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first submitted herself to the God of the Jews, she would not have obtained their benefit.
Concerning her it continues: "For a woman, whose daughter had an unclean spirit, as soon as
she had heard of Him, came in and fell at His feet."
Pseudo-Chrys., Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.: Now by this the Lord wished to shew His disciples that
He opened the door of faith even to the Gentiles, wherefore also the nation of the woman is
described when it is added, "The woman was a Gentile, a Syrophenician by nation," that is, from
Syria and Phaenice.
It goes on: "and she besought Him that He would cast forth the devil out of her daughter."
Augustine, de Con. Evan., 2, 49: It appears however that some question about a discrepancy
may be raised, because it is said that the Lord was in the house when the woman came, asking
about her daughter. When, however, Matthew says that His disciples had suggested to Him, [p.
140] "Send her away, for she crieth after us," [Matt 15:23] He appears to imply nothing less than
that the woman uttered supplicating cries after the Lord, as He walked. How then do we infer that
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she was in the house, except by gathering it from Mark, who says that she came in to Jesus,
after having before said that He was in the house? But Matthew in that he says, "He answered
her not a word," gave us to understand that He went out, during that silence, from the house; thus
too the other events are connected together, so that they now in no way disagree.
It continues: "But He said unto her, Let the children be first filled."
Bede: The time will come when even you who are Gentiles will obtain salvation; but it is right that
first the Jews who deservedly are wont to be called by the name of children of God's ancient
election, should be refreshed with heavenly bread, and that so at length, the food of life should be
ministered to the Gentiles.
There follows: "For it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to the dogs."
Pseudo-Chrys., Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.: These words He uttered not that there is in Him a
deficiency of virtue, to prevent His ministering to all, but because His benefit, if ministered to both
Jews and Gentiles who had no communication with each other, might be a cause of jealousy.
Theophylact: He calls the Gentiles dogs, as being thought wicked by the Jews; and He means by
bread, the benefit which the Lord promised to the children, that is, to the Jews. The sense
therefore is, that it is not right for the Gentiles first to be partakers of the benefit, promised
principally to the Jews. The reason, therefore, why the Lord does not immediately hear, but
delays His grace, is, that He may also shew that the faith of the woman was firm, and that we
may learn not at once to grow weary in prayer, but to continue earnest till we obtain.
Pseudo-Chrys., Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.: In like manner also to shew the Jews that He did not
confer healing on foreigners in the same degree as to them, and that by the discovery of the
woman's faith, the unfaithfulness of the Jews might be the more laid bare. For the woman did not
take it ill, but with much reverence assented to what the Lord had said.
Wherefore it goes on, "And she answered and said unto Him, Truth, Lord, but the dogs under the
table eat of the children's crumbs."
Theophylact: As if she had said, The Jews have the whole of that bread which comes down from
heaven, [p. 141] and Thy benefits also; I ask for the crumbs, that is, a small portion of the benefit.
Pseudo-Chrys., Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.: Her placing herself therefore in the rank of dogs is a
mark of her reverence; as if she said, I hold it as a favour to be even in the position of a dog, and
to eat not from another table, but from that of the Master himself.
Theophylact: Because therefore the woman answered with much wisdom, she obtained what she
wanted; wherefore there follows, "And He said unto her, &c." He said not, My virtue hath made
thee whole, but for this saying, that is, for thy faith, which is shewn by this saying, "go thy way,
the devil is gone out of thy daughter."
It goes on: "And when she was come into her house, she found her daughter laid upon the bed,
and the devil gone out."
Bede: On account then of the humble and faithful saying of her mother, the devil left the
daughter; here is given a precedent for catechising and baptizing infants, seeing that by the faith
and the confession of the parents, infants are freed in baptism from the devil, though they can
neither have knowledge in themselves, or do either good or evil.
Pseudo-Jerome: Mystically however the Gentile woman, who prays for her daughter, is our
mother the Church of Rome. Her daughter afflicted with a devil, is the barbarian western race,
which by faith hath been turned from a dog into a sheep. She desires to take the crumbs of
spiritual understanding, not the unbroken bread of the letter.
Theophylact: The soul of each of us also, when he falls into sin, becomes a woman; and this soul
has a daughter who is sick, that is, evil actions; this daughter again has a devil, for evil actions
arise from devils. Again, sinners are called dogs, being filled with uncleanness. For which reason
we are not worthy to receive the bread of God, or to be made partakers of the immaculate
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mysteries of God; if however in humility, knowing ourselves to be dogs, we confess our sins, then
the daughter, that is, our evil life, shall be healed.
31. And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, He came unto the sea of Galilee,
through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis.
32. And they bring unto Him one that was deaf, [p. 142] and had an impediment in his speech;
and they beseech him to put His hand upon him.
33. And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers into his ears, and He spit, and
touched His tongue;
34. And looking up to heaven, He sighed, and saith unto him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened."
35. And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake
plain.
36. And He charged them that they should tell no man: but the more He charged them, so much
the more a great deal they published it;
37. And were beyond measure astonished, saying, "He hath done all things well: he maketh both
the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak."
Theophylact: The Lord did not wish to stay in the parts of the Gentiles, lest He should give the
Jews occasion to say, that they esteemed Him a transgressor of the law, because He held
communion with the Gentiles, and therefore He immediately returns.
Wherefore it is said, "And again departing from the coasts of Tyre, He came through Sidon, to the
sea of Galilee, through the midst of the borders of Decapolis."
Bede, in Marc., 2, 31: Decapolis is a region of ten cities, across the Jordan, to the east, over
against Galilee [ed. note: It appears, however, from Reland, Pales. v.1, p198, that a portion of
Decapolis, including its metropolis, Scythopolis, was on this side Jordan, and therefore this text of
St. Mark may be taken literally.] When therefore it is said that the Lord came to the sea of Galilee,
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