Why did Jesus call the Canaanite woman a dog? | GotQuestions.org

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September 14, 2020

Matthew 15:21-28, why did Jesus call the Canaanite woman a dog? Is this a story about the faith of the Canaanite woman? Or is it that Jesus calls a woman a dog in order to insult her? Also, why did Jesus initially refuse to help a gentile woman? In this video, Pastor Nelson with Bible Munch answers the question, “Why did Jesus call the Canaanite woman a dog?”. *** Source Article: https://www.gotquestions.org/Canaanite-woman-dog.html *** Check out, Bible Munch! https://www.youtube.com/BibleMunch *** Recent @BibleMunch Videos: Psalm 1:1-6 - The Actual Prosperity Gospel https://youtu.be/5NSUio3INOI Proverbs 20:7 - Dear Dads, - BE THE GIFT - https://youtu.be/lAkQRT3JM40 John 14:6 - This TRUTH is what we need now! https://youtu.be/bLLhiABBFiA *** Recommended Resource: God the Son Incarnate: The Doctrine of Christ By: Stephen J. Wellum, John S. Feinberg https://bit.ly/31VSdud *** Related Questions: What did Jesus mean when He said to not cast your pearls before swine (Matthew 7:6)? https://www.gotquestions.org/pearls-before-swine.html What did Jesus mean when He said it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into heaven? https://www.gotquestions.org/camel-eye-needle.html Why did Jesus say that He was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel (Matthew 15:24)? https://www.gotquestions.org/lost-sheep-Israel.html Intro/Outro Music: https://www.purple-planet.com Note: Some links are affiliate links which cost you nothing, but help us share the word of God.

00:00: Today's question is, why did Jesus call the Canaanite woman a dog? In this video
00:05: I'll answer that question from a biblical perspective. Then afterwards, as always, I'll share some helpful resources, so stick around until the end.
00:21: In Matthew 15 verses 21–28, Jesus encounters a Canaanite woman who begs
00:27: Him to cure her daughter. Jesus initially refuses her request by saying it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs.
00:36: Matthew 15 verse 26. Taken out of context and especially in English, it's easy to mistake this for an insult.
00:44: In the flow of the story, however, it's clear Jesus is creating a metaphor meant to explain the priorities of His ministry.
00:52: He is also teaching an important lesson to His disciples. Jews in Jesus' day sometimes referred to Gentiles as dogs.
01:00: In Greek, this word is kouon, meaning wild purr. Non -Jews were considered so unspiritual that even being in their presence could make a person ceremonially unclean.
01:12: Much of Jesus' ministry, however, involved turning expectations and prejudices on their heads.
01:18: According to Matthew's narrative, Jesus left Israel and went to Tyre and Sidon, which was
01:23: Gentile territory. When the Canaanite woman approached and repeatedly asked for healing, the disciples were annoyed and asked
01:32: Jesus to send her away. At this point, Jesus explained His current ministry in a way that both the woman and the watching disciples could understand.
01:42: At that time, His duty was to the people of Israel, not to the Gentiles. Recklessly taking
01:49: His attention from Israel, in violation of His mission, would be like a father taking food from his children in order to throw it to their pets.
01:58: The exact word Jesus used here in Greek was kounarion, meaning small dog or pet dog.
02:04: This is a completely different word from the term kouon, used to refer to unspiritual people or to an unclean animal.
02:12: Jesus frequently tested people to prove their intentions, often through response questions or challenges.
02:19: His response to the Canaanite woman is similar. In testing her, Jesus declined her request and explained that she had no legitimate expectation of His help.
02:30: The woman, however, lived out the principle that Jesus Himself taught in the parable of the persistent widow.
02:36: Her response proved that she understood fully what Jesus was saying, yet had enough conviction to ask anyway.
02:44: Jesus acknowledged her faith, calling it great, and granted her request. So, according to both the context and language involved,
02:52: Jesus wasn't referring to the Canaanite woman as a dog, either directly or indirectly.
02:57: He wasn't using an epithet or racial slur but making a point about the priorities
03:02: He'd been given by God. He was also testing the faith of the woman and teaching an important lesson to His disciples.
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03:18: I recommend, along with links to several related questions. If you'd like to learn about Bible Munch, or if you're interested in Bite -sized devotionals, subscribe to Bible Munch on YouTube, it's linked right here.