of the brightest examples of faith seen in the ministry of Christ were exhibited by Gentiles, that of the centurion (Mt 8:8-10), and of this woman. The fact that the latter addresses Jesus as "the son of David", shows that she knew of the prophecies concerning the Christ and that he would be the son of David.

My daughter is grievously afflicted with a devil. More correctly, "a demon".

See PNT Mt 8:29. He answered her not a word. He neither repelled her, nor made a favorable answer. There were reasons for hesitation, but there is no doubt that it was his purpose to have mercy.

See PNT Mt 15:24. He delayed in order to bring out a great lesson.