This is a study of Jesus being unable to hide. He went into Gentile territory and did not want to be known, but it was impossible to keep His presence a secret and soon He was healing again.

1. JESUS WAS UNABLE TO HIDE
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Mark 7:24 24Jesus left that place and went to the
vicinityof Tyre. He entered a house and did not want
anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence
secret.
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Biblical Illustrator
But He could not be hid.
Mark 7:24
He could not be hid
J. Fleming, B. D.
There are some persons in this world who cannot be hid: by birth,
inheritance, or talent, they come to the front. But this was not the case here.
Christ was but the reputed son of a village carpenter, a poor despised
Nazarene. Yet He could not be hid. And no wonder. He had come to seek and
save that which was lost, to fulfil all prophecy, to preach the everlasting
gospel, to work such miracles as the world had never seen;therefore the fame
of Him spread abroad.

2. 1. The Lord Jesus Is not hid. He may be plainly seenby those who will use
their eyes — in the works of creation, in His Word, in the effects of His grace.
2. He OUGHT not to be hid. We must renounce self to announce Christ. He is
the only remedy for the yearning cry of humanity.
3. He CANNOT be hid. The Christian skymay be cloudedfor a time, but it
will clear, and the Sun of Righteousnessburst forth in fresh power and glory.
All things are preparing for His coronation. He must reign. Over all man's
resistance,His purpose must prevail.
4. He WILL not be hid. A day is coming, when every eye shall see Him, and
self-deceptionwill be no longer possible.
(J. Fleming, B. D.)
Why Christ cannotbe hid
A. Rowland, B. A.
Because—
1. Greatneed will seek Him out.
2. True love will surely find Him.
3. Earnestfaith will ever lead to Him.

3. 4. His own heart will betray Him.
5. His disciples will make Him known.
(A. Rowland, B. A.)
He could not be hid
Tacitus saith of Brutus — "The more he soughtto secrete himself, the more
he was noticed."
The open secretofcharacter
W. L. Watkinson.
I. CHRIST DESIRED TO BE HID. He entered into a house, and would have
no man know it. We are sure this desire was not prompted by fear or shame,
that it did not spring from caprice or unworthy policy. One reasonwill be
found —
1. In the modesty of high goodness. There is a religiousness whichclamours
for recognition. Farremoved from this stageypietism it the goodnesswhich
does not clamour for recognition. With all her magnificence, how modest is
Nature. Christ's characterand life is the grandeur of the firmament — silent,
simple, severe. He enjoined upon His disciples constantsequestration, and
Himself setthe example. Let us remember the modesty illustrated by the
Master, enjoined by Him. He forever discardedthe trumpet. "Let your light
so shine." Have we been anxious for distinction or applause? Have we cared
for the foreground? Let us rise to a more perfect life, and we shall think less of
society, less ofourselves, and live more than content in the eye of God.
2. The sensitiveness ofhigh goodness constrainedChrist to privacy. Wherever
you find rare purity, you find this shrinking from the corruptions of the times.

4. We find the same desire to escape fromthe world's wickednessin the Master
Himself, and it is so sharedby all His pure-hearted followers. Monasticism
had its origin, to a considerable extent, in this shrinking of the saints from the
corruptions of their age.
II. CHRIST COULD NOT BE HID. With all His miracle working power, He
could not accomplishthis; and all who are thoroughly like their Mastershare
this inability. High goodnessdesires to hide; it cannot be hid.
1. Christ could not be hid because ofthe manifestiveness ofsuch goodness.
Goodness is self-revealing. This is true in large measure of genius, of culture,
and this is preeminently true of character. It "cannotbe hid." That Christ
could not hide Himself is manifest from other passages thanour text, e.g.,
when the disciples walkedwith Him to Emmaus. Howevercarefully He might
shroud Himself, some rift in the cloud, some shifting of the darkness, would
betray the hidden glory. And, indeed, the course adopted of making Palestine
the scene ofthe Incarnate Life is itself the supreme illustration of the
necessarymanifestations of glorious character. It is ever thus with worthy
lives — hidden, they are revealed;all the more impressively revealedfor the
attempt at retirement and suppression. Christ could not be hid, because of
humanity's felt need of what greatgoodness has to give. Mark the event which
drew Christ forth from His sequestration. How she knew of the power and
presence ofJesus it boots little to conjecture. Miseryhas a swift instinct for a
helper, and, as Lange observes, "The keensagacitywith which need here
scents out and finds her Saviouris of infinite, quite indeterminable,
magnitude." All this is true, in its measure, of those who are like Christ. The
world needs them, knows them, and denies them retirement and leisure.
3. Christ could not be hid, because ofthe self-sacrificing nature of His perfect
goodness.Whenthe afflicted woman made herself and her sorrow knownto
the Master, He did not refuse to come forth from His hiding place. Desiring to

5. be hid, we are half like Jesus Christ; desiring to be hid, but forcedby charity
into the light, we are like Christ altogether. Let us, in these days of manifold
luxury and chronic self-indulgence, remember the admonition of the Prophet
(Amos 6:4-6).
(W. L. Watkinson.)
Pharisaic hypocrisy inflictive to the holy nature of Christ
W. L. Watkinson.
Culture of any kind is pained by contactwith coarsenessandimperfection. An
eye schooledto beauty is pained misshapen thing, an ear schooledto harmony
is tortured by dissonance,and thus a high, delicate, moral nature is wounded
by the world's sin and shame. There is a goodness, maybe, which dwells with a
wickedgenerationcontentedlyenough, simply because it is so little aheadof
the generation;but a deeply true and spiritually tender nature suffers in all
the sin and suffering of its neighbourhood. And this is the situation of Christ
in the instance before us. He had seenthe worstfeatures of the age in the
pharisaic lenity. All their lies and impurities were open to His eye, unutterably
afflictive to His holy nature, and He retired before the impure atmosphere as
before the breath of pestilence. Theywere defiled, hardened, blinded by sin,
and He shrank from them with horror. His pure soul was grievedby the
common sinfulness, hollowness, shamelessness;and heart sore, heartsick, he
sought solitude and rest.
(W. L. Watkinson.)
Hidden, yet revealed
W. L. Watkinson.
The hidden violets proclaim their presence in every passing breeze;the lark,
hidden in the light, fills all the landscape with music; and the vivid freshness

6. of grass and flower betrays all the secretwindings of the coymeadow stream.
Thus superiority of mind and life all unconsciouslyreveals itself, makes itself
everywhere known and felt as a thing of beauty and blessing — all the more
penetrating for its softness, allthe more subduing for its silence, allthe more
renowned for its secrecy. The still, small whisper shakes the world; those are
crownedwho shun greatness;the valley of humility is the peak of fame. The
man of royal soul cannot hide himself. In his modesty he may draw a veil over
his face, but the veil itself will share the transfiguration. Or, if constitutionally
timid and retiring, the superiority of his spirit and method will declare itself,
and the "unknown" are the "well-known."Or, he may be poor, illiterate,
persecuted, yet will the innate grandeur shine through all poverty, rudeness,
or unpopularity, winning the suffrages of all beholders. And as he cannothide
himself, neither can the world hide him. Never does the world appear more
foolish than when it attempts to extinguish a burning and shining light. In the
Indian legend, a mighty, wickedsorcererseeks, with very poor success,to
keepthe sun, moon, and stars in three separate chests;and those who bare
sought to suppress God's servants have succeededno better. John was
banished to Patrues;but far from sinking out of view in the solitary sea, he
stands before the world amid sublimest illuminations, like his own "angel
standing in the sun." They drove Luther into the Wartburg; but there, in
translating the Scriptures into German, he became the cynosure of all eyes.
Bunyan's enemies consignedhim to Bedford gaol, and lo, he became known to
the race, one of the foremostof the immortals of Christendom. Eminent
goodness willout — neither men nor devils cankeepit under a bushel.
(W. L. Watkinson.)
The true disciple cannotbe hid any more than his Master
W. L. Watkinson.
The Chinese have a woodwhich, buried some feetunderground, fills the air
with fragrance;and thus grand qualities, powers, graces,assertthemselves
through all obstructions, filling the atmosphere of earth with the fragrance of
heaven.

7. (W. L. Watkinson.)
Attraction at a distance
W. L. Watkinson.
Observers have statedthat if flowers are placed in a window, the window
closedand the blinds drawn, the bees outside are aware of the presence of
flowers, and beat againstthe window panes, evidently anxious to reachthem.
This "actionat a distance" is sufficiently wonderful; yet misery has a sense
still more keen, faith a penetration yet more powerful. Christ "enteredinto a
house, and would have no man know it," and no doubt took necessary
measures to secure and preserve secrecy;but the sorrowful womandiscovered
His locality, apprehended His power and grace, and rested not till she gained
that Plant of Renownwhose leaves are "for the healing of the nations." The
world in its pharisaicalmood may spurn Christ and drive Him away, but as
the world realizes its misery it feels its absolute need of Him, and feels after
Him, if haply it may find Him.
(W. L. Watkinson.)
He could not be hid
W. G. Lewis.
I. The purpose of God forbids that Christ should be hid.
II. The innate glory of the Son of God is another reasonwhy He could not be
hid.
III. The desperate needof sinners rendered it impossible that He should be
hid.

8. IV. The boundless compassionof the Son of God accounts for the fact that He
could not be hid.
V. The deep and abiding gratitude of His followers forbids that Christ should
be hid.
(W. G. Lewis.)
If a Christian abide hidden, there is little to hide
W. L. Watkinson.
What does this prove in respectto some of us We enter into a house and are
hid — we are not inquired for, solicited, draggedunwillingly into the light.
We wish to be let alone, and are let alone. What does all this reveal but the
poverty of our nature? We are not soughtout, for we are not worth seeking. A
needy heart is an infallible divining rod to discern where the gold is hidden in
the socialstrata, and if none inquire for us, if none disturb our solitude, we
may infer with certainty that there is little preciousness in our nature either
toward God or man. He who knows the deep things of God will be soughtout
far and wide, as the Queenof Sheba came from the ends of the earth to hear
the wisdomof Solomon. A man of prayer will ever be importuned, and an
interest be sought in his sympathy and supplication. The goodSamaritanis
known throughout the city, and his aid implored day and night. If a Christian
abides hidden, there is little to hide. If we are greatly pure, sympathetic, wise,
prayerful, we are worth discovering, and shall soonand often be discovered. If
there is in us the sweetnessofthe Rose ofSharon, we shall not be permitted to
waste our "sweetnessonthe desertair"; if there is in us the preciousnessand
beauty of God's jewels, we shall be fished from deepestcaves to enrich the
world.
(W. L. Watkinson.)

