from a distance, from behind ; cf. ver. 23, 25.1 — /is, me) The affectionate mother had made her daughter's misery her own; see ver. 25 and 28. — Tit Aau/d, Son of David) Therefore the woman had heard of the Promise either long ago or lately.
23. As, but) It was fitting that this declaration, and as it were protestation of the unworthiness of the heathen, should precede the declaration of individual worthiness for which it prepared the way : nor did our Lord grant help so much to the prayers of the Canaanitess alone, as to those of the Canaanitess and the disciples together. — oux. avixpidq — \6yov, answered not — a tvord) Thus the LXX. in Is. xxxvi. 21 ; 1 Chron. xxi. 12. — aTo'Xuo-ov, dismiss) An instance of metonymy of the consequent for the an tecedent : i.e. Help as you are wont, cf. ver. 24 ; for our Lord was not wont to dismiss those who called upon Him for aid with out according it. — xpd^si, cries out) We may suppose that the disciples feared the judgment of men, and made their petition to our Lord, both for their own sake, lest her crying out should produce annoyance, and for the sake of the woman herself.
24, 26. Ei pfi — rofg xuvapioig, except — to little dogs) Our Lord's language, in ver. 24, contains no repulse, as explained in ver. 26,2 but rather suggests hope to constant faith. The twenty- fourth verse is to be understood, not with reference to the whole mediatorial office, but only our Lord's preaching and miracles.
24. ' ATsoraXjjv, / am sent) Our Lord referred everything to His Mission. — <irp o'/Sara, sheep) Israel is the Lord's flock (see Ps. xcv.), Jesus the Shepherd. — oJxov 'iffpafa, the house of Israel) This appeared to restrict His grace.
25. 'EXdcuaa, coming] sc. in front of the Saviour from behind Him;3 although He appeared to have given a repulse even to His disciples.
1 That is, ver. 23, " She crieth after us," shows she was in the rear, behind Him ; ver. 25, " Then came she," etc., shows she had previously been at a distance. — ED.
2 Bengel's words are, " Sermo in thesi expressus, in hypothesi nullam habet repulsam : sed potius spem facit fidei constant!. Thesis autem acci- pienda est, non de officio toto mediatorio, sed de prsedicatione et miraculis." I have endeavoured to render this so as to be intelligible to the general reader.— (I. B.)
8 Thereby stopping up the way before Him [as if she would not let Him go farther without blessing her]. — V. g.