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Exorcism of the Syrophoenician woman's daughter

January 01, 1970

The Exorcism of the Syrophoenician woman's daughter is one of the miracles of Jesus and is recounted in the Gospel of Mark in chapter 7 (Mark 7:24–30)[1] and in the Gospel of Matthew in chapter 15 (Matthew 15:21–28).[2] In Matthew, the story is recounted as the healing of a Canaanite woman's daughter.[3] According to both accounts, Jesus exorcised the woman's daughter whilst travelling in the region of Tyre and Sidon, on account of the faith shown by the woman.

The Woman of Canaan by Michael Angelo Immenraet, 17th century

The third-century pseudo-Clementine homily refers to her name as Justa and her daughter's name as Berenice.[4]

In art, one or more dogs (otherwise unusual in New Testament scenes) are very often shown; Tobias and the Angel is the only other biblical subject in art to typically include a dog. More rarely the stricken daughter is seen.

Passage edit

 
Jesus exorcising the Canaanite Woman's daughter. From Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry, 15th century.

The relevant passage in Matthew 15:22–28 reads as follows:

A Canaanite woman from that region came to Jesus, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly."

Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us."

He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel".

The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said.

He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs".

"Yes Lord," she said. "But even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table."

Then Jesus said to her:

"Woman, you have great faith! Your daughter is healed."

And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

Many English translations of the Gospels state that Jesus was in the region of Tyre and Sidon and had withdrawn from Galilee where he had entered in discussion with the Pharisees over their interpretation of the Jewish law.[5] The Geneva Bible and the King James Version suggest that the visit was to the coast (i.e. the Mediterranean Sea), but the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges argues that Jesus went to "the neighbourhood, [or] district, not the sea-shore, as might be thought".[6]

This episode is, according to Graham H. Twelftree, an example of how Jesus emphasizes the value of faith, as also shown in the Healing the Centurion's servant episode.[3]

Syrophoenician woman edit

 
Etching by Pietro del Po, The Canaanite (or Syrophoenician) woman asks Christ to cure, c. 1650.

The woman described in the miracle, the Syrophoenician woman (Mark 7:26;[7] Συροφοινίκισσα, Syrophoinikissa) is also called a "Canaanite" (Matthew 15:22;[8] Χαναναία, Chananaia) and is an unidentified New Testament woman from the region of Tyre and Sidon. "The woman is [...] described as Syrophoenician by race. It is unclear whether Mark seeks to distinguish between a Phoenician from Syria and one from northern Africa or between someone living in the coastal area of Syria and someone living in the central part."[9]

Although the Gospel of Mark describes the woman as "gentile" or "Greek", the inhabitants of Tyre and Sidon were descendants of the Tribe of Asher, according to the Old Testament. [10][11]Thus, "gentile" could refer to her heathen and pagan background. After the Babylonian exile, Israelite identity prioritized the role of faith in Yahweh.[12][13]Likewise, "Canaanite" could be interpreted as a deliberate rhetorical device because they did not literally exist as a recognizable ethnicity in 1st century CE Palestine. In Jewish literature, Canaanites were synonymous with "the opponent" and "idolatry", even if the person was of Israelite descent.[14][15]

Commentary edit

Thomas Aquinas comments on this passage in his homily on the sinful soul, saying,

Five things are noted of this woman of Canaan which availed for the liberation of this demoniac. (1) Humility: "Yet the dogs eat." (2) Her patience, since she patiently endured the seeming reproaches of Our Lord. (3) Her prayer, "Have mercy on me, O Lord." (4) Her perseverance: she did not cease asking till she obtained what she desired. (5) Her faith: "O woman, great is thy faith." If we had had these five qualities we should be delivered from every devil, that is, from all sin; which may Christ grant us to be. Amen.[16]

 
Christ and the Woman from Canaan by Pieter Lastman, 1617, Rijksmuseum

Charles Ellicott contrasts this miracle with the miraculous healing of the centurion's servant in Matthew 8:10. According to Ellicott, whilst both miracles showed Jesus's willingness to help gentiles, Jesus had a more favorable view of the centurion. Compared to the Syrophoenician woman, the centurion behaved like the proselyte of the gate, due to his contributions in building a synagogue and moral conduct, which was commended by Jewish elders. Meanwhile, the Syrophoenician woman made no attempt to show she was a true convert. Ellicott also links Jesus's hostility to the curse of Canaan in Genesis 9:25 since Syrophoenicians descended from Canaan. [17]Nonetheless, Matthew 4:24 shows Jesus's receptivity to Syrians, including those that did not openly profress their faith. According to Chrysostom, the Syrians demonstrated their strong faith by directly bringing their sick to him.[18]