9. The most beautiful characters the most unobtrusive
W. L. Watkinson.
Travellers tell that the forests ofSouth America are full of the gem-like
humming bird, yet you may sometimes ride for hours without seeing one.
They are most difficult to see when perched among the branches, and almost
indistinguishable flying among the flowering trees;it is only every now and
then some accidentalcircumstance reveals the swarm of bejewelledcreatures,
and they flash upon the vision in white, red, green, blue, and purple. It is
somewhatthus with society — the noblest, the most beautiful characters, are
not the obtrusive ones. Going through life carelessly, one might think all the
people common enough; reading the newspapers, one might suppose the
world to containonly bad men; but it may comfort us to remember the truly
greatand goodshun observationand walk humbly with God. The poorestand
worstside of things is the most obvious. "It is the glory of God to conceala
thing;" and it is the glory of God's people to concealthemselves.Nevertheless,
the time comes for their revelation, and then we are delighted to find how
much silent, hidden goodnessthe world contains. The spectacleofwant and
woe draws forth the excellentones of the earth; and howeverkeenthe trial of
public life, howeverrepugnant contactwith scenes ofsin and shame and
suffering, all is bravely, cheerfully borne for the Saviour's sake and the
world's betterment. When a true soulhesitates betweenthe contemplative and
active life, the example of Christ and love of Christ determines to self-
renouncing service
(W. L. Watkinson.)
The unbidden Saviour
G. J. Proctor.
I. The HUMANITY of Christ as revealing itself in the story. His fatigue was
real: Nature did not spare Him. When the soul is constantlygoing out towards

10. the objects ofone's solicitude, the body may bear up bravely for a time; but
Nature exacts her penalty.
II. There is also in these words a glimpse into something of A DIVINE
PURPOSE. It was part of the Divine plan that Christ's immediate testimony
should be conveyedto the Jews only; this involved greatself-restraint.
III. This desire to be quiet in those regions, gives a PROPHETIC GLIMPSE.
All the tenderness of God's heart will be disclosedwhenwe are prepared for
it.
IV. THE OVERTURE TO A MASTER'S WORKMAY SEEM SOMETIMES
LONG AND NEEDLESS.
1. "He could not be hid." No, not even in these regions, where His ministry did
not especiallylie. Marvellous that the world should have got almost to
disbelieve in the existence of a warm, generous heart.
2. How could Christ be hid? If He were a revelation, then He must be
declared. There are greatspring epochs in the working out of Divine thoughts
and purposes;times when what had been concealedcomes outto view. Love
must reveal itself; so must life. If our inner life is to retain its force and
beauty, it must manifest itself. A spiritual recluse is a mistake.
(G. J. Proctor.)
Life must revealitself
G. J. Proctor.

11. Life must revealitself, and it must revealitself after its own way. There is no
need of parade and pomp to declare it. Christ-like piety, which is so delightful
in all its phases, is specially so in this; while very courageousit is very modest;
while gloriously strong it is very retiring. Parade and pomp were the
prominent features of the Pharisees'religion. Blow the trumpet! Sound the
alarm! Make wayfor virtue, temperance, zeal, and godliness!Make way
indeed! But where is love, the soul of all life? Love is modest. Have you
forgottenher? Forgottenher? Then never mind about the rest. Your virtue is
merely an accidentof circumstance or constitution; your temperance only
desire worn out; your zeal and godliness only self-importance dressedin sober
garb, undertaker's costume. No need of a flourish of trumpets and a beating
of gongs to declare the true life. It must manifest itself, but not simply on state
occasions.It will come to the light, but it would rather not have the limelight
of a merely popular applause thrown upon it. It cannot be hid, but it will not
speak of its own beauties. It will be self-assertive, but after the Christly sort.
The life must be the light of men. A revealerof Divine mysteries and a
redeemerof human sins and griefs could be no sealedfountain.
(G. J. Proctor.)
COMMENTARIES
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(24-30)And from thence he arose.—SeeNotes onMatthew 15:21-28.
Tyre and Sidon.—The better MSS. omit the latter name here, and reserve it
for Mark 7:31, where see Note.
Entered into an house.—The factis peculiar to St. Mark, and seems specified
as an indication of our Lord’s wish to avoid publicity.

12. MacLaren's Expositions
Mark
CHILDREN AND LITTLE DOGS
Mark 7:24 - Mark 7:30.
Our Lord desired to withdraw from the excited crowds who were flocking
after Him as a mere miracle-workerand from the hostile espionage of
emissaries ofthe Pharisees, ‘whichhad come from Jerusalem.’Therefore He
sought seclusionin heathen territory. He, too, knew the need of quiet, and felt
the longing to plunge into privacy, to escape fora time from the pressure of
admirers and of foes, and to go where no man knew Him. How near to us that
brings Him! And how the remembrance of it helps to explain His demeanour
to the Syrophcenicianwoman, so unlike His usual tone! Naturally the
presence ofJesus leakedout, and perhaps the very effort to avoid notice
attractedit. Rumour would have carriedHis name across the border, and the
tidings of His being among them would stir hope in some hearts that felt the
need of His help. Of such was this woman, whom Mark describes first,
generally, as a ‘Greek’{that is, a Gentile}, and then particularly as ‘a
Syrophcenicianby race’;that is, one of that branch of the Phoenicianrace
who inhabited maritime Syria, in contradistinctionfrom the other branch
inhabiting North-easternAfrica, Carthage, andits neighbourhood. Her deep
need made her bold and persistent, as we learn in detail from Matthew, who is
in this narrative more graphic than Mark. He tells us that she attackedJesus
in the way, and followedHim, pouring out her loud petitions, to the
annoyance of the disciples. Theythought that they were carrying out His wish
for privacy in suggesting that it would be best to ‘send her away’with her
prayer granted, and so stop her ‘crying after us,’ which might raise a crowd,

13. and defeatthe wish. We owe to Matthew the further facts of the woman’s
recognitionof Jesus as ‘the Son of David,’ and of the strange ignoring of her
cries, and of His answerto the disciples’suggestion, in which He limited His
mission to Israel, and so explained to them His silence to her. Mark omits all
these points, and focuses allthe light on the two things-Christ’s strange and
apparently harsh refusal, and the woman’s answer, which won her cause.
Certainly our Lord’s words are startlingly unlike Him, and as startlingly like
the Jewishpride of race and contempt for Gentiles. But that the woman did
not take them so is clear;and that was not due only to her faith, but to
something in Him which gave her faith a foothold. We are surely not to
suppose that she drew from His words an inference which He did not perceive
in them, and that He was, as some commentators put it, ‘caught in His own
words.’Mark alone gives us the first clause ofChrist’s answerto the woman’s
petition: ‘Let the children first be filled.’ And that ‘first’ distinctly says that
their prerogative is priority, not monopoly. If there is a ‘first,’ there will
follow a second. The very image of the greathouse in which the children sit at
the table, and the ‘little dogs’are in the room, implies that children and dogs
are part of one household; and Jesus meant by it just what the womanfound
in it,-the assurance thatthe meal-time for the dogs would come when the
children had done. That is but a picturesque wayof stating the method of
divine revelation through the medium of the chosenpeople, and the objections
to Christ’s words come at last to be objections to the ‘committing’ of the
‘oracles ofGod’ to the Jewishrace;that is to say, objections to the only
possible way by which a historicalrevelation could be given. It must have
personalmediums, a place and a sequence. It must prepare fit vehicles for
itself and gradually grow in clearnessand contents. And all this is just to say
that revelationfor the world must be first the possessionof a race. The fire
must have a hearth on which it canbe kindled and burn, till it is sufficient to
bear being carried thence.

14. Universalism was the goalof the necessaryrestriction. Pharisaismsoughtto
make the restrictionpermanent. Jesus reallythrew open the gates to all in this
very saying, which at first sounds so harsh. ‘First’ implies second, children
and little dogs are all parts of the one household. Christ’s personalministry
was confined to Israelfor obvious and weighty reasons.He felt, as Matthew
tells us, that He said in this incident that He was not sentbut to the lost sheep
of that nation. But His world-wide missionwas as clear to Him as its
temporary limit, and in His first discourse in the synagogue atNazarethHe
proclaimed it to a scowling crowd. We cannot doubt that His sympathetic
heart yearned over this poor woman, and His seeminglyrough speechwas
meant partly to honour the law which ruled His mission even in the act of
making an exception to it, and partly to test, and so to increase, herfaith.
Her swift laying of her finger on the vulnerable point in the apparent refusal
of her prayer may have been due to a woman’s quick wit, but it was much
more due to a mother’s misery and to a suppliant’s faith. There must have
been something in Christ’s look, or in the cadence ofHis voice, which helped
to soften the surface harshness of His words, and emboldened her to confront
Him with the plain implications of His own words. What a constellationof
graces sparklesin her ready reply! There is humility in accepting the place He
gives her; insight in seeing atonce a new plea in what might have sent her
awaydespairing; persistence in pleading; confidence that He cangrant her
request and that He would gladly do so. Our Lord’s treatment of her was
amply justified by its effects. His words were like the hard steelthat strikes
the flint and brings out a showerof sparks. Faith makes obstaclesinto helps,
and stones ofstumbling into ‘stepping-stones to higher things.’ If we will take
the place which He gives us, and hold fast our trust in Him even when He
seems silent to us, and will so far penetrate His designs as to find the hidden
purpose of goodin apparent repulses, the honey secreteddeep in the flower,
we shall share in this woman’s blessing in the measure in which we share in
her faith.

15. Jesus obviously delighted in being at liberty to stretchHis commissionso as to
include her in its scope. Joyfulrecognitionof the ingenuity of her pleading,
and of her faith’s bringing her within the circle of the ‘children,’ are apparent
in His word, ‘For this saying go thy way.’ He ever looks for the disposition in
us which will let Him, in accordancewith His greatpurpose, pour on us His
full-flowing tide of blessing, and nothing gladdens Him more than that, by
humble acceptanceofour assignedplace, andpersistent pleading, and trust
that will not be shaken, we should make it possible for Him to see in us
recipients of His mercy and healing grace.
BensonCommentary
Mark 7:24-26. From thence he arose, and went into the borders — Εις τα
μεθορια, into the parts which bordered upon, or rather lay between, Tyre and
Sidon; and entered into a house, and would have no man know it — Namely,
that he was there, or, know him. Jesus, knowing that the Pharisees were
highly offended at the liberty which he had takenin the preceding discourse,
in plucking off from them the mask of pretended piety, wherewith they had
coveredtheir malevolent spirit and conduct, and not ignorant of the plots
which they were forming againsthis reputation and life, he judged it proper
to retire with his disciples into this remote region, with a view to conceal
himself a while from them. We learn from Joshua 19:28-29, thatTyre and
Sidon were cities in the lot of Asher; which tribe having never been able
wholly to drive out the natives, their posterity remained even in our Lord’s
time. Hence he did not preachthe doctrine of the kingdom in this country,
because it was mostly inhabited by heathen, to whom he was not sent. See on
Matthew 10:5. Neither did he work miracles here with that readiness whichhe
showedeverywhere else, because, by concealing himself, he proposedto shun
the Pharisees. Buthe could not be hid — It seems he was personallyknown to
many of the heathen in this country, who, no doubt, had often heard and seen
him in Galilee. And, as for the rest, they were sufficiently acquaintedwith him
by his fame, which had spreaditself very early through all Syria, Matthew
4:24. Fora certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit,
heard of him — This personwas a descendantof the ancient inhabitants, and
probably by religion a heathen. She “is called, Matthew 15:21, a womanof
Canaan;here, a Syro-Phenician, and a Greek. There is in these denominations

