Mark 7:27

But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(27) Let the children first be filled.—The precise form of the answer thus given is peculiar to St. Mark.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

7:24-30 Christ never put any from him that fell at his feet, which a poor trembling soul may do. As she was a good woman, so a good mother. This sent her to Christ. His saying, Let the children first be filled, shows that there was mercy for the Gentiles, and not far off. She spoke, not as making light of the mercy, but magnifying the abundance of miraculous cures among the Jews, in comparison with which a single cure was but as a crumb. Thus, while proud Pharisees are left by the blessed Saviour, he manifests his compassion to poor humbled sinners, who look to him for children's bread. He still goes about to seek and save the lost.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

A Greek - The Jews called all persons "Greeks" who were not of their nation. Compare Romans 1:14. The whole world was considered as divided into Jews and Greeks. Though she might not have been strictly a "Greek," yet she came under this general appellation as a foreigner.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

27. But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled—"Is there hope for me here?" "Filled FIRST?" "Then my turn, it seems, is coming!—but then, 'The CHILDREN first?' Ah! when, on that rule, shall my turn ever come!" But ere she has time for these ponderings of His word, another word comes to supplement it.

for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs—Is this the death of her hopes? Nay, rather it is life from the dead. Out of the eater shall come forth meat (Jud 14:14). "At evening-time, it shall be light" (Zec 14:7). "Ah! I have it now. Had He kept silence, what could I have done but go unblest? but He hath spoken, and the victory is mine."

Matthew Poole's Commentary

See Poole on "Mark 1:24"

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

But Jesus said unto her,.... Not directly and immediately, upon her first request; for he answered not a word to that; but after his, disciples had desired she might be sent away, her cries being so troublesome to them; and after she had renewed her request to him; see Matthew 15:23.

Let the children first be filled: according to this method, our Lord directed his apostles, and they proceeded: as he himself was sent to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, he ordered his disciples to go to them, and preach the Gospel to them, and work miracles among them; and not go in the way of the Gentiles, nor into any of the cities of the Samaritans; but when they had gone through the cities of Judea, he ordered them, after his resurrection, to go into all the world, and preach the Gospel to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem: and this order they observed in other places, where there were Jews; they first preached to them, and then to the Gentiles; knowing that it was necessary, that the word of God should be first spoken to them; and it was the power of God to the Jew first, and then to the Gentile: and the expression here used, though it gives the preference to the Jew, does not exclude the Gentile; nay, it supposes, that after the Jews had had the doctrines of Christ, confirmed by his miracles, sufficiently ministered unto them, for the gathering in the chosen ones among them, and to leave the rest inexcusable; and so long as until they should despise it, and put it away from them, judging themselves unworthy of it; that then the Gentiles should have plenty of Gospel provisions set before them, and should eat of them, and be filled; and should have a large number of miracles wrought among them, and a fulness of the blessings of grace bestowed on them. The Jews are meant, who were the children of God by national adoption; who were first to be filled with the doctrines and miracles of Christ, before the Gentiles were to have them among them; as they were, even to a loathing and contempt of them:

for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs: as by "the children" are meant the Israelites, who were not only the children of Abraham by natural descent, but the children of God, to whom pertained the adoption, by virtue of the national covenant made with them; so by "the dogs", are meant the Gentiles, who were reckoned as such by the Jews; and by the "bread", which it was not fit and proper should be taken from the one for the present, and cast to the other, is designed the ministry of the Gospel; which is as bread, solid, substantial, wholesome, and nourishing; and the miraculous cures wrought on the bodies of men, which accompanied it: now it was not meet and convenient as yet, that these things should be taken away from the Jewish nation, until they had answered the ends for which they were designed, and the Jews should express their loathing and abhorrence of them: which when they did, they were taken away from them, and were ministered to the nations of the world, they contemptuously called dogs; See Gill on Matthew 15:26.

Geneva Study Bible

But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the {o} dogs.

(o) Dog here signifies a little dog, and he uses this term that he may seem to speak more reproachfully.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Mark 7:27. ἄφες πρῶτον, etc.: a milder word than that in Mt. (Matthew 7:26); it is here a mere question of order: first Jews, then Gentiles, St. Paul’s programme, Romans 1:16. In Mt. we read, οὐκ ἔστι καλὸν, it is not right, seemly, to take the children’s bread and to throw it to the dogs. Mk. also has this word, but in a subordinate place, and simply as a reason for the prior claim of the children. We note also that Mk., usually so full in his narratives compared with Mt., omits the intercession of the Twelve with Christ’s reply. Yet Mk.’s, “first the children,” is really equivalent to “I am not sent,” etc. The former implies: “your turn will come”; the latter: “to minister to you is not my vocation”. This word, preserved in Mt., becomes less harsh when looked at in the light of Christ’s desire for quiet, not mentioned in Mt. Jesus made the most of the fact that His commission was to Jews. It has been thought that, in comparison with Mt., Mk.’s report of Christ’s words is secondary, adapted purposely to Gentile readers. Probably that is the case, but, on the other hand, he gives us a far clearer view of the extent and aim of the excursion to the North, concerning which Mt. has, and gives, no adequate conception.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

27. But Jesus said unto her] St Mark passes more briefly over the interview than St Matthew. The latter Evangelist points out three stages of this woman’s trial; (i) Silence; “He answered her not a word” (Matthew 15:23); (ii) Refusal; “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24); (iii) Reproach; “It is not meet to take the children’s bread and cast it to the dogs” (Matthew 15:26). But in spite of all she persevered and finally conquered.

the dogs] In the original the diminutive is used = “little dogs.” “Little whelps” Wyclif; “the whelps” Tyndale, Cranmer. The Jews, “the children of the kingdom” (Matthew 8:12), were wont to designate the heathen as “dogs,” the noble characteristics of which animal are seldom brought out in Scripture (comp. Deuteronomy 23:18; Job 30:1; 2 Kings 8:13; Php 3:2; Revelation 22:15). Here however the term is somewhat softened. The heathen are compared not to the great wild dogs infesting Eastern towns (1 Kings 14:11; 1 Kings 16:4; 2 Kings 9:10), but to the small dogs attached to households. In the East now the Mahometans apply this name to the Christians.

Bengel's Gnomen

Mark 7:27. Ἄφες πρῶτον, let first) He does not give her a decided denial; He seems to mark to her the fact, that she is unseasonably importunate.—χορτασθῆναι, be filled) It would have been to derogate from the rights [privileges] of the Jews, had Jesus bestowed more time on the Gentiles.—[οὐ γὰρ καλόν ἐστι, for it is not becoming) That which is not in itself becoming, is altogether so in the case of those who duly pray.—V. g.]

Mark 7:27

Vincent's Word Studies

Let the children first be filled

Peculiar to Mark.

The dogs

Diminutive. See on Matthew 15:26.