‘But she came and worshipped him, saying, “Lord, help me” ’

But then He is put on the spot, for with great boldness, and no doubt a sense of despair at His not replying, she came close and fell before Him, worshipping Him, and crying, ‘Lord, help me.’ This put her appeal in a different light. A personal appeal like this was a different matter, and one that He found difficult to resist. And yet even now He could not respond to her unless she recognised exactly on what terms. She had to be made to recognise what she was asking, and Whom she was asking it from. But it seems that His thoughts were now clarified, and that His Father had shown Him what He is to do.

Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett

v. 25. Then came she and worshiped Him, saying, Lord, help me.

v. 26. But He answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.

v. 27. And she said, Truth, Lord; yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.

Here is an example of persistent, importunate pleading, not only in her own interest, to take away the anguish of her soul, but also for her daughter, who was suffering with a particularly severe form of demoniacal possession. But she received a decided shock of disappointment. At first the Lord paid absolutely no attention to her, but continued His journey as though He had not heard her. In the mean time she must have continued her clamoring without abating the least in fervor, for the disciples find themselves constrained to make intercession for her. Their tone is not exceptionally gracious. It implies that they would gladly be rid of her, that her persistent crying was annoying them. As usual, they did not come out of the test with flying colors. In a harsh manner, implying that they had better see to their own affairs, Jesus tells them that His special mission concerns the Jewish people only. That was the second rebuff. Of a truth, Luther says, Christ nowhere in all the gospels is painted as being so hard as here.

The disciples are discouraged and hold their peace, but the woman redoubles her efforts. She has set her faith on the word and works of this man, whom she steadfastly believes to be the Messiah; and she refuses to give up. With new courage she flings herself in His way, worshiping Him as the Lord from heaven, and insisting that He must help, that He must grant her prayer. If prayer fails, if intercession fails, she is ready to storm heaven itself. Christ delivers His last blow by saying roughly, with the full force of His assumed unkindness: It isn’t the proper thing, it shouldn’t be done, to take the bread of the children and to throw it to the dogs. The implication was that the Gentile woman and all her family and people were not on a level with the Israelites, that they could be considered in the eyes of God only as dogs, while the Jews were His children. That was a stern judgment which the Lord rendered, in which there surely was not a glimmer of hope for the harassed mother. But the eyes of faith will see light where others find only Egyptian darkness. As Luther writes, there is more yes than no in Christ’s speech; yea, nothing but yes , but very deep and hidden, and it seems nothing but no. There was not an absolute denial of her request, there was still room for an argument. And, besides, Christ had not compared her people and her family to the street-dogs, but to the house-dogs that live with their masters in the home. Instead, therefore, of turning away in hopeless discouragement, she turns to the attack: Yes, Lord, for also the house-dogs share in the meal of the children, though nothing but the crumbs fall to their lot. She had caught the Lord in His own argument, she had won a decided victory over Him. She is willing to be content with, yea, she demands as her right, the crumbs which the Jews were becoming tired of.

Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann

“Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. (26) But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and cast it to dogs. (27) And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”

The poor woman, a true daughter of Abraham, who against hope believed in hope, still held out, under all discouragements; and therefore now ventures nearer to Jesus. She worshipped him in testimony of her belief in his Godhead; and the cry of the soul goes forth in the most vehement earnestness, saying, Lord help me! Oh! for grace on trying seasons, to be more clamorous, when discouragements abound; and to rest on Jesus, when every promise leading to Jesus seems shut up. Though he slay me (said one of old) yet will I trust in him. Job 13:15 .

Still the exercise of her faith is not finished. Jesus now speaks for the first time to her; but it, must have seemed what the Lord said as very cutting to the heart. It is not meet to take the children’s bread and cast it to dogs. Think, Reader! how she felt, to hear those words drop from the lips of Christ. Jesus knew her, loved her, and from the first moment she cried to him; had all along determined to do for her, even more than she had asked; yet still, that faith the Lord had given her shall be tried. She is to stand forth, an everlasting monument in the Church of God, for her illustrious faith; and therefore let faith have her perfect work and lack nothing. And oh! what but grace could have enabled her to hold on and hold out; or have taught her to make that sweet reply to Jesus. Truth, Lord! y et the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master’s table!