16. no inconsistency. By birth, she was of Syro-Phenicia, so the country about
Tyre and Sidon was denominated; by descent, of Canaan;as most of the
Tyrians and Sidonians originally were;and by religion, a Greek, according to
the Jewishmanner of distinguishing betweenthemselves and idolaters. Ever
since the Macedonianconquest, Greek becamea common name for idolater,
or, at least, one uncircumcised, and was equivalent to Gentile. Of this we have
many examples in Paul’s epistles, and in the Acts. Jews and Greeks, Ελληνες,
are the same with Jews and Gentiles.” — Campbell. Nevertheless, thougha
heathen, this woman had conceiveda very great, honourable, and just notion,
not only of our Lord’s power and goodness, but even of his characteras
Messiah;the notion of which she had probably learned by conversing with the
Jews. Forwhen she heard of his arrival, she came in quest of him, and
meeting him, it seems, as he passedalong the street, she fell at his feet,
addressing him by the title of sonof David, and besought him to castthe evil
spirit out of her daughter. See the story related more at large, and explained,
Matthew 15:22-28.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
7:24-30 Christ never put any from him that fell at his feet, which a poor
trembling soulmay do. As she was a goodwoman, so a goodmother. This sent
her to Christ. His saying, Let the children first be filled, shows that there was
mercy for the Gentiles, and not far off. She spoke, not as making light of the
mercy, but magnifying the abundance of miraculous cures among the Jews, in
comparisonwith which a single cure was but as a crumb. Thus, while proud
Pharisees are left by the blessedSaviour, he manifests his compassionto poor
humbled sinners, who look to him for children's bread. He still goes aboutto
seek and save the lost.
Barnes'Notes on the Bible
See this miracle explained in the notes at Matthew 15:21-28.
Mark 7:24

17. Would have no man know it - To avoid the designs of the Pharisees he wished
to be retired.
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary
Mr 7:24-37. The Syrophœnician Woman and Her Daughter—A Deafand
Dumb Man Healed. ( = Mt 15:21-31).
The Syrophœnician Woman and Her Daughter (Mr 7:24-30).
The first words of this narrative show that the incident followed, in point of
time, immediately on what precedes it.
24. And from thence he arose, and went into the borders—or"unto the
borders."
of Tyre and Sidon—the two greatPhœnician seaports, but here denoting the
territory generally, to the frontiers of which Jesus now came. But did Jesus
actually enter this heathen territory? The whole narrative, we think, proceeds
upon the supposition that He did. His immediate objectseems to have been to
avoid the wrath of the Pharisees atthe withering exposure He had just made
of their traditional religion.
and entered into an house, and would have no man know it—because He had
not come there to minister to heathens. But though not "sent but to the lost
sheepof the house of Israel" (Mt 15:24), He hindered not the lost sheepof the
vast Gentile world from coming to Him, nor put them awaywhen they did
come—as this incident was designedto show.

18. but he could not be hid—Christ's fame had early spreadfrom Galilee to this
very region(Mr 3:8; Lu 6:17).
Matthew Poole's Commentary
Ver. 24-30. Matthew records this history with severalconsiderable additions;
See Poole on"Matthew 15:21", and following verses to Matthew 15:28, where
we have largely opened it.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
And from thence he arose,.... Fromthe land of Gennesaret, orfrom
Capernaum, which was in it:
and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon; two cities of Phoenicia:not into
them, but into the borders of them; into those parts of Galilee, which
bordered on Phoenicia;See Gill on Matthew 15:21.
And entered into an house;in some one of the towns, or cities, in those parts;
which house might be, for the entertainment and lodging of strangers:
and would have no man know it; took all proper precaution as man, that
nobody should know who, and where he was;that the, Gentiles, on whose
borders he was, might not flock to him, which would create envy and disgust
in the Jews:
but he could not be hid; he had wrought so many miracles in Galilee, and his
fame was so much spread, and he had been seen, and was knownby so many
persons, that, humanly speaking, it was next to impossible, that he should be
long unknown in such a place.

19. Geneva Study Bible
{6} And from thence he arose, andwent into the {l} borders of Tyre and
Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he
could not be hid.
(6) That which the proud rejectwhen it is offeredto them, that same thing the
modest and humble sinners as it were voraciouslyconsume.
(l) Into the uttermost coasts ofPalestine, whichwere next to Tyre and Sidon.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Meyer's NT Commentary
Mark 7:24-30. See on Matthew 15:21-29, who in Mark 7:23-25 has added
what is certainly original.
ἐκεῖθεν] out of the land of Gennesareth, Mark 6:53.
εἰς τὰ μεθόρια Τύρου into the regions ordering on Tyre (Xen. Cyr. i. 4. 16;
Thuc. ii, 27. 2, iv. 56. 2, iv. 99;Herodian, v. 4. 11;Lucian, V. H. i. 20). It is not,
withal, said even here (comp. Matthew 15:21) that Jesus had now left Galilee
and betakenHimself into Gentile territory. He went into the Galileanregions
bordering on Tyre (the tribe of Asher). According to Mark, it was only in
further prosecutionof His journey (Mark 7:31) that He went through
Phoenicia, and even through Sidon, merely, however, as a traveller, and
without any sojourn. The explanation of Erasmus and Kypke: into the region
betweenTyre and Sidon, is setaside by the spuriousness ofκαὶ Σιδῶνος.

20. εἰς οἰκίαν]into a house. Comp. Mark 7:17. It was doubtless the house of one
who honoured Him.
οὐδένα ἤθελε γνῶναι] not: He wishedto know no one (Fritzsche, Ewald), but:
He wished that no one should know it. See the sequel. Matthew does not relate
this wish to remain concealed;the remark is one of those peculiar traits in
which Mark is so rich. But he has no purpose of thereby explaining the
subsequent refusal of aid on the part of Jesus from another ground than that
mentioned by Matthew 15:24 (de Wette, Hilgenfeld), since Mark also at Mark
7:27 narrates in substance the same ground of refusal.
ἠδυνήθη]corresponds to the ἤθελε: He wished … and could not.
ἧς αὐτῆς]See Winer, p. 134 [E. T. 184]. On θυγάτρ., comp. Mark 5:23.
Mark 7:26. Ἑλληνίς] a Gentile woman, not a Jewess, Acts 17:12.
Syrophoenice means Phoenicia (belonging to the province of Syria), as
distinguished from the Λιβοφοίνικες (Strabo, xvii. 3, p. 835)in Libya. The
(unusual) form Συροφοινίκισσα is, with Wetstein, Griesbach, Scholz, and
Lachmann, to be receivedon accountof the preponderance of the witnesses in
its favour, with which are to be classedthose whichread Συραφοινίκισσα or
Σύρα Φοινίκισσα (so Teschendorf), whichis explanatory (a Phoenician
Syrian). The Recepta Συροφοίνισσα (so also Fritzsche)is an emendation, since
Φοίνισσα was the familiar name for a Phoenicianwoman (Xen. Hell. iii. 4.1,
iv. 3. 6; Herodian, v. 3.2). But the form Συροφοινίκισσα is not formed from
Συροφοίνιξ(Luc. D. Concil. 4), but from Φοινίκη. The Χαναναία of Matthew
is substantially the same. See on Matthew 15:22.

21. ἐκβάλλῃ](see the criticalremarks) present subjunctive, makes the thought of
the womanpresent, and belongs to the vividness of the graphic delineation;
Klotz, ad Devar. p. 618.
Mark 7:27. πρῶτον] certainly a modification in accordancewith later
tradition, intended to convey the meaning: it is not yet competent for Gentiles
also to lay claim to my saving ministry; the primary claim, which must be
satisfiedbefore it comes to you, is that of the Jews.[107]It is the idea of the
Ἰουδαίῳ τε πρῶτον καὶ Ἕλληνι, Romans 1:16, which has already come in
here, added not exactlyin a doctrinal sense (Keim), but out of the
consciousnessofthe subsequent course of things and without set purpose—to
say nothing of an anti-Judaistic purpose in opposition to Matthew
(Hilgenfeld), which would rather have led to the omission of the entire
narrative. But in generalthe presentation of this history in Matthew bears,
especiallyas regards the episode with the disciples, the stamp of greater
originality, which is to be explained from a more exactuse of the collectionof
Logia through simple reproduction of their words. Ewaldfinds in that episode
another genuine remnant from the primitive document of Mark. Comp. also
Holtzmann, p. 192.
Mark 7:29. ΔΙᾺ ΤΟῦΤΟΝ ΤῸΝ ΛΌΓΟΝ ὝΠΑΓΕ]on accountof this saying]
(which gives evidence of so strong a confidence in me), go thy way. In ὕπαγε is
implied the promise of compliance, hence it is fittingly associatedwith διὰ
τοῦτοντ. λ. Comp. Matthew 8:13; Mark 5:34.
Mark 7:30. ΕὟΡΕ Κ.Τ.Λ.]“Vis verbi invenit cadit potius super participium
quam super nomen” (Bengel).
βεβλημ. ἐπὶ τ. κλίνην] weary and exhausted, but ΚΕΙΜΈΝΗΝ ἘΝ ΕἸΡΉΝῌ,
Euthymius Zigabenus, which the demon did not previously permit.

22. [107]According to Schenkel, indeed, Jesus was not at all in earnestwith this
answerof harsh declinature, and this the woman perceived. But see onMatt.,
and comp. Keim, geschichtl. Chr. p. 61 f.
Expositor's Greek Testament
Mark 7:24-30. The Syrophenicianwoman (Matthew 15:21-28).—ἐκεῖθενδὲ
ἀναστὰς points to a change from the comparatively stationarylife by the
shores of the lake to a period of wandering in unwonted scenes.Cf. Mark
10:1, where ἀναστὰς is used in reference to the final departure from Galilee to
the south. The δὲ, instead of the more usual καὶ, emphasises this change.—εἰς
τὰ ὅρια Τ., not towards (Fritzsche), but into the borders of Tyre. There canbe
no doubt that in Mk.’s narrative Jesus crossesinto heathen territory (cf.
Mark 7:31). In view of the severalunsuccessfulattempts made by Jesus to
escape from the crowd into quiet and leisure, so carefully indicated by Mk.,
this almostgoes without saying. Failing within Jewishterritory, He is forced
to go without, in hope to getsome uninterrupted leisure for confidential
intercourse with the Twelve, rendered all the more urgent by scenes like that
just considered, which too plainly show that His time will be short.—εἰς
οἰκίαν, into a house; considering Christ’s desire for privacy, more likely to be
that of a heathen stranger(Weiss)than that of a friend (Meyer, Keil).—
οὐδένα ἤθελε γνῶναι, He wished no one to know (He was there); to know no
one (Fritzsche), comes to the same thing: desires to be private, not wearyof
well-doing, but anxious to do other work hitherto much hindered.—οὐκ
ἠδυνάσθη λαθεῖν, He was not able to escape notice;not even here!
Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges
24–30.The Syrophœnician Woman
24. from thence he arose]The malevolence of our Lord’s enemies was now
assuming hourly a more implacable form. The Pharisaic party in Eastern
Galilee were deeply offended (Matthew 15:12); even those who once would
fain have prevented Him from leaving them (Luke 4:42) were filled with

