Matthew 15 26

Matthew 15:26 kjv

But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.

Matthew 15:26 nkjv

But He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs."

Matthew 15:26 niv

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

Matthew 15:26 esv

And he answered, "It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."

Matthew 15:26 nlt

Jesus responded, "It isn't right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs."

Matthew 15 verses

Matthew 15 26 Meaning

In Matthew 15:26, Jesus responds to the Canaanite woman by stating, "It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." This declaration expresses a perceived priority in God's redemptive plan. The "children" refer to the people of Israel, God's covenant nation, to whom the promises and blessings of salvation were first offered. "Bread" symbolizes these spiritual and physical provisions, particularly the divine favor and miraculous healing power He embodied. The term "dogs" (specifically "little dogs" or "household pets" due to the Greek diminutive) refers to the Gentiles. Jesus is not expressing disdain but articulating the divine order of salvation: the immediate benefits of His ministry were primarily for Israel, His first recipients. However, His choice of the softer diminutive hints at the potential for Gentile inclusion, setting the stage for the woman's remarkable response and the broader future mission.

Matthew 15 26 Context

This verse is part of an extraordinary encounter between Jesus and a Canaanite (Syrophoenician, as per Mk 7:26) woman in the region of Tyre and Sidon, Gentile territory (Mt 15:21-28). The chapter immediately precedes this interaction with Jesus' discourse on defilement, challenging the Pharisees' external religious rituals and emphasizing the heart's impurity (Mt 15:1-20). By engaging with this Gentile woman, Jesus subtly moves beyond the confined traditions and cultural barriers of His time. His initial silence (Mt 15:23), followed by His statement to His disciples about being "sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Mt 15:24), sets the stage for this testing statement in verse 26. This difficult interaction serves not only to test the woman's faith but also to teach His disciples about the future inclusion of Gentiles and the nature of persistent, humble faith. It underscores the transitional period of salvation history, where the immediate focus on Israel gradually expands to encompass all nations.

Matthew 15 26 Word Analysis

• Οὐκ (Ouk): "Not." A strong, absolute negative particle, indicating a direct denial or unsuitability.
• ἔστιν (estin): "It is," "is." Present tense, indicative verb, signifying a statement of fact or truth in the moment.
• καλόν (kalon): "Good," "right," "fitting," "proper," "honorable." Here, it carries the sense of what is appropriate or correct according to a divine plan or priority, rather than a moral judgment of good versus evil. It signifies "it is not right or appropriate."
• λαβείν (labein): "To take," "to receive," "to seize." An infinitive, describing the action of appropriation.
• τὸν ἄρτον (ton arton): "The bread." Artos (ἄρτος) means "bread," a staple of life, representing essential provision. In a broader sense, it signifies the spiritual sustenance, healing, and salvific blessings associated with Jesus' ministry.
• τῶν τέκνων (tōn teknōn): "Of the children." Tekna (τέκνα) means "children," emphasizing lineage and belonging, not just age. In this context, it unequivocally refers to the covenant people of Israel, who were seen as God's beloved children, His special possession. (Deut 14:1, Jer 31:9).
• καὶ (kai): "And," "also." A conjunctive particle, linking the two actions.
• βαλεῖν (balein): "To throw," "to cast." An infinitive, depicting the act of tossing something away. The imagery suggests careless or inappropriate distribution.
• τοῖς κυναρίοις (tois kunariois): "To the little dogs," "to the puppies," "to the household dogs." This is the crucial term. While kyōn (κύων) usually referred to wild, scavenging street dogs (often a Jewish pejorative for Gentiles), kynarion (κυνάριον) is a diminutive form, denoting small, domestic, and relatively tame dogs or puppies. This choice of word by Jesus is key: it softens the derogatory impact, implying not wild outcasts, but perhaps creatures who, though not sitting at the master's table, might legitimately receive scraps from beneath it. This foreshadows their eventual inclusion.

Words-group analysis:

• "children's bread": This phrase symbolizes the covenant privileges, prophetic promises, and divine blessings (including physical healing and the message of salvation) which were God's specific provisions for Israel first. It highlights their unique position in salvation history as recipients of God's initial plan for the world.
• "throw it to the dogs": This describes the unsuitability of immediately distributing the "bread" (divine blessings and the core of the Gospel message) to those (Gentiles, represented by the "dogs") who were not considered the primary, covenant beneficiaries. The action "throw" implies a casual, almost disrespectful, or premature dispersal of something precious, rather than a deliberate and orderly distribution according to God's intended sequence. The nuance of "little dogs" means it's not a complete rejection but a statement about the current order of things.

Matthew 15 26 Bonus Section

• This episode in Tyre and Sidon marks one of the few occasions where Jesus extends His active ministry beyond Jewish-populated regions, showcasing a deliberate expansion of His divine mission, even if it was initially tested.
• The woman's reply (Mt 15:27) about the "crumbs" reveals profound humility and understanding of Jesus' true identity and power. She grasps the underlying truth that even the 'overflow' or secondary blessings from the "children's table" are more than sufficient to meet her desperate need.
• Jesus' final commendation, "O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire," (Mt 15:28) signifies His profound affirmation of her spiritual insight and determination. Her foreign background, often a barrier, became the very stage for a powerful demonstration of faith that impressed Jesus himself.
• This dialogue serves as a microcosm of God's overarching plan for humanity: an initial focus on Israel, followed by the breaking down of barriers and the widespread inclusion of Gentiles, illustrating God's mercy extending to all who believe, regardless of lineage.

Matthew 15 26 Commentary

Matthew 15:26 presents Jesus' seemingly harsh, yet deeply instructive, reply to the persistent Canaanite woman. It is critical to understand this statement not as an expression of personal prejudice, but as an articulation of God's established plan: the Good News was historically, strategically, and redemptively delivered first to Israel. The "bread" represents the rich, nourishing blessings of the Messianic era, primarily intended for "the children of Israel," the heirs of the promises.

The choice of "little dogs" (κυνάρια, kunaria) is highly significant. If Jesus had used the common Greek word for wild street dogs (kyōn), His response would have been unambiguously dismissive. However, the diminutive form suggests household pets that might eat scraps under the table (as the woman herself points out in Mt 15:27). This implies a hierarchical order of access to divine blessings, but not a total exclusion. It highlights the divine protocol for the initial phase of His earthly ministry – establishing the kingdom within Israel first, before the global outreach to Gentiles.

Jesus' statement served multiple purposes: to test the woman's faith and humility, which she passed spectacularly; to reveal to His disciples the why behind His focus on Israel, yet also hint at the eventual Gentile mission; and to emphasize the value of what He offered—it was not to be carelessly "thrown," but was a sacred, prioritized provision. This interaction, particularly when viewed alongside her humble, faith-filled response, illuminates the heart of the gospel: God's grace ultimately transcends all boundaries for those who approach Him in true faith.