Mookgo S. Kgatle describes the Syrophoenician woman as a social activist against traditional Jewish views about gender, purity and ethnicity. However, she accepts the reality of her outsider status when it came to membership in God's chosen people. And whilst Jesus's usage of the word 'dog' can be seen as bigoted, Kgatle argues that 'dog' is not necessarily indicative of anti-gentile sentiment. Ancient Jewish culture used 'dog' to describe enemies of Israel, regardless of background, and also, generic contempt, unworthiness, religious profanity or alternatively, humility. Kgatle notes that the author of the Gospel of Matthew deliberately changed the woman's ethnicity from Syrophoenician to Canaanite to show that she was "unclean and pagan" and the presence of an "Israel-centered conflict" between her and Judeans.[15]

Gallery edit

  •  
    A Canaanite woman begs Jesus to heal her daughter, Willem van Oordt, 1645-1650
  •  
    Perspective with Christ and the Canaanite woman, Emilian, Ravenna Art Museum
  •  
    Jesus and the Canaanite Woman by Ilyas Basim Khuri Bazzi Rahib, 1684
  •  
    Stained glass from Bayonne Cathedral, France

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Mark 7:24–30
  2. ^ Matthew 15:21–28
  3. ^ a b Jesus the miracle worker: a historical & theological study by Graham H. Twelftree 1999 ISBN 0-8308-1596-1 pages 133-134
  4. ^ Pseudo-Clementine. Homilies . 2.19 . Also at 3.73 and 4.1.
  5. ^ Translations available at Biblegateway.com
  6. ^ Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges on Matthew 15, accessed 22 January 2017
  7. ^ Mark 7:26
  8. ^ Matthew 15:22
  9. ^ Stein, Robert H. (2008). Mark. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic. p. 351. ISBN 9780801026829.
  10. ^ "Joshua 19:24-31".
  11. ^ "Judges 1:31-32".
  12. ^ "gentile". CollinsDictionary.com. HarperCollins.
  13. ^ Lau, Peter H.W. (2009). "Gentile Incorporation into Israel in Ezra - Nehemiah?". Peeters Publishers. 90 (3): 356–373 – via JSTOR.
  14. ^ Doak, Brian R. (2020). Ancient Israel's Neighbors. Oxford University Press. pp. 22–30. ISBN 9780190690632.
  15. ^ a b Kgatle, Mookgo S. (2018). "Crossing boundaries: Social-scientific reading of the faith of a Canaanite woman (Mt 15:21-28)". Stellenbosch Theological Journal. 4 (2) – via Scielo.
  16. ^ Aquinas, Thomas (1867). "Homily IV: The Sinful Soul" . Ninety-nine Homilies of S. Thomas Aquinas Upon the Epistles and Gospels for Forty-nine Sundays of the Christian Year. Church Press Company.
  17. ^ . Biblehub.com. 2024. Archived from the original on February 5, 2024.
  18. ^   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain: "Catena Aurea: commentary on the four Gospels; collected out of the works of the Fathers. Oxford: Parker, 1874. Thomas Aquinas". Oxford, Parker. 1874.

Further reading edit

  • Burkill, T. A. "The Historical Development of the Story of the Syrophoenician Woman (Mark vii: 24-31).", Novum Testamentum 9 (1967): 161–177.
  • Downing, F. Gerald. "The Woman from Syrophoenicia, and her Doggedness: Mark 7:24-31 (Matthew 15:21-28)." Women in the Biblical Tradition. Ed. George J. Brooke. Lewiston: The Edwin Mellen Press, 1992. 129–149.
  • Schäfler, Markus, "The Syrophoenician Woman (Mk 7:24-31)"
  • Alt, C., The Dynamic of Humility and Wisdom: The Syrophoenician Woman and Jesus in Mark 7:24-31a, Lumen et Vita, Vol. 2, 2012
  • Alonso, P. 2011. The woman who changed Jesus. Crossing Boundaries in Mk 7,24-30. Biblical tools and studies, 11 2017-01-23 at the Wayback Machine. Peeters Publishers.