23. doubts and suspicions;Herod Antipas was inquiring concerning Him (Luke
9:9), and his inquiries boded nothing but ill. He therefore now leaves for
awhile easternGalilee and makes His way north-west through the mountains
of upper Galilee into the border-land of Phœnicia. See the Analysis of the
Gospel, p. 22.
the borders of Tyre and Sidon] His travelling towards these regions was the
prophetic and symbolical representationof the future progress ofChristianity
from the Jews to the Gentiles. So in ancient times Elijah travelled out of his
own land into Phœnicia (1 Kings 17:10-24). OurLord, however, does not
actually go into Phœnicia, but into the adjoining borders of Galilee, the
district of the tribe of Asher.
Tyre] A celebratedcommercialcity of antiquity, situated in Phœnicia. The
Hebrew name “Tzôr” signifies “a rock,” and well agrees withthe site of Sû,
the modern town on a rockypeninsula, which was formerly an island, and less
than 20 miles distant from Sidon. We first getglimpses of its condition in 2
Samuel 5:11 in connectionwith Hiram, King of Tyre, who sent cedar-wood
and workmento David and afterwards to Solomon(1 Kings 9:11-14;1 Kings
10:22). Ahab married a daughter of Ithobal, King of Tyre (1 Kings 16:31),
and was instrumental in introducing the idolatrous worship of Baalimand
Ashtaroth. The prosperity of Tyre in the time of our Lord was very great.
Strabo gives an accountof it at this period, and speaks ofthe greatwealth
which it derived from the dyes of the celebratedTyrian purple. It was perhaps
more populous even than Jerusalem.
Sidon] The Greek form of the Phœnicianname Zidon, an ancient and wealthy
city of Phœnicia, situated on the narrow plain betweenthe Lebanon and the
Sea. Its Hebrew name Tsidôn signifies “Fishing” or“Fishery.” Its modern
name is Saida. It is mentioned in the Old Testamentas early as Genesis 10:19;
Joshua 11:8; Jdg 1:31, and in ancient times was more influential even than

24. Tyre, though from the time of Solomonit appears to have been subordinate to
it.
would have no man know it] desiring seclusionand rest after His late labours.
Bengel's Gnomen
Mark 7:24. Μεθόρια)the common boundaries.—οὐδένα, no man) For He was
still within the borders of the land of Israel.[51]
[51] οὐκ ἡδυνήθη λαθεῖν, He could not remain hid) Things were so disposed
by the direction of God, that the benefit seemedto have been as if at random,
and by fortuitous coincidence, conferredonher as being a heathen woman.—
V. g.
Pulpit Commentary
Verse 24. - Our Lord now passes outof Galilee into a heathen country, Syro-
phoenicia, into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, that he might begin to impart
his miracles and his doctrine, which the scribes and Pharisees hadrejected, to
the Gentiles. There is not sufficient authority for omitting "Sidon" from the
text. Both these cities were renownedfor their extensive commerce and for
their wealth. It is probable that the true reading in Ver. 31, which will be
noticed presently, may have led to the omissionby some authorities of
"Sidon" here. But there is really no inconsistencyin retaining the words "and
Sidon" here; and accepting the reading" through Sidon" there. Tyro, which
was the capital of Phoenicia, lay to the south, bordering on Judaea;Sidon to
the north: and multitudes flockedto Christ from these parts. He enteredinto
a house, and would have no man know it: and he could not be hid. He would
have no man know it, partly for the sake ofquiet, and partly lest he should
rouse the Jews more bitterly againsthim, and give them occasionto cavil that
he was not the Messiahpromised to the Jews, because, having left them, he
had turned to the Gentiles. St. Mark (Mark 3:8) has already informed us that
his fame had spread to those about Tyro and Sidon.

25. Vincent's Word Studies
Went away
See on Mark 6:31. The entering into the house and the wish to be secluded are
peculiar to Mark.
STUDYLIGHTRESOURCES
Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible
And from thence he arose, and went awayinto the borders of Tyre and Sidon.
And he entered into a house, and would have no man know it; and he could
not be hid.
As Dorris noted, "This is the only instance in the Lord's ministry when he
went beyond the bounds of Palestine."[11]Tyre and Sidon were the principal
cities of ancient Phoenicia and were among the most distinguished of
antiquity.
Tyre was founded in the 15th century B.C. on an island about half a mile from
the coastandwas for generations the leading seaportof the Mediterranean
sea. The infamous Jezebelwas the daughter of Ethbaal, King of Tyre; and
God's prophets prophesiedthe doom of this wickedcity, their predictions
coming true when Alexander the Great, forced to pause in his mad conquest
of the world for a whole sevenmonths by the stubborn resistance ofTyre, at
last overcame it in 322 B.C., slaughtering 10,000ofits citizens and selling
another 30,000into slavery. Paul spent a week there while his ship unloaded

26. cargo on his journey from Ephesus to Jerusalem. It still exists as modern
Lebanon.
Sidon, even older than Tyre, and its acknowledgedmother, did not possess a
fortress position like Tyre and quickly submitted to Alexander the Great. It
was a rich and prosperous city on the seacoast, extolledin the poems of
Homer, captured and annexed a dozen times by various world powers
throughout history, and displaying the same gross wickednessthat
characterizedher sister-city Tyre and linked both their names proverbially as
symbols of carnality and corruption. Yet Jesus Christ said of these twin cities
that it would be more tolerable for them in the day of judgment than for the
cities of Israel who rejectedtheir Messiah(Matthew 11:20-22). Paulonce
refreshedhimself here. The city still lives under the name of Saida.
Despite the wickedness ofthe Phoenicians, their achievements were
considerable. Theyare said to have invented the alphabet, developed the art
of navigation to a point which enabled them to circumnavigate Africa in the
7th century B.C., and to have been skilled manufacturers of metal objects,
textile fabrics, and a purple dye made from seashells.Hiram, King of Tyre,
aided Solomonin building the temple.
And he entered into a house ... This was the home of some unnamed friend of
our Lord.
And he could not be hid ... True both in context and intrinsically, this
statementconcerning Jesus Christ sheds perpetual light upon the Christ of
glory. Not the sins, or indifference, or the hatred of men have been able to
hide the light that lighteth every man.

27. ENDNOTE:
[11] C. E. W. Dorris, The Gospelaccording to Mark (Nashville: The Gospel
Advocate Company, 1970), p. 178.
Copyright Statement
James Burton Coffman Commentaries reproduced by permission of Abilene
Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. All other rights reserved.
Bibliography
Coffman, James Burton. "Commentary on Mark 7:24". "Coffman
Commentaries on the Old and New Testament".
https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/bcc/mark-7.html. Abilene
Christian University Press, Abilene, Texas, USA. 1983-1999.
Return to Jump List return to 'Jump List'
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible
And from thence he arose,.... Fromthe land of Gennesaret, orfrom
Capernaum, which was in it:
and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon; two cities of Phoenicia:not into
them, but into the borders of them; into those parts of Galilee, which
bordered on Phoenicia;See Gill on Matthew 15:21.
And entered into an house;in some one of the towns, or cities, in those parts;
which house might be, for the entertainment and lodging of strangers:

28. and would have no man know it; took all proper precaution as man, that
nobody should know who, and where he was;that the, Gentiles, on whose
borders he was, might not flock to him, which would create envy and disgust
in the Jews:
but he could not be hid; he had wrought so many miracles in Galilee, and his
fame was so much spread, and he had been seen, and was knownby so many
persons, that, humanly speaking, it was next to impossible, that he should be
long unknown in such a place.
Robertson's WordPictures in the New Testament
Into the borders of Tyre and Sidon (εις τα ορια Τυρου και Σιδωνος — eis ta
horia Turou kaiSidōnos). The departure from Capernaum was a withdrawal
from Galilee, the secondof the four withdrawals from Galilee. The first had
been to the regionof Bethsaida Julias in the territory of Herod Philip. This is
into distinctly heathen land. It was not merely the edge of Phoenicia, but into
the parts of Tyre and Sidon (Matthew 15:21). There was too much excitement
among the people, too much bitterness among the Pharisees,too much
suspicionon the part of Herod Antipas, too much dulness on the part of the
disciples for Jesus to remain in Galilee.
And he could not be hid (και ουκ ηδυναστη λατειν — kaiouk ēdunasthē
lathein). Jesus wantedto be alone in the house after all the strain in Galilee.
He craved a little privacy and rest. This was his purpose in going into
Phoenicia. Note the adversative sense ofκαι — kaihere= “but.”
The Fourfold Gospel

29. And from thence he arose1,and went awayinto the borders2 of Tyre and
Sidon3. And he enteredinto a house, and would have no man know it4; and he
could not be hid5.
SECOND WITHDRAWALFROM HEROD'S TERRITORY. Matthew 15:21;
Mark 7:24
And from thence he arose. The journey here is indicated in marked terms
because it differs from any previously recorded, for it was the first time that
Jesus everentered a foreign or heathen country.
And went awayinto the borders. Some commentators contend from the use of
the word "borders" that Jesus did not cross overthe boundary, but the point
is not well taken, for Mark 7:31 shows that the journey led through Sidon.
Of Tyre and Sidon. For the locationof these cities, see Mark 7:31. Jesus
withdrew to escapethe oppositionof his enemies and the mistaken movements
of his friends. As he was not on a missionarytour, it was perfectly proper for
him to enter heathen territory.
And he entered into a house, and would have no man know it. Jesus sought
concealmentfor the purposes note above. He also, no doubt, desired an
opportunity to impact private instruction to the twelve.
And he could not be hid. The fame of Jesus had spread far and wide, and he
and his disciples were too well knownto escape the notice of any who had seen
them or heard them described.
Calvin's Commentary on the Bible
Mark 7:24. He wished that no man should know it. We must attend to this
circumstance, which is mentioned by Mark, that when Christ came to that
place, he did not erecthis banner, but endeavoredto remain concealedfor a
time, in that obscure situation, like a private individual. Mark speaks
according to the ordinary perceptionof the flesh; for, although Christ by his

30. divine Spirit foresaw whatwould happen, yet so far as he was the minister
and ambassadorofthe Father, he kept himself, as his human nature might
have led us to expect, within the limits of that calling which God had given
him; and in that respectit is said that what he wished, as man, he was unable
to accomplish. Meanwhile, this occurrence, as I have said, tends powerfully to
condemn the Jews, who—thoughthey boastedthat they were the heirs of the
covenantof the Lord, his peculiar people, and a royal priesthood—were blind
and deaf when Christ, with a loud voice and with the addition of miracles,
offered to them the promised redemption; while this woman, who had no
relationship with the children of Abraham, and to whom, at first sight, the
covenantdid not at all belong, came of her own accordto Christ, without
having heard his voice or seenhis miracles.
James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary
THE EPIPHANIES OF THE MINISTRY
‘He could not be hid.’
Mark 7:24
The Divine in Christ was revealedby the holiness of His character, by His
mighty works (John2:11), by the authority and originality of His utterances,
by the influence He exerted. Ultimately He could not go anywhere, even when
seeking to concealHimself, but some recognisedHim. Christ was not hid—
I. From His disciples.—‘ThesebeheldHis glory, the glory as of the only
begottenof the Father’ (John 1:14). They confessedHim to be God’s Son. It

