New Testament · Gospel

Matthew 15:22

Clean and Unclean

And a Canaanite woman from that region came to Him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is miserably possessed by a demon.” Matthew 15:22 · Berean Standard Bible
What It Means

Matthew 15:22, in plain English

A Canaanite woman, an outsider in every way, comes to Jesus begging for her demon-possessed daughter. She calls Him 'Lord' and 'Son of David,' showing remarkable faith.

Why it's here

This woman had every reason to stay away. She was the wrong nationality, the wrong gender, the wrong everything by cultural standards. But desperation drove her to Jesus anyway.

Who's speaking

A desperate Gentile mother cries out to Jesus for help.

Where it sits in the story

This woman breaks every social convention to reach Jesus. Her love for her daughter and her faith in Jesus overcome every barrier.

A Closer Look

The scholarly reading

The woman is identified as Chananaia (Canaanite), an archaic designation evoking Israel's ancient enemies. Her titles for Jesus, Kyrie and huios Daueid ('Lord, Son of David'), demonstrate remarkable messianic awareness from a Gentile.

Language and setting

Matthew's choice of 'Canaanite' (rather than Mark's 'Syrophoenician') emphasizes the theological tension: an ancestral enemy of Israel recognizes Israel's Messiah. Her daughter is daimonizomenē (demon-possessed).

Voice

The Canaanite woman cries out to Jesus, using messianic titles.

Significance

A pagan woman recognizes what the religious leaders of Israel refuse to see. Her desperate plea for her daughter reveals a faith that transcends ethnic boundaries.

In context

Matthew 15:20–24

20These are what defile a man, but eating with unwashed hands does not defile him.”

21Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon.

22And a Canaanite woman from that region came to Him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is miserably possessed by a demon.”

23But Jesus did not answer a word. So His disciples came and urged Him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”

24He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Read all of Matthew 15 — Jesus dismantles the purity codes the Pharisees have built and shows that what defiles a person comes from within, not without.

Understand every verse, not just this one

This page covers one. BibleKey does all 31,102 — tap any verse for its meaning, any word for its Hebrew or Greek root, and keep reading without leaving the chapter.

Get BibleKey

Understand every verse.

Not just the famous ones. BibleKey is free on iPhone and iPad.

Download on the App Store

Free on iPhone & iPad