And behold a woman of Canaan who came out of those coasts, crying out, said to him: Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David: my daughter is grieviously troubled by the devil.

“The Evangelist says that she was a Chananæan, to shew the power of Christ’s presence. For this nation, which had been driven out that they might not corrupt the Jews, now shewed themselves wiser than the Jews, leaving their own borders that they might go to Christ. And when she came to Him, she asked only for mercy, as it follows, She cried unto Him, saying, Have mercy on me, Lord, thou Son of David.”

“Above, the sufficiency of his teaching was shown, because it does not require observance of the law; here he shows that it is not restricted to one people, but suffices also for the salvation of the Gentiles. A threefold effect is shown in the Gentiles: first, liberation from the power of the Devil; second, from the infirmities of sins; third, in spiritual refreshment. The second is at "And when Jesus had departed from there, he came near the sea of Galilee"; the third at "But Jesus, having called his disciples together, said." The liberation from the power of demons is shown, then, in that he freed a woman possessed by the Devil. First the place is described; second, the woman's insistence; third, the granting of her request. The second is at "And behold, a woman of Canaan," etc. The third at "Then Jesus answering said to her," etc. He says, then, "And going out, he went into the parts of Tyre and Sidon." Tyre and Sidon are two cities of the Gentiles. Because he was being rejected by the Jews, he therefore withdrew to the Gentiles, according to that saying, Acts 13:46: "It was necessary that the kingdom of God should first be spoken to you; but since you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles." And first the Lord shows the conversion of the observers of the law to stand preeminent; second, the passing over to the Gentiles, which was signified in Acts 10:15, where it is said that when Peter was at Cornelius's house, he saw a linen sheet, etc., and it was said to him: "What God has cleansed, do not call unclean," etc. "And behold, a woman." Here the woman's insistence is set down. Concerning her petition three things are signified: first, piety; second, faith; third, humility — and these are necessary for obtaining what is asked. The second is at "But she came and worshipped him"; the third at "But she said, Yes, Lord." First her plea is set down; second, the help of the disciples, at "And his disciples came and besought him." Concerning the first, first the woman's piety is set down; second, Christ's silence, at "who answered her not a word." He says, then, "And behold, a woman of Canaan." We can note six things. First, the conversion of the petitioner; Ecclesiasticus 18:23: "Before prayer prepare your soul, and be not as a man that tempts God." For one prepares the soul when one cleanses oneself from vices; Isaiah 1:15: "When you multiply prayers, I will not hear you; for your hands are full of blood." And this is designated by the name "Canaanite," which is the same as "changed"; Psalm 76:11: "This is the change of the right hand of the Most High." Likewise, one who is converted ought not only to avoid sin, but also the occasion of sin; Ecclesiasticus 21:2: "Flee from sin as from the face of a serpent." Second, devotion is to be noted, because she cried out. Crying out designates great affection; Psalm 119:1: "To the Lord, when I was in trouble, I cried." Third, piety is noted, because she reckoned another's misery as her own, whence she says "Have mercy on me," and this is great mercy; Job 30:25: "I wept over him that was afflicted, and my soul had compassion on the poor." Likewise humility is touched upon, because she asked out of confidence in the mercy of God; Daniel 9:4: "Keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love thee, and to them that keep thy commandments." Fourth, faith is touched upon, which is necessary for petition; James 1:6: "But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering." Likewise she confesses the divine nature in him, in that she says "Lord"; Psalm 99:3: "Know ye that the Lord he is God." Likewise the human nature, "Son of David," who was of the seed of David; Romans 1:3: "Who was made to him of the seed of David according to the flesh." Likewise the setting forth of her own need: "My daughter is badly" — that is, grievously — "vexed by a demon." And this can be a type of the whole Church of the Gentiles, or of anyone's conscience, which is vexed by a demon when one acts against conscience; Luke 6:18: "And they that were troubled with unclean spirits were healed." And he says "badly," by which he aggravates the sin; 2 Chronicles, last chapter: "I have sinned, Lord, I have sinned, and I acknowledge my iniquity; destroy me not together with my iniquities." Next is set down Christ's silence, "who answered her not a word." But this seems remarkable, that the fount of pity kept silent. And a threefold reason is assigned. The first, lest he should seem to go against what he had said above: "Go not into the way of the Gentiles." Therefore he was unwilling to hear her at once; nevertheless, because she persisted greatly, she received what she asked. Thus it is given to be understood that through the insistence of her petition, what is above the law is obtained: for it belonged to the law that only the Jews should be saved; but she, through her insistence, obtained what was above the law. The second reason is, that devotion might increase the more. Habakkuk 1:2: "How long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear? Shall I cry out to thee suffering violence, and thou wilt not save? Why hast thou shown me iniquity and grievance, to see plunder and injustice before me?" The third reason, that he might give the disciples occasion to intercede for her themselves: because however good someone may be, he nevertheless needs the prayers of others. Immediately follows the intercession of the disciples. And first their petition is set down; second, Christ's response. He says, then, "And his disciples coming near besought him." And why did they approach? One reason is that they did not know why he was delaying so much; a second, they were moved by mercy; likewise, they could not bear the woman's importunity; Luke 11:8: "If he shall continue knocking, I say to you, although he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needs." The disciples do not say "heal her," but "send her away" — that is, "tell her: I will do nothing for you." And this is a manner of speaking: for when we intend one thing, the contrary is said. But an objection is raised, because it is said in Mark 7:25 that she entered the house, and there made her petition. What, then, is meant by what is said here, "because she cries after us"? Augustine says that without doubt she was first in the house, and there said "Have mercy on me," and then Jesus withdrew, and she followed him. Then follows Christ's response, "But he answering," etc. The woman seemed to have shown piety enough, but this seemed natural, and so the Lord required a profession of faith. Therefore he put her off, and said, "I was not sent but to the sheep that perished of the house of Israel." This mission belonged peculiarly to the Hebrews, whence they used to say: "But we are his people and the sheep of his pasture." And those sheep had perished, because they had been led away through various observances; whence above, 9:26: "seeing the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were troubled and lying like sheep having no shepherd"; Psalm 118:176: "I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost." But what is meant by his saying, "I was not sent but to the sheep that perished of the house of Israel"? Is it not written in Isaiah 49:6: "I have given thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation even to the end of the earth"? Therefore he was sent not only to the Jews, but also to the Gentiles. It must be said that he was sent to all, that he might gather all into one; but he was sent first to the Jews, that he might carry the Jews over to the Gentiles; Romans 15:8: "Now I say that Christ Jesus was minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers." "But she came, and worshipped him" — whence she pressed herself forward. And first her profession is set down; second, the response. Her profession is set down, because she acknowledged God, in that she worshipped him. For although she had suffered the disciples' rebuffs, nevertheless she pressed herself forward, and worshipped. In this she acknowledges God; Deuteronomy 8:19: "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve"; Psalm 65:4: "Let all the earth adore thee, O God," etc. "Help me." She does not say, "pray for me," but, "you help me, because you are able"; Psalm 120:2: "My help is from the Lord who made heaven and earth," etc. "He answering said: It is not good to take the bread of the children, and cast it to the dogs." This is added to test her humility, since her faith was already sufficiently established, showing the excellence of the Jews over the Gentiles: for humility is then proved when one suffers one's own people to be reproached; whence he says, "It is not good," etc. The Jews were called children, whence: "I have nourished and brought up children, but they have despised me" — because they had been instructed in the commandments of God, John 10:34. Bread is doctrine; Ecclesiasticus 15:3: "She fed him with the bread of life and understanding." This bread can be called the Lord's miracles, or the teachings of the law. This bread, then, is owed to the faithful, namely the Jews. It is not good, then, to take the bread of the children — that is, of the Jews, who have long been children — and cast it to the dogs, namely the Gentiles: because just as the dog is an unclean animal, so are the Gentiles. Whence above, 7:6: "Do not give what is holy to dogs." Whence they had not yet been utterly repudiated; but, as Jerome says, it is fitting that the Jews be called dogs, according to that saying, Psalm 21:17: "Many dogs have surrounded me." And