21 for from within, out of the heart of men, the evil reasonings do come forth, adulteries, whoredoms, murders, 22 thefts, covetous desires, wickedness, deceit, arrogance, an evil eye, evil speaking, pride, foolishness; 23 all these evils do come forth from within, and they defile the man.'
24 And from thence having risen, he went away to the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and having entered into the house, he wished none to know, and he was not able to be hid, 25 for a woman having heard about him, whose little daughter had an unclean spirit, having come, fell at his feet,— 26 and the woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phenician by nation—and was asking him, that the demon he may cast forth out of her daughter. 27 And Jesus said to her, 'Suffer first the children to be filled, for it is not good to take the children's bread, and to cast 'it' to the little dogs.' 28 And she answered and saith to him, 'Yes, sir; for the little dogs also under the table do eat of the children's crumbs.' 29 And he said to her, 'Because of this word go; the demon hath gone forth out of thy daughter;' 30 and having come away to her house, she found the demon gone forth, and the daughter laid upon the couch.
31 And again, having gone forth from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis, 32 and they bring to him a deaf, stuttering man, and they call on him that he may put the hand on him. 33 And having taken him away from the multitude by himself, he put his fingers to his ears, and having spit, he touched his tongue, 34 and having looked to the heaven, he sighed, and saith to him, 'Ephphatha,' that is, 'Be thou opened;' 35 and immediately were his ears opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he was speaking plain. 36 And he charged them that they may tell no one, but the more he was charging them, the more abundantly they were proclaiming 'it', 37 and they were being beyond measure astonished, saying, 'Well hath he done all things; both the deaf he doth make to hear, and the dumb to speak.'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Mark 7:21-41
Commentary on Mark 7:14-23
(Read Mark 7:14-23)
Our wicked thoughts and affections, words and actions, defile us, and these only. As a corrupt fountain sends forth corrupt streams, so does a corrupt heart send forth corrupt reasonings, corrupt appetites and passions, and all the wicked words and actions that come from them. A spiritual understanding of the law of God, and a sense of the evil of sin, will cause a man to seek for the grace of the Holy Spirit, to keep down the evil thoughts and affections that work within.
Commentary on Mark 7:24-30
(Read Mark 7:24-30)
Christ never put any from him that fell at his feet, which a poor trembling soul may do. As she was a good woman, so a good mother. 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 comparison with which a single cure was but as a crumb. Thus, while proud Pharisees are left by the blessed Saviour, he manifests his compassion to poor humbled sinners, who look to him for children's bread. He still goes about to seek and save the lost.
Commentary on Mark 7:31-37
(Read Mark 7:31-37)
Here is a cure of one that was deaf and dumb. Those who brought this poor man to Christ, besought him to observe the case, and put forth his power. Our Lord used more outward actions in the doing of this cure than usual. These were only signs of Christ's power to cure the man, to encourage his faith, and theirs that brought him. Though we find great variety in the cases and manner of relief of those who applied to Christ, yet all obtained the relief they sought. Thus it still is in the great concerns of our souls.