31. was not before but after this confession(Matthew 16:16)that they were
admitted to see His glory in the transfiguration (Matthew 17:1).
II. From the multitude.—The extraordinary effect produced on the multitude
by Christ’s miracles and teachings is frequently recorded. They were amazed,
they marvelled, they praised God; they said it had never been so seenin
Israel.
III. From His enemies.—Thosesentto take Him testified, ‘Neverman spake
like this man’ (John 7:46). The councilowned to His miracles (John 12:47).
His would-be captors fell back before Him in Gethsemane (John 18:6).
IV. Even from devils.—On the contrary, evil spirits were the first to recognise
Him, and to bear testimony to Him as the One Who came for their overthrow
(Mark 1:24).
Illustration
‘The Sun of Righteousnesshas arisenwith healing in His wings, and therefore
the Lord Jesus is not hid. He is plainly seenby those who have eyes to see, and
plainly heard by those who have ears to hear, although He is in the highest
heavens. Who shall declare how wickedis the attempt to hide the Lord Jesus,
Who said, “I am the Light of the World”? Do any attempt it? Yes, many have
done so, and still do so.’
John Trapp Complete Commentary

32. 24 And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon,
and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not
be hid.
Ver. 24. Would have no man know, &c.] There were therefore two wills in
Christ: the one whereofrightly willed that which the other justly and wisely
nilled.
But he could not be hid] He is a God that hides himself, Isaiah 8:17; we must
fetch him out of his retiring room by our fervent prayers.
Sermon Bible Commentary
Mark 7:24
I. The Lord Jesus is not hid. The Old Testamentcontained one promise which
like a thread of goldran through the whole;a promise that was oft repeated,
which was embraced by all believers, the blessings ofwhich were grandly
unfolded as time rolled on; and which, in the fulness of time was
accomplished. It was the Messiah. The Dayspring from on high has visited us.
The Sun of Righteousnesshas arisenwith healing in His wings, and therefore
the Lord Jesus is not hid. He is plainly seenby those who have eyes to see, and
plainly heard by those who have ears to hear, although He is in the highest
heavens.
II. The Lord Jesus oughtnot to be hid. Who shall declare how wickedis the
attempt to hide the Lord Jesus, who said, "I am the light of the world." Do

33. any attempt it? Yes, many have done so. The Scribes and Pharisees saw
clearly enoughthat He was the Christ; yet they tried to hide Him by saying
that He wrought miracles by the power of Beelzebub. This our Lord declared,
but nothing else, is the unpardonable sin. The Jews wishedChrist to be hid,
when they quenched His costly life on Calvary; they wishedHis words to be
hid when they beat the Apostles, and commanded them not to speak in His
Name. The Church of Rome has endeavouredto hide Christ under a mass of
superstition, and to prevent the people from seeing Christ in the Gospelby
ministering to them in an unknown tongue, and by forbidding the people to
read the Scriptures. Christ ought not to be hid.
III. Christ cannotbe hid. All things prepare for the coronationof Christ. All
things, consciouslyorunconsciously, are being attuned for the glory of Christ.
This is God's mighty purpose which all events are unfolding. All things are for
Christ and Christ in all things. He cannot be hid. For Christ the vast
machinery of providence is kept in beneficent action;all persons, all things, all
events, are under His beneficentrule. Over all men's conscience His purpose
must prevail, His cause roll on. "He must reign."
J. Fleming, Penny Pulpit, No. 577, new series.
Expository Notes with PracticalObservations onthe New Testament
All along in the history of our Saviour's life, we are to take notice how he went
about from place to place doing good. Being now come into the borders fo
Tyre and Sidon he finds a poor womanof the race of the Canaanites, who
becomes first an humble supplicant, and then a bold beggar, on the behalf of
her possesseddaughter.

34. Where observe, 1. That though all Israelcould not example the faith of this
Canaanite, yet was her daughter tormented with the devil.
Learn hence, That neither truth of faith, nor strength of faith, can secure
againstSatan's inward temptations, or outward vexations: and consequently,
the worstof bodily afflictions are not sufficient proof of divine displeasure.
Observe, 2. The daughter did not come to Christ for herself, but the mother
for her. Perhaps the child was not so sensible of its own misery, but the
mother feels both the child's sorrow and her own. True goodnessteachesus to
appropriate the afflictions of others to ourselves, causing us to beartheir
griefs, and to sympathize with them in their sorrows.
Observe, 3. The seeming severity of Christ to this poor woman; he calls her
not a woman, but a dog; and, as it were, spurns her from the table. Did everso
severe a word drop from those mild lips? What shall we say? Is the Lamb of
God turned a lion, that a woman in distress, imploring pity, should be thus
rated out of Christ's presence?
But hence we learn, How Christ puts the strongestfaith of his own children on
the severesttrial. This trial had never been so sharp, if here faith had not been
so strong: usually, where God gives much grace he tries grace much.
Observe, 4. The humble carriage ofthis holy woman; her humility grants all,
her patience overcomes all, she meekly desires to possess the dog's place;not
to croud to the table, but to creepunder it, and to partake of the crumbs of
mercy that fall from thence. Nothing is so pleasing to Christ as to see his
people follow him with faith and importunity when he seems to withdraw
himself from them.

35. Cambridge Greek Testamentfor Schools andColleges
24. Ἐκεῖθεν δέ. See crit. note. Here the unusual δέ marks the transition to
different scenes anddifferent work. Out of 88 sections in Mk, only 6 have δέ
at the outset, while 80 begin with καί.
ἀναστὰς ἀπῆλθεν. Cf. Mark 10:1. Mt. has ἀνεχώρησεν. Christ is retiring once
more from the hostility which His teaching provoked(Mark 3:7) and from the
pressure of inconsiderate followers (Mark 6:31). His hour is not far off, but it
is not yet come, and He must have opportunity for giving further instruction
to the Twelve. Ἀναστάς refers to the change of place rather than the change of
posture, viz. sitting to teach; ἐκεῖθεν means “from Capernaum,” not “from a
seat.” Sitting has not been mentioned.
εἰς τὰ ὅρια Τύρου. Cf. Mark 5:17; Matthew 2:16. Tyre had been independent
since B.C. 126, and Pompey had confirmed the independence, but Augustus
had curtailed it B.C. 20. The borders of Tyre [and Sidon] are called Φοινίκη
in LXX. and Acts, but nowhere in the Gospels. Some ofthe inhabitants had
been attractedto the Lake to see Jesus (Mark 3:8), and, like the Gerasenes,
they were probably pagan (Joseph, c. Apion. i. 13). Christ now visits their
country, which was 40 or 50 miles from Capernaum, to escape publicity.
Christ had forbidden the disciples to go to the Gentiles;they were to devote
themselves to the house of Israel(Matthew 10:5). He here takes them to the
Gentiles, yet not to teachthe Gentiles, but to find quiet for being taught by
Him themselves. It is only by setting aside the plain statements of Mk that it
can be maintained that Christ came to this place for one purpose only,—“an
extraordinary example of persevering faith.” Cf. Mark 9:30.

36. οὐδένα ἤθελεν γνῶναι. “He wished to know no one” is not a probable
rendering; would have no one know it is doubtless right. He did so, not
because He feared being denounced by the Scribes for mixing with heathen
(Theoph.), but because He wishedto avoid interruption.
οὐκ ἠδυνάσθη λαθεῖν. Mt. characteristicallyomits the statement that Christ
was unable to do what He wished. He could not be hid, because some who had
seenHim in Galilee recognizedHim. The double augment is Epic and Ionic.
Blass, § 24. The aor. infin. is normal; see on Mark 1:40.
Expository Notes ofDr. Thomas Constable
Mark normally begana new paragraph with the Greek word kai("and").
Here he used de ("and" or "now"). This difference indicates a significant
change in the narrative. The hostility of Israel"s leaders ledJesus to correct
them "and" to leave Galilee for ministry elsewhere.
The New Testamentwriters often spoke of Phoenicia as the land of Tyre and
or Sidon because theywere the two notable cities of the region. Tyre stoodon
the Mediterraneancoastabout40 miles northwestof Capernaum. Jesus went
there to be alone with the disciples. Nevertheless His fame accompaniedHim,
and He was not able to remain incognito. Josephus describedthe people of
this regionas "notoriouslyour bitterest enemies." [Note:Josephus, Against
Apion, 1:13 , quoted by Guelich, p384.]
J.D. Jones's Commentaryon the Book ofMark

37. Chapter7.
He Who Could Not Be Hid
"And from thence He arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and
entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but He could not be
hid."— Mark 7:24.
The Limits of Christ"s Ministry.
Jesus for the most part confined Himself to His own people. In Matthew"s
accountof this incident the Lord says that He was not sent save to the lost
sheepof the house of Israel( Matthew 15:24). This does not mean that His
sympathies were limited to those of His own race. Theyran out to those other
sheepwhich were not of the Jewishfold; and never in all His life was He so
moved as when He was notified of the desire of those Greeks who came to
Philippians , saying, " Sirach, we would see Jesus."It was in the interests of
His work that Christ confined Himself to Palestine. Forthe future of
Christianity it was infinitely better that He should concentrate His energies
upon a limited number, and impress them deeply, radically, vitally, than that
He should dissipate Himself over larger Numbers , and leave only a weak and
ineffectual impression upon any. By concentrating His energies upon
Palestine, and speciallyupon His twelve disciples, Jesus produced so deep and
profound an impression that, even though He went, it was absolutelycertain
that the Christian faith would remain. But, all the same, I am glad He did not
absolutely and entirely limit Himself to Israel.
The Visit to Phœnicia.
—Its Cause.

38. Once at leastChrist crossedthe border and sojournedamongstthe Gentiles.
Here we reachthe story of that visit to those who were strangers and aliens
from the commonwealthof Israel. "And from thence He arose," says Mark ,
"and went awayinto the borders of Tyre and Sidon" ( Mark 7:24). What was
it that impelled our Lord to take this long and tedious journey into pagan
Phœnicia? What was it made Him break His rule of confining Himself to
Palestine? I think it was His desire for solitude and quietness. You remember
how, after the return of the Twelve from their first evangelising tour, He had
invited them to come apart into a desert place to rest awhile. He saw they
needed restafter the excitements of their missionary labours, and He had
Himself many things to sayto them about the future which it was necessary
they should hearand understand. But the rest they soughton the other side of
the sea they did not find. Instead of a solitude, they found a multitude. Instead
of quietness, they had passedeversince from one excitement to another. First,
the feeding of the5000;then the storm at sea;then the crisis in Capernaum
and the desertion of the crowds;and, finally, the controversywith the
JerusalemScribes and Pharisees aboutablutions.
In Searchof Retirement.
The opportunity for quiet talk with His disciples which Christ had so much
wanted had never come. And yet every day that passedshowedmore and
more clearly how urgently necessarysucha time of quietness was. Evenin the
controversyabout ablutions the slowness ofthe disciples had distressedJesus.
"Are ye so without understanding also?" He said. It became obvious to Jesus
that if the disciples were to be ready for that time when He would be taken
from them, He must somehow gain quietness and leisure to teachand train
them. But the quietness He wanted it seemedhopeless to expectanywhere in
Palestine. Experience had taught Him that, no matter where He went, the
multitude was sure to follow. And so He turned His eyes to the land that lay to
the north-westof Galilee.