Ephesians 4:28: "But we are children." "But she said: Yes, Lord." Here the wondrous humility of the woman is touched upon, and her wisdom. He seemed to inflict an insult upon her people, but it is a mark of humility that she concedes the insult spoken. Whence she says, "Yes, Lord." Likewise a greater humility is shown, because the Lord himself had said "dogs," but she said "little dogs"; whence she says, "for even the little dogs eat of the crumbs." Likewise the Lord had called the Jews "children," but she called them "masters"; whence she says, "that fall from the table of their masters." And thus she humbly knew how to press the Lord; as if to say: I do not ask, Lord, that you confer upon us as many benefits as upon the Jews, but that you give us of the crumbs; Ecclesiasticus 35:21: "The prayer of him that humbles himself penetrates the heavens." And Psalm 101:18: "He has had regard to the prayer of the humble." Therefore the Lord granted her request: "Then Jesus answering said to her," etc. And he does three things: first, her commendation is set down; second, the granting of her petition; third, the effect. When she humbles herself, he says, "Great is your faith." Great, because she believes great things. Likewise, on account of rectitude; James 1:6: "But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering." Likewise great on account of fervor. Whence, "If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain: Move from here to there, and it shall move." Therefore follows the granting: "Be it done to you as you wish"; Psalm 144:19: "He will do the will of them that fear him." The effect follows: "And her daughter was healed from that hour." Whence, in the beginning, Genesis 1:3, he said, "Let there be light, and there was light"; so too here, "Be it done to you" — for that word was the eternal Word; Ecclesiastes 8:4: "His word is full of power."”

“And behold a woman of Canaan,.... That is, of Phoenicia, which was called Canaan; so Shaul, the son of a Canaanitish woman, is, by the Septuagint in Exo 6:15 called the son of a Phoenician; and the kings of Canaan are, by the same interpreters in Jos 5:1 called kings of Phoenicia: hence this woman is by Mark said to be a Greek, that is, a Gentile, as the Jews used to call all of another nation, and a Syrophenician, being a native of Phoenicia, called Syrophenician; because it bordered upon Syria, and had been formerly a part of it, by conquest: so Cadmus, who is reported to have first brought letters from Phoenicia to Greece, is called (i) a Syrophenician merchant. Came out of the same coasts; being an inhabitant, it is very likely, either of Tyre or Sidon: this shows that Christ did not go into these places, but only to the borders of them, since she is said to come out of them to him; who, having heard of him, and the miraculous cures wrought by him, and being informed that he was near, at such a place, as the Persic version says, "suddenly came forth out of a corner"; and the Ethiopic reads it, "out of the mountains thereof"; and made to the house where he was privately retired, and would have hid himself, as Mark suggests, and cried unto him; with a loud voice, with much vehemency, being in great distress, saying, have mercy on me; meaning, by curing her daughter, with whose case she was so much affected, that she made it, as it were, her own: O Lord, thou son of David. The first of these characters expresses her faith in his power, dominion, and government, that all persons and things, and so all diseases were at his command, and control; and that being Lord of all, he could remove them at his pleasure: the other shows her knowledge and belief of him, as the Messiah, that being a name by which he was usually known by the Jews; See Gill on Mat 1:1 and which she, though a Gentile, might come at the knowledge of, either through being a proselyte to the Jewish religion, or through a general report which might reach, especially the neighbouring nations, that the Jews expected a wonderful deliverer to arise among them, under this character of the son of David; and from what she had heard of him, she concluded he must be the person. My daughter is grievously vexed with a devil, which had took possession of her, and most grievously afflicted her: and her request to him was, that he would cast him out of her: believing he had power so to do, without seeing or touching her, only by a word speaking: her faith was like that of the centurion's. (i) Lucian. Dialog. Deor. Coneil. sect. 2,”

“It is probable that woman first cried out before the door, and assembled a crowd, and then went into the house. Have mercy on me. The great faith of the Chanaanĉan woman is justly extolled. She believed him to be God, whom she calls her Lord, and him a man, whom she styles the Son of David. She lays no stress upon her own merits, but supplicates for the mercy of God; neither does she say, have mercy on my daughter, but have mercy on me. … To move him to compassion, she lays all her grief and sorrow before him in these afflicting words: my daughter is grievously afflicted by a devil. (Glossa.)”