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.

Ver. 25. Then came she and worshipped him ] She will not be said nay, or set down either with silence or sad answers; but, like another Gorgonia, she threatens heaven, and is (as her brother speaks of her) modestly impudent and invincible. She will believe, as a man may say with reverence, whether Christ will or not. And to bring her to this it was that he so long held her off, for, Desideria dilata crescunt; at cito data vilescunt. (Nazianzen.) Manna, that light meat, was but lightly set by, because lightly come by. But they that earn it before they eat it, and that know how they come by that which they have, will set a high price upon it, and know how and why they part with it.

Lord, help me ] Few words, but very forcible. When thou comest before God, “let thy words be few,” saith Solomon,Ecc 5:1Ecc 5:1 . This St Peter calls “to be sober in prayer,”1Pe 4:71Pe 4:7 , without trifling, or vain babbling, which the wise man calls “the sacrifice of fools.” The Baalites’ prayer was not more tedious than Elijah’s short, and yet more pithy than short, charging God with the care of his covenant, truth, glory, &c. a It was Elijah that prayed loud and long, though in few words, yet very effectual. Fratres Egyptiaci brevissimis et raptim iaculatis orationibus uti voluerunt (saith Augustine), ne par moras evanesceret et hebetaretur intentio. Those ancient Christians of Egypt were very brief in their prayers.

Help me ] The word properly signifieth to run at one’s cry that calls for help, b as the tender mother doth to her hungry child, when he sets up his note, and cries lustily.

a Orationis brevitas pathos habet. Aretius in loc.

b , quasi , ad clamorem alicuius accurrere auxilii ferendi causa. Beza.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

25. ] , i.e. into the house where our Lord was. See Mar 7:24 .

Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament

Mat 15:25-28 . Entreaty renewed at close quarters with success .

Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson

Mat 15:25 . , etc. Probably the mother read conflict and irresolution in Christ’s face, and thence drew encouragement.

Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson

worshipped Him = threw herself at His feet [and remained there]. Imperfect tense. Compare Joh 9:38. See App-137.

Lord, help me. This was a better plea, but there was no definition of the “me”, as with the publican: “me, a sinner” (Luk 18:13).

Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics

25.] , i.e. into the house where our Lord was. See Mar 7:24.

Fuente: The Greek Testament

Mat 15:25. , coming) sc. in front of the Saviour from behind Him;[696] although He appeared to have given a repulse even to His disciples.

[696] Thereby stopping up the way before Him [as if she would not let Him go farther without blessing her].-V. g.

Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament

came: Mat 20:31, Gen 32:26, Hos 12:4, Luk 11:8-10, Luk 18:1-8

worshipped: Mat 14:33

Lord: Mar 9:22, Mar 9:24

Reciprocal: Mat 8:2 – worshipped Mat 9:18 – worshipped Mat 20:20 – worshipping Eph 6:18 – all perseverance

Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

5:25

This did not entirely discourage the woman for she repeated her plea accompanied with an attitude of worship towards Jesus.

Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary

Mat 15:25. But she came. Perhaps into the house (Mar 7:24), but more probably to where He waited for her in the way. Her faith was more manifest, as the Lord gave her opportunity.

Lord. Reverential address.

Help me. A touch of nature in the mothers prayer! Maternal love remains even in heathenism; often leading to Christ.

Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament

Yet hath not this poor woman done: Christ’s former silence, and his present denial, cannot silence her. She comes, she worships, she cries, Lord help me. O what an undaunted grace is the grace of faith! It has a strong heart, and a bold forehead, peremptory denials cannot dismay it. This woman will not despond, though her prayer of faith, from the knees of humility, succeed not.

Fuente: Expository Notes with Practical Observations on the New Testament

This woman’s desperate feeling of helplessness and her confidence in Jesus’ ability to meet her need are obvious in her posture and her words. Matthew used the imperfect tense to describe her kneeling to make her action even more vivid. She did not just kneel, but she was kneeling. This was the attitude of a humble suppliant.

Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)