“Erat enim mulier gentilis, Syrophœnissa genere. Et rogabat eum ut dæmonium ejiceret de filia ejus.”
“The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. Greek: or, Gentile Greek: or, Gentile”
“Now she was a Greek woman of Syrophoenician origin, and she kept asking Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.”
“Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by race. She begged him that he would cast the demon out of her daughter.”
“Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by race. And she besought him that he would cast forth the demon out of her daughter.”
Our Lord Jesus seldom staid long in a place, for he knew where his work lay, and attended the changes of it. When he had cured the woman of Canaan's daughter, he had done what he had to do in that place, and therefore presently left those parts, and returned to the sea of Galilee, whereabout his usual residence was; yet he did not come directly thither, but fetched a compass through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis, which lay mostly on the other side Jordan; such long walks did our Lord Jesus take, when he went about doing good.
Verses 24-30 Christ never put any from him that fell at his feet, which a poor trembling soul may do. As she was a good woman, so a good mother. This sent her to Christ. His saying, Let the children first be filled, shows that there was mercy for the Gentiles, and not far off. She spoke, not as making light of the mercy, but magnifying the abundance of miraculous cures among the Jews, in comparison with which a single cure was but as a crumb. Thus, while proud Pharisees are left by the blessed Saviour, he manifests his compassion to poor humbled sinners, who look to him for children's bread. He still goes about to seek and save the lost.