39. The people of that country were the descendants ofthe ancient Canaanites,
whom the Israelites had dispossessedon their entrance into the Land of
Promise. They had once been the foremostmaritime people in the world,
though now fallen from their high estate. But to the Jew the land was an
unclean and abhorred land, because ofthe loathsome and licentious idolatry
practisedby its inhabitants. To this country Jesus now bends His steps. Its
very loathsomenessto the Jew seemedto promise to Him the quietness and
retirement He desired. He went awayinto the borders of Tyre and Sidon,
hoping to be able to sojourn there unrecognisedand undisturbed. But once
againthe rest had to be setaside.
"But He could not be hid."
"He entered into a house, and would have no man know it," says Mark: "and
He could not be hid" ( Mark 7:24). "He could not be hid!" That is one of the
penalties of greatness—privacybecomesimpossible. Let our king travel
abroad, and he cannotbe hid. He may travel incognito, as we term it, but the
ubiquitous newspaperman is ever on his heels, watching his every Acts , and
his every movement is proclaimed to the world. And Jesus could not be hid.
Not that the newspaperman existed, as we know him, in those far-off days.
But His sayings and doings had set all Palestine in a ferment. He was the
subject of conversationwherevermen did congregate. Phœnicianvisitors who
had heard of His wonderful works, and perhaps witnessedsome ofthem, had
carried His name and fame beyond the confines of His own land, and had
astonishedtheir own countrymen with the report of what they had seenand
heard. Doubtless, in many a home in pagan Phœnicia, and especiallyin many
a sick home, the name and power of Christ had been eagerlycanvassed.
Christ"s fame had precededHim into the borders of Tyre and Sidon.
The Powerof His Personality.

40. Quite apart from what report had done for Him, I believe there was
something in the very aspectof Jesus that made people feel that here was no
ordinary man. "Her very walk proclaimed her a goddess," says Virgil, about
one of the characters in his Æneid. And so there was something about the
appearance, the manner, the speechof Jesus that proclaimed the secretHe
fain would hide. I was once discussing with my Bible Class the passagein
which John tells how the officers of the Temple, who had been sentto seize
Christ, returned with their errand unfulfilled, giving as their excuse, "Never
man so spake." And I askedmy class whatthey thought it was about Jesus
that had so impressedand subdued these Temple officials. And one of them
replied, "I think it must have been something in His very face." Technically,
the answerwas not the right one. But, all the same, I think it was profoundly
true. I think there was something in the very face of Jesus, a nobility and a
graciousness aboutHim, that stirred unwonted emotions in every heart. No,
Jesus "couldnot be hid." Face, speech, manner, all published abroad who and
what He was. You may build, as some one has said, a high wall around your
rose garden; yet you cannot hide the existence of the roses. Overthe highest
wall ever built the roses will waft their fragrance, and men as they pass will
say, "There are roses near." And Jesus was the Rose ofSharon. Fragrant,
gladdening, sweetening influences flowed forth from Him. Instinctively, men
recognisedthat the Rose was in their midst. Jesus neededno trumpet to sound
before Him, no herald to proclaim His coming. Men found Him out. He had
not been an hour amongstthese pagan strangers in Phœnicia before they
knew that He was no ordinary man. "He could not be hid."
The Self-evident Christianity.
Nor, suffer me to sayin passing, can the true Christian either. If a man is able
to hide his Christianity, it is probably because there is no Christianity to hide.
When a man is a true Christian, all the world knows it. A genuine faith always
proclaims itself by the influences it emits and the qualities it begets. "They

41. took knowledge ofthem that they had been with Jesus."The men who have
really been with Jesus "cannotbe hid."
George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary
he desired to concealhimself, and could not, his will it seems was under
control; but this is impossible. His will must always take place. On this
occasion, therefore, he wished himself to be sought for by these Gentiles, but
not to be made known by his own apostles. Wherefore itcame to pass, that not
the persons who were his followers, but the Gentiles who entered the house in
which he was, published his fame abroad. (St. Augustine) --- Jesus Christ
commanded his disciples not to publish that he was come into that country;
not that he intended to cease fromhealing the infirm, and curing diseases,
when he saw the faith of the inhabitants deservedit; for he informed the
Gentile woman of his coming, and made it knownto as many others as he
thought worth; but that he might teachus, by his example, to decline the
applause of men. (Ven. Bede)
PRECEPTAUSTIN RESOURCES
BRUCE HURT MD
Mark 7:24 Jesus gotup and went awayfrom there to the region of Tyre. And
when He had entered a house, He wanted no one to know of it; yet He could
not escapenotice.

42. Wuest But from there, having arisen, He went off into the region of Tyre. And
having enteredinto a home, He was desiring that not even one should know.
But it was impossible to be hidden.
NET Mark 7:24 After Jesus left there, he went to the regionof Tyre. When he
went into a house, he did not want anyone to know, but he was not able to
escape notice.
NLT Mark 7:24 Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the regionof Tyre.
He didn't want anyone to know which house he was staying in, but he couldn't
keepit a secret.
ESV Mark 7:24 And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre
and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he
could not be hidden.
NIV Mark 7:24 Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He
entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keephis
presence secret.
GNT Mark 7:24 Ἐκεῖθεν δὲ ἀναστὰς ἀπῆλθεν εἰς τὰ ὅρια Τύρου. καὶ
εἰσελθὼν εἰς οἰκίανοὐδένα ἤθελεν γνῶναι, καὶ οὐκ ἠδυνήθη λαθεῖν·
KJV Mark 7:24 And from thence he arose, andwent into the borders of Tyre
and Sidon, and enteredinto an house, and would have no man know it: but he
could not be hid.

43. ASV Mark 7:24 And from thence he arose, andwent away into the borders of
Tyre and Sidon. And he entered into a house, and would have no man know
it; and he could not be hid.
CSB Mark 7:24 He got up and departed from there to the region of Tyre and
Sidon. He entereda house and did not want anyone to know it, but He could
not escapenotice.
from: Mt 15:21-28
Tyre: Mk 3:8 Ge 10:15,19 49:13 Jos 19:28,29Isa 23:1-4,12 Eze 28:2,21,22
and would: Mk 2:1 3:7 6:31,32 Isa 42:2 Mt 9:28 1Ti 5:25
Mark 7 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries
Tyre and Sidon
(Click to Enlarge)
RelatedPassage:
Matthew 15:21 Jesus wentaway from there, and withdrew into the district of
Tyre and Sidon.
In this last sectionMark describes two healing miracles that take place in
Gentile territory, the first being the healing of a demon-possessedgirl (Mk
7:24-30)and the second, the healing of a deaf man with a speechimpediment
(Mk 7:31-37). As Mark Akin says "Both demonstrate that God‟s kingdom has
come and Jesus is God‟s man for all peoples. Contraryto religious and racial

44. bigots, no one is so uncleanthat they cannot receive the blessing and the touch
of Jesus Christ: the God who “astonishesbeyondmeasure” (Mark 7:37)." It is
notable that this visit to Tyre is the only time Jesus was documentedas
venturing outside the borders of Israel. It is also notable that the Gentile
territories of Tyre and Sidon had a long history of oppositionto Israel, going
back even to the time of the evil queen Jezebelwho was from Tyre (1 Kings
16:31-32). The prophet had prophesiedagainstTyre (Ezekiel26:3, 1-26)
Constable makes anexcellent point - Jesus increasedHis ministry to Gentiles
as He experiencedincreasing rejectionfrom the Jews. This third withdrawal
from Galilee took Jesus outside Palestine forthe first time. Mark also
recordedJesus doing more things outside Galilee and fewerthings within
Galilee than the other evangelists. Bypointing this out Mark helped his
readers realize that ministry to Gentiles was God"s will in view of Israel"s
final rejectionof Jesus. There is a logicalconnectionbetweenthis sectionand
the one that precedes it (Mark 7:1-23). Jesus had explained why He did not
observe the traditional separationfrom defiling associations. Now He
illustrated that by going into Gentile territory. This contactwould have
rendered Him ceremonialunclean according to the Jews" traditions.
Jesus gotup - It refers to Jesus standing up from a seatedposition after
instructing the disciples
And went awayfrom there to the region of Tyre - Tyre is a seaportcity about
34 miles northwestof Capernaum (Sidon is 24 miles north on the coast)and is
locatedin modern day Lebanon. One can only imagine the thoughts of the
disciples as Jesus tells them they are heading for Gentile territory! Jesus has
just declaredall foods clean and now he in essencedeclares(by going to Tyre)
all Gentiles "clean." Jesus is demonstrating a "GreatCommissionmentality,”
demonstrating that God‟s kingdomknows no ethnic, racial, national or
gender barriers..

45. Wuest - Our Lord did not merely cross overthe border into Phoenician
territory, but He went deep into the heart of the country.
James Edwards says “Tyre probably representedthe most extreme expression
of paganism, both actually and symbolically, that a Jew could expectto
encounter” (Pillar NTC-Mark)
Mark Akin says "Unfortunately, too many Jews ofthat day continued to
suffer from “the Jonah complex.” They could not imagine that God would
extend His salvation beyond the borders of Israel. Jesus is about to turn all of
that on its head. “From a socioreligious perspective,Jesus‟visitto Tyre
universalizes the conceptof Messiahin terms of geography, ethnicity, gender
and religion in a way entirely unprecedented in Judaism.” (Edwards, Ibid).
This Savior is not for just one nation, He is for all nations, and so should we be
as well."
And when He had entered a house, He wanted no one to know of it - Why
would Jesus want no one to know where He was? The most obvious answeris
that He was trying to find a place to rest and restore, but it was not to be.
Yet He could not escape notice - Jesus cannotremain hidden, even in Gentile
territory! Mark helps us understand why Jesus could not escape notice even
in Tyre, for earlier we read that people "from Jerusalem, and from Idumea,
and beyond the Jordan, and the vicinity of Tyre and Sidon, a greatnumber of
people heard of all that He was doing and came to Him." (Mk 3:8+)
Mt Henry: V24-30. Christ never put any from him that fell at his feet, which a
poor trembling soulmay do. As she was a goodwoman, so a goodmother.

