The Syrophoenician Woman
Gentile A Greek, a Syrophenician by nation (Mark 7:26); 'a woman of Canaan' (Matthew 15:22) · Life of Christ · New Testament
- Also called
- Syrophenician, woman of Canaan, Canaanite woman
- Role
- Gentile mother whose great faith Jesus praised
- When
- c. AD 29
What they did
In the region of Tyre and Sidon she begged Jesus to deliver her daughter from a devil; she humbly persisted, saying that even the dogs eat of the crumbs from their masters' table, and her daughter was healed that same hour.
Why it matters: the purpose of their role
Jesus commended her 'great faith', showing that the blessings of the Messiah were open to Gentiles who come to him in humble faith.
Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. Matthew 15:28 (KJV)
Bible references
And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. Matthew 15:22 (KJV)
But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour. Matthew 15:26-28 (KJV)
For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet: The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. Mark 7:25-26 (KJV)
And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter. And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed. Mark 7:29-30 (KJV)
Family
- Children
- A young daughter healed by Jesus (Mark 7:25, 30)