Topical Bible: The Dog of Gentiles

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Topical Encyclopedia

In biblical literature, the term "dog" is often used metaphorically to describe Gentiles, particularly in the context of Jewish perceptions of non-Jewish peoples. This metaphor reflects the cultural and religious distinctions between Jews and Gentiles during biblical times. The term "dog" was employed to convey a sense of impurity and uncleanliness, as dogs were considered unclean animals under Jewish law.

Old Testament Context

In the Old Testament, dogs are frequently associated with negative imagery. They are depicted as scavengers and are often linked with impurity and uncleanness. For example, in 1 Kings 21:23-24, the prophet Elijah prophesies that dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel, symbolizing disgrace and divine judgment. The association of dogs with impurity is further emphasized in Deuteronomy 23:18, where the earnings of a "dog" are not to be brought into the house of the Lord, indicating a prohibition against offerings gained through immoral means.

New Testament Context

The metaphorical use of "dog" to describe Gentiles is most prominently seen in the New Testament. In Matthew 15:21-28 and Mark 7:24-30, Jesus encounters a Canaanite (Syrophoenician) woman who pleads for her demon-possessed daughter to be healed. Jesus initially responds, "It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs" (Matthew 15:26). Here, "children" refers to the Israelites, and "dogs" to the Gentiles. The woman's faith, however, leads Jesus to commend her and grant her request, illustrating the breaking down of barriers between Jews and Gentiles through faith.

Cultural and Theological Implications

The use of "dog" as a metaphor for Gentiles reflects the cultural and religious tensions of the time. Jews viewed themselves as God's chosen people, set apart by the Mosaic Law, while Gentiles were often seen as outsiders to the covenant community. The metaphor underscores the perceived spiritual and moral distance between Jews and Gentiles.

However, the New Testament narrative reveals a transformative shift in this perception. The ministry of Jesus and the early church's mission to the Gentiles, as seen in the Acts of the Apostles, highlight the inclusivity of the Gospel message. The Apostle Paul, in his epistles, emphasizes that in Christ, there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile (Galatians 3:28), signifying the breaking down of the dividing wall of hostility (Ephesians 2:14).

Conclusion

The metaphor of "dogs" for Gentiles serves as a poignant reminder of the historical and cultural barriers that existed between Jews and Gentiles. Yet, through the redemptive work of Christ, these barriers are dismantled, offering a message of hope and unity for all believers, regardless of their ethnic or cultural background.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Matthew 15:22,26
And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried to him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, you son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Moreover Moses in Deuteronomy Says that the Gentiles Should be the ...
... So) it pleased God to grant their inheritance to the foolish Gentiles, even to ... the
wicked that sacrificeth to me a calf is as if he should kill a dog; and that ...
/.../the demonstration of the apostolic preaching/chapter 95 moreover moses in.htm

On the Words of the Gospel, Matt. xv. 21,"Jesus Went Out Thence ...
... entreaties, "It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs."
[2623] Thou art a dog, thou art one of the Gentiles, thou worshippest idols. ...
/.../sermons on selected lessons of the new testament/sermon xxvii on the words.htm

Healing a Phoenician Woman's Daughter.
... By the use of the word "first" Jesus suggested that there would come a time of mercy
for the Gentiles. He uses the diminutive for the word dog, thus indicating ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/lxvii healing a phoenician womans.htm

Colossians i. 26-28
... among the Gentiles, as he also says elsewhere, "And that the Gentiles might glorify ...
and riches of mystery: just as if one were to take a dog, quite consumed ...
/.../homily v colossians i 26-28.htm

Jewish Rejecters and Gentile Receivers
... and Barnabas had known all along that they were sent to the Gentiles; but a ... think
over the preaching and had seen its falseness, but simply because, dog-in-the ...
/.../jewish rejecters and gentile receivers.htm

On the Animals
... The nanny-goats are the just who come from the gentiles; in Solomon: your long hair
is ... The dog is the devil or Judas or a gentile; in the psalm: and my only ...
/.../eucherius/the formulae of st eucherius of lyons/iv on the animals.htm

Barriers Broken Down
... may have the privilege of a dog, she is willing to be regarded as a dog. ... deep mysteries
of the truth which had been hid for ages, that the Gentiles should be ...
/.../white/the desire of ages/chapter 43 barriers broken down.htm

Letter Lxx. To Magnus an Orator of Rome.
... philosophers and stoics you would doubtless forbid me to strike a mad dog with the ...
his sons [2154] and to the senate a treatise Against the Gentiles, in which ...
/.../jerome/the principal works of st jerome/letter lxx to magnus an.htm

The Mountain Home
... made, were scattered and persecuted, and their land was trodden down by the Gentiles. ...
Lord would have them build their house, by following a dog, having asked ...
/.../bevan/three friends of god/chapter xliii the mountain home.htm

Elucidations.
... constant effort to show that we must recognise, in dealing with Gentiles, whatever
of ... and, in the passage referred to, it is asked, whether the dog of Ulysses ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/clement/the stromata or miscellanies/elucidations 5.htm