Matthew 15:23
New International Version
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.”

New Living Translation
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.”

English Standard Version
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.”

Berean Standard Bible
But Jesus did not answer a word. So His disciples came and urged Him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”

Berean Literal Bible
But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples having approached, were imploring Him, saying, "Dismiss her, for she cries out after us!"

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

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

New American Standard Bible
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!”

NASB 1995
But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and implored Him, saying, “Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us.”

NASB 1977
But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came to Him and kept asking Him, saying, “Send her away, for she is shouting out after us.”

Legacy Standard Bible
But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and were pleading with Him, saying, “Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us.”

Amplified Bible
But He did not say a word in answer to her. And His disciples came and asked Him [repeatedly], “Send her away, because she keeps shouting out after us.”

Christian Standard Bible
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.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Yet He did not say a word to her. So His disciples approached Him and urged Him, “Send her away because she cries out after us.”

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

Contemporary English Version
Jesus did not say a word. But the woman kept following along and shouting, so his disciples came up and asked him to send her away.

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

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But he did not answer her at all. Then his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away. She keeps shouting behind us."

Good News Translation
But Jesus did not say a word to her. His disciples came to him and begged him, "Send her away! She is following us and making all this noise!"

International Standard Version
But he didn't answer her at all. Then his disciples came up and kept urging him, "Send her away, because she keeps on screaming as she follows us."

Majority Standard Bible
But Jesus did not answer a word. So His disciples came and urged Him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”

NET Bible
But he did not answer her a word. Then his disciples came and begged him, "Send her away, because she keeps on crying out after us."

New Heart English Bible
But he did not answer her a word. His disciples came and pleaded with him, saying, "Send her away, for she keeps shouting at us."

Webster's Bible Translation
But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.

Weymouth New Testament
But He answered her not a word. Then the disciples interposed, and begged Him, saying, "Send her away because she keeps crying behind us."

World English Bible
But he answered her not a word. His disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away; for she cries after us.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And He did not answer her a word; and His disciples having come to Him, were asking Him, saying, “Let her away, because she cries after us”;

Berean Literal Bible
But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples having approached, were imploring Him, saying, "Dismiss her, for she cries out after us!"

Young's Literal Translation
And he did not answer her a word; and his disciples having come to him, were asking him, saying -- 'Let her away, because she crieth after us;'

Smith's Literal Translation
And he answered her not a word. And his disciples, having come, asked him, saying, Loose her; for she cries out after us.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Who answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying: Send her away, for she crieth after us:

Catholic Public Domain Version
He did not say a word to her. And his disciples, drawing near, petitioned him, saying: “Dismiss her, for she is crying out after us.”

New American Bible
But he did not say a word in answer to her. His disciples came and asked him, “Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.”

New Revised Standard Version
But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, “Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But he did not answer her. And his disciples came up to him and urged him, saying, Dismiss her, for she keeps crying aloud after us.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
But he did not give her an answer, and his disciples came and begged him, and they were saying, “Send her away, for she is crying after us.”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying: Send her away, for she cries after us.

Godbey New Testament
And He responded to her not a word; and His disciples, having come to Him, asked Him, saying, Send her away; because she cries after us.

Haweis New Testament
But he replied not a word to her. Then his disciples came and intreated him, saying, Send her away; for she is crying aloud after us.

Mace New Testament
but Jesus not making her any answer, his disciples came and entreated him to grant her request; for, said they, she is very importunate with us.

Weymouth New Testament
But He answered her not a word. Then the disciples interposed, and begged Him, saying, "Send her away because she keeps crying behind us."

Worrell New Testament
But He answered her not a word. And His disciples, coming near, were beseeching Him, saying, "Send her away; for she is crying after us!"

Worsley New Testament
But he answered her not a word: and his disciples came and intreated Him, saying, Send her away, for she crieth importunately after us.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Faith of the Canaanite Woman
22And a Canaanite woman from that region came to Him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is miserably possessed by a demon.” 23But Jesus did not answer a word. So His disciples came and urged Him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” 24He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”…

Cross References
Mark 7:24-30
Jesus left that place and went to the region of Tyre. Not wanting anyone to know He was there, He entered a house, but was unable to escape their notice. / Instead, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit soon heard about Jesus, and she came and fell at His feet. / Now she was a Greek woman of Syrophoenician origin, and she kept asking Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. ...

