Matthew 15:26
But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.
Matthew 15:26 in other translations
| BSB | But Jesus replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” |
|---|---|
| WEB | But he answered, “It is not appropriate to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” |
| ASV | And he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread and cast it to the dogs. |
| YLT | and he answering said, ‘It is not good to take the children's bread, and to cast to the little dogs.' |
| DARBY | But he answering said, It is not well to take the bread of the children and cast it to the dogs. |
| BBE | And he made answer and said, It is not right to take the children's bread and give it to the dogs. |
| Webster | But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. |
What does Matthew 15:26 mean?
Barnes' Notes
Children's bread. The Jews considered themselves as the peculiar children of God. To all other nations they were accustomed to apply terms of contempt, of which dogs was the most common. The Mohammedans still apply the term dogs to Christians, and Christians and Jews to each other. It is designed as an expression of the highest contempt. The Saviour means to say that he was sent to the Jews. The woman was a Gentile. He meant, that it did not comport with the design of his personal ministry to apply benefits intended for the Jews to others.
Our Saviour did not intend to justify or sanction the use of such terms, or calling names. He meant to try her faith. As if he had said,
"You are a Gentile. I am a Jew. The Jews call themselves
children of God. You they vilify, and abuse, calling you
a dog. Are you willing to receive of a Jew, then, a
favour? Are you willing to submit to these appellations,
to receive a favour of one of that nation, and to
acknowledge your dependence on a people that so despise
you?"
It was a trial of her faith, and not lending his sanction to the propriety of the abusive term. He regarded her with a different feeling.
(r) "to dogs" Mt 7:6, Rev 22:15
Albert Barnes, 1834 · public domain
Adam Clarke's Commentary
Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Matthew 15:21-28
The dark corners of the country, the most remote, shall share Christ's influences; afterwards the ends of the earth shall see his salvation. The distress and trouble of her family brought a woman to Christ; and though it is need that drives us to Christ, yet we shall not therefore be driven from him. She did not limit Christ to any particular instance of mercy, but mercy, mercy, is what she begged for: she pleads…
Matthew 15:26 in the original Greek
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Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).
Cross references for Matthew 15:26
- Mark 7:27-28
But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it unto the dogs. And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs.
- Matthew 7:6
Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
- Philippians 3:2
Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
- Ephesians 2:12
That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
- Galatians 2:15
We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,
- Revelation 22:15
For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
- Acts 22:21-22
And he said unto me, Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles. And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live.
- Romans 9:4
Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
7:6; Mr 7:27,28; Ac 22:21,22; Ro 9:4; Ga 2:15; Eph 2:12; Php 3:2
Re 22:15
dogs.[Tois kunarion ,] "to the little dogs," lap dogs, etc., the diminutive of [kuon ,] a dog. The Jews, while they boasted of being the children of God, gave the name of dogs to the heathen, for their idolatry, etc.
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain
Context
- Matthew 15:25
Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
- Matthew 15:26
But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.
- Matthew 15:27
And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.
Matthew 15:26 in other languages
| Spanish Reina-Valera 1909 | Y respondiendo él, dijo: No es bien tomar el pan de los hijos, y echarlo á los perrillos. |
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| French Bible J.N. Darby 1885 | Et lui, répondant, dit: Il ne convient pas de prendre le pain des enfants et de le jeter aux chiens. |
| German Elberfelder 1871 | Er aber antwortete und sprach: Es ist nicht schön, das Brot der Kinder zu nehmen und den Hündlein hinzuwerfen. |
| Latin Clementine Vulgate | Qui respondens ait: Non est bonum sumere panem filiorum, et mittere canibus. |