46. This sent her to Christ. His saying, Let the children first be filled, shows that
there was mercy for the Gentiles, and not far off. She spoke, notas making
light of the mercy, but magnifying the abundance of miraculous cures among
the Jews, in comparisonwith which a single cure was but as a crumb. Thus,
while proud Phariseesare left by the blessedSaviour, he manifests his
compassionto poor humbled sinners, who look to him for children's bread.
He still goes aboutto seek andsave the lost.
Mark 7:24-30 - "As Thou Wilt" - Matthew 15:21-28 - JESUS'ministry in the
coasts ofTyre and Sidon is marked by the wonderful story of the
Syrophenician woman (Matt. 15:21-28;Mark 7:24-30). He had not planned a
public ministry in these parts, but Mark tells us "He could not be hid."
Neither can a true Christian be hidden; men will find him out.
This woman, outside the pale of His ministry to Israel, besoughtHim for her
demonized daughter, but we read, "He answeredher not a word." Prayer
often meets such a Divine silence, but few of us press on to an answeras did
this needy soul. Too often we take silence to mean refusal.
The disciples, bothered by her begging, askedourLord to respond and send
her away. These poormen were continually trying to handle the casesthat
came to Jesus, but not in His way. He answers, "Iam not sentbut unto the
lost sheepof the house of Israel," which indicates that they had meant for Him
to grant her request to get rid of her. It is another cleardeclarationof His
ministry to the Jew first. "He came unto His own and His own receivedHim
not."
Not rebuffed at this, the woman beseeches Him, "Lord, help me," identifying
herself with her daughter's need. Still stronger is the Lord's reply: "It is not
goodto take the children's bread and to castit to dogs." It is a severe answer.
We pass overthe sternness of our Lord in these soft, sentimental days. Had
the womancome with less than genuine, importunate faith, this would have
sent her away insulted—this calling the Jews "children" and the Gentiles
"dogs." Butour Lord uses the term for little household dogs, and the woman
catches the clue. "True, we may not have the bread, but surely we may share

47. the crumbs." Here is humility and perseverancethat will not be denied! It is
he who is willing to take crumbs who receives bread.
Such faith draws from our Lord the gracious answer:"O woman, greatis thy
faith: be it unto thee evenas thou wilt." Notice, it is as thou wilt. There is a
faith that desires and asks, but here faith goes further and wills. Jesus tells us
(Mark 11:23)that whoevershall command a mountain to be moved and shall
not doubt but believe, he shall have whatever he says. Mind you, He does not
say, "Whosoevershallask Godto move the mountain," but "Whosoevershall
say unto this mountain, Be thou removed." Here is faith that dares to
command. "Concerning the work of My hands, command ye Me" (Isa. 45:11).
Mark tells us that He said, "Forthis saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of
thy daughter." Such faith always sends us on our way; and as we go we are
cleansed, as it was with the lepers (Luke 17:14). The woman went, Mark tells
us, and found it even as He had said. So did the nobleman (John 4:51). Oh,
how rare is the faith that takes Him at His word and goes on believing! (Vance
Havner)
Ian Paisley- The Unconcealable Christ "He could not be hid" Mark 7:24
I. The Unconcealable Christ BecauseofHis Light
Christ is the Light of the world, how then could He be hid? Christ did not put
His light under a bed. He put it on a candlestick. He was the true Light which
lighteth every man coming into the world (John 1:9).
II. The Unconcealable ChristBecauseofHis Life
"In Christ is life and that life was the light of men" (John 1:4). How then
could He be hid? He came to give men life that they might have it more

48. abundantly. Life is unconcealable.Moses'motherin three months discovered
that (see Hebrews 11:23).
III. The Unconcealable ChristBecause ofHis Love
Christ was unconcealable becauseHis love was unconcealable. "Beholdhow
He loved him" the Jews exclaimedof Christ's love for Lazarus (John 11:36).
It was so visible.
Thank God Christ cannot be hid. (A Text A Day Keeps the Devil Away)
James Smith - Handfuls of Purpose - HE COULD NOT BE HID Mark 7:24
I. Who? (1) Christ as God mysteriously incarnated. (2) As His Gift to a
starving world. (3) As the Light of men.
II. Why? “He could not be hid.” (1) Because ofOld Testamentprophecy. (2)
BecauseofHis character. It was not possible to hide love, light, life. (3)
BecauseHe had gifts for men.
III. When? “He could not be hid.” (1) When in the bosom of His Father. The
beloved Son must be given up. (2) When after He was thirty years of age.
Then he presentedHimself to John at Jordan as the Lamb of God. (3) When
in the house. It was noisedabroad. No house big enough for Him. (4) When in
the tomb. Death and the grave could not hide Him.

49. IV. To whom? “He cannot be hid.” (1) To those who seek Him. “Ye shall find
Me when ye shall seek for Me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:13). Seek andye
shall find. (2) In those who find Him. When Christ dwells in the heart the
fragrance of His sweetName and the light of His presence cannotbe hid. “He
could not be hid,” but He may hide Himself (John 12:36). (3) To the
unbelieving world. For the time will yet come when “everyeye shall see Him.”
The same Jesus shallin like manner come “as ye have seenHim go into
Heaven” (Acts 1:11). (4) To the dead, small and great. He will be “Judge of
all” (Rev. 20:11–15).
G C Morgan- He could not be hid. Mark 7.24
The explanation of this statement is found in the story which follows, ofwhich
story it is the introduction. A mother, whose heart was wrung with anguish by
reasonof the suffering of her child, sought the aid of Jesus, and from such an
appeal "He could not be hid." The declarationis made the more arresting by
the factthat it .follows the statement that He desired privacy: "He entered
into a house and would have no man know it." And yet againit is interesting
in view of the method of apparent reluctance which He adopted with her.
These very surroundings serve to add new emphasis and value to the
declaration. May we not at once saythat here incidentally we have an
illustration of the very reasonofthe Incarnation, and all that it accomplished?
From human suffering God cannot withdraw Himself. He cannot be hidden. It
appeals to Him irresistibly, because of the grace of His nature. When there is
no eye to pity, His eye always pities; when there is no arm to save, His arm
brings salvation. Herein, and herein alone, is our hope that at last sorrow and
sighing shall flee away. And, moreover, in the fact that it is God, Who
is thus compelled by His nature to come to the relief of the sorrowing, is our
tee that there will be no slight heal of our wounds. He does not dealwith
symptoms merely, but with the dire root of the disease.At He comes forth
from His hiding-place, compelledby human agony, He comes to make no

50. terms with that which has causedthe pain; but He comes to end the pain by
removing the cause. (Life Applications)
Developing Mega-FaithBy Ed Dobson
Scripture: Mark 7:24–30, especiallyverses 27–29.See also Matthew 15:21–
28:
Introduction: In this story Jesus left the Jewisharea of Galilee for the seaport
of Tyre, a paganGentile area. This was a very un-Jewish and un-rabbinical
thing to do, but He knew there was a desperate mother there. Notice the verbs
describing her: she heard about Him, came, fell at his feet, and beggedHis
help. Yet Jesus answeredher not a word. Her response to His non-response
was to keepcrying for mercy. Desperate people do desperate things. When
you’re desperate you don’t care what people think, nor do you give up easily.
Jesus finally said, in summary, “I’ve been sent to the lost sheepof Israel. My
mission is the Jews. Whytake the food of children and give it to dogs?” The
word dog would be better translated, little dog or puppy. “It is not right to
take the children’s bread and toss it to their puppy.” Jesus was notbeing
unkind, but making a theologicalpoint—His first priority was the Jewish
people. “Yes, Lord,” the womanreplied, “but even the puppies under the
table get some crumbs.” In other words, “What you’re saying is true, but I
don’t need the full meal. Just a few crumbs will be sufficient.” Can you sense
this woman’s faith? Jesus did. “Woman,” He said, “you have greatfaith!” The
Greek word is μεγας (megˊ-as), source of the English prefix mega. This
woman had mega-faith! From this story, notice the characteristicsofmega-
faith:

51. Mega-faithdoes not deny the problem. It is not the power of positive thinking
or a way of looking at life through rose-coloredglasses. Mega-faithis realistic,
acknowledging the challenges,difficulties, struggles, and sufferings.
Mega-faithgoes directly to the source of blessing. As soonas she heard of
Christ, she came and fell at His feet. We sometimes depend too much on our
own abilities and resources. But great faith knows that beyond our own
resources is the source of all power and blessing—GodHimself! (See Heb.
4:14–16.)
Mega-faiththrows itself at the feet of Jesus. This was an actof submission,
carrying the idea of abandonment to the purpose, plan, and power of God.
She didn’t come with her own plan and ask Jesus to bless it. She said, “Lord, I
give this to You.” It’s frightening to give up control, but when we yield control
to Christ, what freedom comes!
Mega-faithis persistent. At first, Jesus doesn’tanswerthis woman; and when
He finally did answerher, His tone was discouraging. But she kept begging.
We should always pray and not faint. Prayer and faith persist, even when God
seems to respond not a word.
Mega-faithrepeats the word of God. This woman took what Jesus said,
repeatedit back to Him, then added a requestto it. Great faith is anchoredin
Scripture.
Mega-faithresponds with submission. “Yes, Lord,” the woman said. Those
are two very important words in our prayer vocabulary. They acknowledge
Him who is in charge, like Jesus in the Garden, “. . . not my will, but Your will
be done.” Great faith surrenders the outcome to God, Who knows what is best
for us.
Mega-faithis always rewarded. Going home, this woman found her child
whole and the demon gone. Greatfaith is always rewarded with divine
intervention which comes eitherthrough a miracle or through a specific
messagefrom God that enables us on the journey.
Conclusion: Maybe you’re thinking, “That’s easyfor you to preach, but you
don’t know what I’m facing this morning.” The beauty of this story is that it

52. was not the faith of the demon-possessedgirl that brought healing, it was the
faith of her loving mother. If you can’t muster mega-faith, learn to trust in the
faith of those around you. God honors their faith on your behalf. Never
underestimate the prayers and faith of others in your behalf. God, grant us
greatfaith. Amen!
A Faith That PleasesGod Date preached: Dr. Timothy K. Beougher
SCRIPTURE:Mark 7:24–30
INTRODUCTION:God desires faith. He is not interestedin how much
money you make or how goodyou look. He wants you to trust in Him. Here
we see a woman of low standing who in her persistence andfaith delighted
Jesus and stands as an example to us.
The Personof Faith (vv. 25–26a).
The PersistenceofFaith (v. 26b).
The Testof Faith (v. 27).
The Response ofFaith (v. 28).
The Resultof Faith (vv. 29–30).
CONCLUSION:God often brings growth in our life through struggles;true
growth in faith does not come easily. We must come to the Lord. We must
approachHim humbly. We must display a persistent faith.
J C Ryle - Mark 7:24-30 - WE know nothing of the woman, who is here
mentioned, beyond the facts that we here read. Her name, her former history,
the wayin which she was led to seek our Lord, though a Gentile, and dwelling
in the borders of Tyre and Sidon,—allthese things are hidden from us. But

53. the few facts that are relatedabout this woman are full of precious
instruction. Let us observe them, and learn wisdom.
In the first place, this passage is meant to encourage us to pray for others. The
woman who came to our Lord, in the history now before us, must doubtless
have been in deep affliction. She saw a beloved child possessedby an unclean
spirit. She saw her in a condition in which no teaching could reachthe mind,
and no medicine could heal the body,—a condition only one degree better
than death itself. She hears of Jesus, and beseeches Him to “castforth the
devil out of her daughter.” She prays for one who could not pray for herself,
and never rests till her prayer is granted. By prayer she obtains the cure
which no human means could obtain. Through the prayer of the mother, the
daughter is healed. On her own behalf that daughter did not speak a word;
but her mother spoke for her to the Lord, and did not speak in vain. Hopeless
and desperate as her case appeared, she had a praying mother, and where
there is a praying mother there is always hope.
The truth here taught is one of deep importance. The case here recordedis
one that does not stand alone. Few duties are so strongly recommended by
Scriptural example, as the duty of intercessoryprayer. There is a long
catalogue ofinstances in Scripture, which show the benefits that may be
conferredon others by praying for them. The nobleman’s sonat
Capernaum,—the centurion’s servant,—the daughter of Jairus, are all
striking examples. Wonderful as it may seem, God is pleasedto do great
things for souls, when friends and relations are moved to pray for them. “The
effectualfervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:16.)
Fathers and mothers are especiallybound to remember the case ofthis
woman. They cannotgive their children new hearts. They can give them
Christian education, and show them the way of life; but they cannotgive them
a will to choose Christ’s service, and a mind to love God. Yet there is one