Matthew 8:5-13
When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came and pleaded with Him, / “Lord, my servant lies at home, paralyzed and in terrible agony.” / “I will go and heal him,” Jesus replied. ...

Matthew 9:27-31
As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” / After Jesus had entered the house, the blind men came to Him. “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” He asked. “Yes, Lord,” they answered. / Then He touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith will it be done to you.” ...

Matthew 20:29-34
As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. / And there were two blind men sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” / The crowd admonished them to be silent, but they cried out all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” ...

Luke 18:35-43
As Jesus drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting beside the road, begging. / When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. / “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by,” they told him. ...

John 4:46-54
So once again He came to Cana in Galilee, where He had turned the water into wine. And there was a royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. / When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Him to come down and heal his son, who was about to die. / Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe.” ...

Matthew 7:7-8
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. / For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Luke 11:9-10
So I tell you: Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. / For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Matthew 10:5-6
These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go onto the road of the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. / Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.

Romans 15:8-9
For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised on behalf of God’s truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs, / so that the Gentiles may glorify God for His mercy. As it is written: “Therefore I will praise You among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to Your name.”

Isaiah 42:6-7
“I, the LORD, have called you for a righteous purpose, and I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and appoint you to be a covenant for the people and a light to the nations, / to open the eyes of the blind, to bring prisoners out of the dungeon and those sitting in darkness out from the prison house.

Isaiah 49:6
He says: “It is not enough for You to be My Servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the protected ones of Israel. I will also make You a light for the nations, to bring My salvation to the ends of the earth.”

Isaiah 56:6-8
And the foreigners who join themselves to the LORD to minister to Him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be His servants—all who keep the Sabbath without profaning it and who hold fast to My covenant— / I will bring them to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on My altar, for My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations.” / Thus declares the Lord GOD, who gathers the dispersed of Israel: “I will gather to them still others besides those already gathered.”

Psalm 18:41
They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—to the LORD, but He did not answer.

Psalm 28:1
Of David. To You, O LORD, I call; be not deaf to me, O my Rock. For if You remain silent, I will be like those descending to the Pit.


Treasury of Scripture

But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and sought him, saying, Send her away; for she cries after us.

Genesis 42:7
And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.

Deuteronomy 8:2
And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.

Psalm 28:1
A Psalm of David. Unto thee will I cry, O LORD my rock; be not silent to me: lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit.

Send.

Matthew 14:15
And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals.

Mark 10:47,48
And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me…

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Matthew 15
1. Jesus reproves the Scribes and Pharisees
7. for transgressing God's commandments through their own traditions;
10. teaches how that which goes into the mouth does not defile a man.
21. He heals the daughter of the woman of Canaan,
29. and other great multitudes;
32. and with seven loaves and a few small fish feeds four thousand men














But Jesus did not answer a word
This phrase highlights the initial silence of Jesus in response to the Canaanite woman's plea. The Greek word for "did not answer" (ἀπεκρίθη) suggests a deliberate choice to withhold a response. This silence can be seen as a test of faith, both for the woman and the disciples. In the historical context, Jesus' silence might reflect the cultural tensions between Jews and Canaanites, emphasizing the radical nature of His eventual response. His silence invites reflection on the nature of faith and persistence in prayer.

So His disciples came and urged Him
The disciples' action here is significant. The Greek word for "urged" (ἐρωτῶντες) implies a strong request or plea. This reflects their discomfort with the situation and perhaps their desire to maintain social norms. Historically, the disciples often struggled to understand Jesus' mission to all people, not just the Jews. Their urging can be seen as a moment of learning, where they are confronted with the breadth of Jesus' compassion and mission.

“Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”
The phrase "Send her away" reveals the disciples' initial lack of understanding of Jesus' mission. The Greek word for "send away" (ἀπόλυσον) can mean to dismiss or release, indicating their desire to resolve the situation quickly. The historical context of Jewish-Canaanite relations adds depth to their reaction, as Canaanites were often viewed as outsiders. The woman's persistence, "keeps crying out," underscores her desperation and faith, challenging the disciples' preconceptions and foreshadowing Jesus' inclusive ministry.