External links edit

  Media related to Jesus and the woman of Canaan at Wikimedia Commons

January 01, 1970
exorcism, syrophoenician, woman, daughter, miracles, jesus, recounted, gospel, mark, chapter, mark, gospel, matthew, chapter, matthew, matthew, story, recounted, healing, canaanite, woman, daughter, according, both, accounts, jesus, exorcised, woman, daughter,. The Exorcism of the Syrophoenician woman s daughter is one of the miracles of Jesus and is recounted in the Gospel of Mark in chapter 7 Mark 7 24 30 1 and in the Gospel of Matthew in chapter 15 Matthew 15 21 28 2 In Matthew the story is recounted as the healing of a Canaanite woman s daughter 3 According to both accounts Jesus exorcised the woman s daughter whilst travelling in the region of Tyre and Sidon on account of the faith shown by the woman The Woman of Canaan by Michael Angelo Immenraet 17th century The third century pseudo Clementine homily refers to her name as Justa and her daughter s name as Berenice 4 In art one or more dogs otherwise unusual in New Testament scenes are very often shown Tobias and the Angel is the only other biblical subject in art to typically include a dog More rarely the stricken daughter is seen Contents 1 Passage 2 Syrophoenician woman 3 Commentary 4 Gallery 5 See also 6 References 7 Further reading 8 External linksPassage edit nbsp Jesus exorcising the Canaanite Woman s daughter From Tres Riches Heures du Duc de Berry 15th century The relevant passage in Matthew 15 22 28 reads as follows A Canaanite woman from that region came to Jesus crying out Lord Son of David have mercy on me My daughter is demon possessed and suffering terribly Jesus did not answer a word So his disciples came to him and urged him Send her away for she keeps crying out after us He answered I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel The woman came and knelt before him Lord help me she said He replied It is not right to take the children s bread and toss it to the dogs Yes Lord she said But even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master s table Then Jesus said to her Woman you have great faith Your daughter is healed And her daughter was healed from that very hour Many English translations of the Gospels state that Jesus was in the region of Tyre and Sidon and had withdrawn from Galilee where he had entered in discussion with the Pharisees over their interpretation of the Jewish law 5 The Geneva Bible and the King James Version suggest that the visit was to the coast i e the Mediterranean Sea but the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges argues that Jesus went to the neighbourhood or district not the sea shore as might be thought 6 This episode is according to Graham H Twelftree an example of how Jesus emphasizes the value of faith as also shown in the Healing the Centurion s servant episode 3 Syrophoenician woman edit nbsp Etching by Pietro del Po The Canaanite or Syrophoenician woman asks Christ to cure c 1650 The woman described in the miracle the Syrophoenician woman Mark 7 26 7 Syrofoinikissa Syrophoinikissa is also called a Canaanite Matthew 15 22 8 Xananaia Chananaia and is an unidentified New Testament woman from the region of Tyre and Sidon The woman is described as Syrophoenician by race It is unclear whether Mark seeks to distinguish between a Phoenician from Syria and one from northern Africa or between someone living in the coastal area of Syria and someone living in the central part 9 Although the Gospel of Mark describes the woman as gentile or Greek the inhabitants of Tyre and Sidon were descendants of the Tribe of Asher according to the Old Testament 10 11 Thus gentile could refer to her heathen and pagan background After the Babylonian exile Israelite identity prioritized the role of faith in Yahweh 12 13 Likewise Canaanite could be interpreted as a deliberate rhetorical device because they did not literally exist as a recognizable ethnicity in 1st century CE Palestine In Jewish literature Canaanites were synonymous with the opponent and idolatry even if the person was of Israelite descent 14 15 Commentary editThomas Aquinas comments on this passage in his homily on the sinful soul saying Five things are noted of this woman of Canaan which availed for the liberation of this demoniac 1 Humility Yet the dogs eat 2 Her patience since she patiently endured the seeming reproaches of Our Lord 3 Her prayer Have mercy on me O Lord 4 Her perseverance she did not cease asking till she obtained what she desired 5 Her faith O woman great is thy faith If we had had these five qualities we should be delivered from every devil that is from all sin which may Christ grant us to be Amen 16 nbsp Christ and the Woman from Canaan by Pieter Lastman 1617 Rijksmuseum Charles Ellicott contrasts this miracle with the miraculous healing of the centurion s servant in Matthew 8 10 According to Ellicott whilst both miracles showed Jesus s willingness to help gentiles Jesus had a more favorable view of the centurion Compared to the Syrophoenician woman the centurion behaved like the proselyte of the gate due to his contributions in building a synagogue and moral conduct which was commended by Jewish elders Meanwhile the Syrophoenician woman made no attempt to show she was a true convert Ellicott also links Jesus s hostility to the curse of Canaan in Genesis 9 25 since Syrophoenicians descended from Canaan 17 Nonetheless Matthew 4 24 shows Jesus s receptivity to Syrians including those that did not openly profress their faith According to Chrysostom the Syrians demonstrated their strong faith by directly bringing their sick to him 18 Mookgo S Kgatle describes the Syrophoenician woman as a social activist against traditional Jewish views about gender purity and ethnicity However she accepts the reality of her outsider status when it came to membership in God s chosen people And whilst Jesus s usage of the word dog can be seen as bigoted Kgatle argues that dog is not necessarily indicative of anti gentile sentiment Ancient Jewish culture used dog to describe enemies of Israel regardless of background and also generic contempt unworthiness religious profanity or alternatively humility Kgatle notes that the author of the Gospel of Matthew deliberately changed the woman s ethnicity from Syrophoenician to Canaanite to show that she was unclean and pagan and the presence of an Israel centered conflict between her and Judeans 15 Gallery edit nbsp A Canaanite woman begs Jesus to heal her daughter Willem van Oordt 1645 1650 nbsp Perspective with Christ and the Canaanite woman Emilian Ravenna Art Museum nbsp Jesus and the Canaanite Woman by Ilyas Basim Khuri Bazzi Rahib 1684 nbsp Stained glass from Bayonne Cathedral FranceSee also editLife of Jesus in the New Testament Ministry of Jesus Miracles of Jesus Parables of Jesus Perfection of Christ 1st century in Lebanon Asian feminist theologyReferences edit Mark 7 24 30 Matthew 15 21 28 a b Jesus the miracle worker a historical amp theological study by Graham H Twelftree 1999 ISBN 0 8308 1596 1 pages 133 134 Pseudo Clementine Homilies 2 19 Also at 3 73 and 4 1 Translations available at Biblegateway com Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges on Matthew 15 accessed 22 January 2017 Mark 7 26 Matthew 15 22 Stein Robert H 2008 Mark Grand Rapids Baker Academic p 351 ISBN 9780801026829 Joshua 19 24 31 Judges 1 31 32 gentile CollinsDictionary com HarperCollins Lau Peter H W 2009 Gentile Incorporation into Israel in Ezra Nehemiah Peeters Publishers 90 3 356 373 via JSTOR Doak Brian R 2020 Ancient Israel s Neighbors Oxford University Press pp 22 30 ISBN 9780190690632 a b Kgatle Mookgo S 2018 Crossing boundaries Social scientific reading of the faith of a Canaanite woman Mt 15 21 28 Stellenbosch Theological Journal 4 2 via Scielo Aquinas Thomas 1867 Homily IV The Sinful Soul Ninety nine Homilies of S Thomas Aquinas Upon the Epistles and Gospels for Forty nine Sundays of the Christian Year Church Press Company Matthew 15 Ellicott s Commentary for English Readers Biblehub com 2024 Archived from the original on February 5 2024 nbsp This article incorporates text from this source which is in the public domain Catena Aurea commentary on the four Gospels collected out of the works of the Fathers Oxford Parker 1874 Thomas Aquinas Oxford Parker 1874 Further reading editBurkill T A The Historical Development of the Story of the Syrophoenician Woman Mark vii 24 31 Novum Testamentum 9 1967 161 177 Downing F Gerald The Woman from Syrophoenicia and her Doggedness Mark 7 24 31 Matthew 15 21 28 Women in the Biblical Tradition Ed George J Brooke Lewiston The Edwin Mellen Press 1992 129 149 Schafler Markus The Syrophoenician Woman Mk 7 24 31 Alt C The Dynamic of Humility and Wisdom The Syrophoenician Woman and Jesus in Mark 7 24 31a Lumen et Vita Vol 2 2012 Alonso P 2011 The woman who changed Jesus Crossing Boundaries in Mk 7 24 30 Biblical tools and studies 11 Archived 2017 01 23 at the Wayback Machine Peeters Publishers External links edit nbsp Media related to Jesus and the woman of Canaan at Wikimedia Commons Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Exorcism of the Syrophoenician woman 27s daughter amp oldid 1222644903, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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