54. thing they can always do;—they can pray for them. They can pray for the
conversionof profligate sons, who will have their own way, and run greedily
into sin. They can pray for the conversionof worldly daughters, who settheir
affections on things below, and love pleasure more than God. Such prayers
are heard on high. Such prayers will often bring down blessings. Never, never
let us forgetthat the children for whom many prayers have been offered,
seldom finally perish. Let us pray more for our sons and daughters. Even
when they will not let us speak to them about religion, they cannotprevent us
speaking for them to God.
In the secondplace, this passageis meant to teachus to persevere in praying
for others. The woman whose history we are now reading, appearedat first to
obtain nothing by her application to our Lord. On the contrary, our Lord’s
reply was discouraging. Yet she did not give up in despair. She prayed on, and
did not faint. She pressedher suit with ingenious arguments. She would take
no refusal. She pleaded for a few “crumbs” of mercy, rather than none at all.
And through this holy importunity she succeeded. She heard at last these
joyful words: “Forthis saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy
daughter.”
Perseverance in prayer is a point of greatmoment. Our hearts are apt to
become cooland indifferent, and to think that it is no use to draw near to
God. Our hands soonhang down, and our knees wax faint. Satan is ever
labouring to draw us off from our prayers, and filling our minds with reasons
why we may give them up.—These things are true with respectto all prayers,
but they are especiallytrue with respectto intercessoryprayer. It is always
far more meagre than it ought to be. It is often attempted for a little season,
and then left off. “We see no immediate answerto our prayers. We see the
persons for whose souls we pray, going on still in sin. We draw the conclusion
that it is useless to pray for them, and allow our intercessionto come to an
end.

55. In order to arm our minds with arguments for perseverance in intercessory
prayer, let us often study the case ofthis woman. Let us remember how she
prayed on and did not faint, in the face of greatdiscouragement. Letus mark
how at last she went home rejoicing, and let us resolve, by God’s grace, to
follow her example.
Do we know what it is to pray for ourselves? This, after all, is the first
question for self-inquiry. The man who never speaks to God about his own
soul, canknow nothing of praying for others. He is as yet Godless, Christless,
and hopeless, andhas to learn the very rudiments of religion. Let him awake,
and callupon God.
But do we pray for ourselves? Thenlet us take heed that we pray for others
also. Let us beware of selfish prayers,—prayers which are wholly takenup
with our own affairs, and in which there is no place for other souls beside our
own. Let us name all whom we love before God continually. Let us pray for
all,—the worst, the hardest, and the most unbelieving. Let us continue praying
for them year after year, in spite of their continued unbelief. God’s time of
mercy may be a distant one. Our eyes may not see an answerto our
intercessions.The answermay not come for ten, fifteen, or twenty years. It
may not come till we have exchangedprayer for praise, and are far away from
this world. But while we live, let us pray for others. It is the greatestkindness
we can do to any one, to speak for him to our Lord Jesus Christ. The day of
judgment will show that one of the greatestlinks in drawing some souls to
God, has been the intercessoryprayer of friends.
Vance Havner - "As Thou Wilt" Matthew 15:21-28 Mark 7:24-30
JESUS'ministry in the coasts ofTyre and Sidon is marked by the wonderful
story of the Syrophenician woman (Matt. 15:21-28;Mark 7:24-30). He had

56. not planned a public ministry in these parts, but Mark tells us "He could not
be hid." Neither can a true Christian be hidden; men will find him out.
This woman, outside the pale of His ministry to Israel, besoughtHim for her
demonized daughter, but we read, "He answeredher not a word." Prayer
often meets such a Divine silence, but few of us press on to an answeras did
this needy soul. Too often we take silence to mean refusal.
The disciples, bothered by her begging, askedourLord to respond and send
her away. These poormen were continually trying to handle the casesthat
came to Jesus, but not in His way. He answers, "Iam not sentbut unto the
lost sheepof the house of Israel," which indicates that they had meant for Him
to grant her request to get rid of her. It is another cleardeclarationof His
ministry to the Jew first. "He came unto His own and His own receivedHim
not."
Not rebuffed at this, the woman beseeches Him, "Lord, help me," identifying
herself with her daughter's need. Still stronger is the Lord's reply: "It is not
goodto take the children's bread and to castit to dogs." It is a severe answer.
We pass overthe sternness of our Lord in these soft, sentimental days. Had
the womancome with less than genuine, importunate faith, this would have
sent her away insulted—this calling the Jews "children" and the Gentiles
"dogs." Butour Lord uses the term for little household dogs, and the woman
catches the clue. "True, we may not have the bread, but surely we may share
the crumbs." Here is humility and perseverancethat will not be denied! It is
he who is willing to take crumbs who receives bread.
Such faith draws from our Lord the gracious answer:"O woman, greatis thy
faith: be it unto thee evenas thou wilt." Notice, it is as thou wilt. There is a
faith that desires and asks, but here faith goes further and wills. Jesus tells us

57. (Mark 11:23)that whoevershall command a mountain to be moved and shall
not doubt but believe, he shall have whatever he says. Mind you, He does not
say, "Whosoevershallask Godto move the mountain," but "Whosoevershall
say unto this mountain, Be thou removed." Here is faith that dares to
command. "Concerning the work of My hands, command ye Me" (Isa. 45:11).
Mark tells us that He said, "Forthis saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of
thy daughter." Such faith always sends us on our way; and as we go we are
cleansed, as it was with the lepers (Luke 17:14). The woman went, Mark tells
us, and found it even as He had said. So did the nobleman (John 4:51). Oh,
how rare is the faith that takes Him at His word and goes on believing!
DANIEL AKIN
Jesus Christ: The God Who Astonishes BeyondMeasure
Mark 7:24-37
Introduction: 1) I often sayto our students at SoutheasternSeminary that
Jesus Christ is the
greatestmissionarywho ever lived. And this is certainly true. He came the
greatestdistance,
from heaven to earth, to bring the goodnews of salvation. He also made the
greatestsacrifice,
giving His life in the place of sinners that we might be reconciledto God. And
yet in spite of the
fact He had no jet planes to carry him around the world, no trains or cars to
speedhim across
various countries, in His brief 3 years of earthly ministry He made time to
travel to foreignsoil

58. to give us “a glimpse of GreatCommissionChristianity,” demonstrating
beyond question that
God‟s kingdom knows no ethnic, racial, national or gender barriers. Indeed
all who come to
Him will find salvationfrom the One who “could not be hid” (v. 24), the One
who does “all
things well” (v. 37). 2) Mark packages2 healing miracles that take place in
pagan, Gentile
territory. One is the healing of a demon-possessedlittle girl (7:24-30). The
other is the healing
of a deaf man with a speechimpediment (7:31-37). Both demonstrate that
God‟s kingdom has
come and Jesus is God‟s man for all peoples. Contraryto religious and racial
bigots, no one is so
unclean that they cannotreceive the blessing and the touch of Jesus Christ:
the Godwho
“astonishesbeyond measure” (v. 37). It is easyto allow this beautiful text to
naturally unfold in
2 movements that revealonce againthe glory and goodnessofthe Son of God.
I. Jesus is the Saviorwho cannot be hidden. 7:24-30
Our Lord knew, as should we, that His Father had mapped out his life from
beginning to
end. It would involve days of happiness and joy. It would also entail times of
trial and
opposition, pressure and disappoint. Jesus has just engagedthe Pharisees in a
heated

59. discussionover religionverses the gospel(7:1-23). Things are building to an
inevitable
2
showdownthat will result in his crucifixion. However, it is not yet the
appointed time.
And so Jesus leaves Galilee to getawayfrom Him enemies, spend some
teaching time
with his disciples, and to get a little R & R. However, he will be denied the
latter and in
the process teachesus some incredibly important spiritual truths about the
heart of God.
1. Jesus caresfor the nations and so should we. 7:24
 Jesus heads north to the district of Phoenicia, whatis today Lebanon, to the
seaportcity of Tyre, about 20 miles northwest of Capernaum. That he went
there
primarily to getawayto restis clearas the text says, “he entered a house and
did
not want anyone to know.” However, once againhis presence is quickly
discoveredwith Mark making the striking statement, “he could not be
hidden.”
This, of course, is not surprising, especiallywhen we look back at Mark 3:8
where we see that a delegationfrom Tyre and Sidon had come down to see
this
Galileanmiracle-worker. Further, the brilliant glory of the Son of God cannot
be
vanquished. He cannot be hid!

60.  It is clearthen that Jesus was looking for a place to get awayand rest. And
yet,
that he chose the regionof Tyre and Sidon is missiologicallysignificant. As
best
we can tell this is the only time Jesus ventured out beyond the borders of
Israel.
Further, Tyre and Sidon were inhabited by paganGentiles and the region had
a
very long history of oppositionto Israel. This had been the home of Jezebel(1
Kings 16:31-32). BothEzekiel(ch. 26) and Zechariah(ch.9) prophesied
against
her. James Edwards says “Tyre probably representedthe most extreme
expressionof paganism, both actually and symbolically, that a Jew could
expect
to encounter” (p. 217). And yet Jesus goes there and graciouslyministers. He
3
expands the scope and reachof the Messiahbeyond what almostall of Israel
expected. Unfortunately, too many Jews ofthat day continued to suffer from
“the
Jonahcomplex.” They could not imagine that God would extend His salvation
beyond the borders of Israel. Jesus is about to turn all of that on its head.
“From
a socioreligious perspective,Jesus‟visit to Tyre universalizes the conceptof
Messiahin terms of geography, ethnicity, gender and religion in a way
entirely
unprecedented in Judaism.” (Edwards, Ibid). This Savior is not for just one

61. nation, He is for all nations, and so should we be as well.
WILLIAM BARCLAY
When this incident is seenagainstits background, it becomes one of the most
moving and extraordinary in the life of Jesus.
First, let us look at the geographyof the incident. Tyre and Sidon were cities
of Phoenicia, which was a part of Syria. Phoenicia stretchednorth from
Carmel, right along the coastalplain. It lay betweenGalilee and the sea coast.
Phoenicia indeed, as Josephus puts it, "encompassedGalilee."
Tyre lay 40 miles north-west of Capernaum. Its name means The Rock. It was
so called because offthe shore lay two greatrocks joined by a three-thousand-
feet-long ridge. This formed a natural breakwaterandTyre was one of the
greatnatural harbours of the world from the earliesttimes. Notonly did the
rocks form a breakwater, they also formed a defence;and Tyre was not only a
famous harbour, she was also a famous fortress. It was from Tyre and Sidon
that there came the first sailors who steeredby the stars. Until men learned to
find their way by the stars, ships had to hug the coastand to lay up by night;
but the Phoeniciansailors circumnavigatedthe Mediterraneanand found
their way through the Pillars of Hercules until they came to Britain and the
tin mines of Cornwall. It may well be that in their adventuring they had even
circumnavigatedAfrica.
Sidon was 26 miles north-eastof Tyre and 60 miles north of Capernaum. Like
Tyre it had a natural breakwater, andits origin as a harbour and a city was so
ancient that no man knew who had founded it.