(23) He answered her not a word.--Two alternative views present themselves as to our Lord's action in this matter. That which has found favour with nearly all ancient and most modern interpreters assumes that from the first He had purposed to comply with her request, and spoke as He did only to test and manifest her faith. Men have been unwilling to recognise the possibility of a change of purpose in the human nature of our Lord which they, unconsciously heretical, confused with the divine, and have preferred to fall back on the supposition of a simulated harshness. The truer and more reverential course, I venture to think, is to accept the impression which, apart from any a priori theory, the facts seem naturally to make, and to see, in what passed, the prevailing power of prayer working on the sympathy of Christ, and leading Him to pass beyond the ordinary limits of His appointed work. On this assumption, it is our work to trace, with all reverence, the successive stages of the process. And first, even the silence is significant, and implies a conflict. It would have been easy to dismiss her with a word. But the tenderness which He felt towards this sufferer, as towards others, forbade that course, and yet the sense of the normal limitation of His work forbade the other. Silence was the natural outcome of the equilibrium of these conflicting motives.

Send her away; for she crieth after us.--The disciples were clearly unable to enter into either of the two feelings which were thus contending for the mastery. Their words, as interpreted by our Lord's answer, were, in some sense, a plea in favour of the woman. They wished Him to grant what she asked for, and so to dismiss her. And yet we feel that their words were far harsher than their Master's silence. They wanted only to be rid of her presence, which had followed them from the streets into the house, to be freed from the loud eager cries which vexed them.

Verse 23. - Answered her not a word. The woman made no specific request; she had not brought the sufferer with her, and entreated Christ to exorcise the evil influence; she did not urge him to go to her house, and by his gracious presence work a cure. Simply she tells her affliction, and lets the woeful tale plead for itself. But there was no response. The Merciful is obdurate; the Physician withholds his aid; in the face of misery, to the voice of entreaty, the Lord is silent. It is the discipline of love; he acts as though he hears not, that he may bring forth perseverance and faith. Send her away. There is some doubt concerning the feeling of the apostles in thus addressing Christ. Did they wish him to grant her virtual petition or not? On the one hand, it is urged that they were thoroughly annoyed at her importunity. They had sought for quiet' and privacy, and now this woman was bringing a crowd around them, and occasioning the very notoriety which they wished to avoid. Their Jewish prejudices, too, were aroused by this appeal from a Canaanite; they could not endure the idea that favour should be extended to this Gentile of an abhorred race; hence they desire Christ to dismiss her at once, give her a decided rejection. On the other hand, the answer of Christ to their request leads to another explanation, as if he understood them to be asking him to grant her prayer. And this is undoubtedly what they did want, though they did not presume to prescribe the manner or to beg for a miracle. They range themselves on the woman's side, not from any genuine compassion, but from mere selfishness. The ground of their appeal is, She crieth after us. The appeal had been first made in the open street, and the Canaanite had followed them, as they moved, continuing her piteous cry, and thus attracting attention to them and defeating their hope of retirement and rest. So they, for their own peace and comfort, ask Christ to grant the prayer of this obstinate suppliant: "Give her what she wants, and have done with her."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
But
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

[Jesus] did not answer
ἀπεκρίθη (apekrithē)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 611: From apo and krino; to conclude for oneself, i.e. to respond; by Hebraism to begin to speak.

a word.
λόγον (logon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3056: From lego; something said; by implication, a topic, also reasoning or motive; by extension, a computation; specially, the Divine Expression.

So
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

His
αὐτοῦ (autou)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

disciples
μαθηταὶ (mathētai)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3101: A learner, disciple, pupil. From manthano; a learner, i.e. Pupil.

came
προσελθόντες (proselthontes)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 4334: From pros and erchomai; to approach, i.e. come near, visit, or worship, assent to.

[and] urged
ἠρώτουν (ērōtoun)
Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 2065: Apparently from ereo; to interrogate; by implication, to request.

Him,
αὐτὸν (auton)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

“Send her away,
Ἀπόλυσον (Apolyson)
Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 630: From apo and luo; to free fully, i.e. relieve, release, dismiss, or let die, pardon or divorce.

for
ὅτι (hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's 3754: Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

she keeps crying out
κράζει (krazei)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2896: To cry aloud, shriek. A primary verb; properly, to 'croak' or scream, i.e. to call aloud.

after
ὄπισθεν (opisthen)
Preposition
Strong's 3693: From behind, after. From opis with enclitic of source; from the rear, i.e. At the back.

us.”
ἡμῶν (hēmōn)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.


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NT Gospels: Matthew 15:23 But he answered her not a word (Matt. Mat Mt)
Matthew 15:22
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