Mark 7:26

Now she was a Greek woman of Syrophoenician origin, and she kept asking Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — The narrator identifies a Greek woman of Syrophoenician origin who is persistently pleading with Jesus to exorcise a demon from her daughter, following her approach and fall at His feet in Mark 7:25. This occurs during Jesus' ministry in the region of Tyre and Sidon, immediately before He addresses the priority of Israel in Mark 7:27.

The words — The text uses Ἑλληνὶς (Hellēnis) for "Greek" and Συροφοινίκισσα (Surophoinikissa) for "Syrophoenician" to specify her ethnic and geographic background. These terms identify her as a Gentile outsider to the Jewish covenant community.

The thread — Her Gentile identity connects to the foreign woman in Matthew 15:22 and anticipates the inclusion of non-Jews in Isaiah 49:12 and Galatians 3:28. These references establish a pattern of God's outreach extending beyond Israel to all nations.

Why it lands — The passage requires the reader to acknowledge that persistent faith operates regardless of ethnic boundaries. It demands recognition that Jesus' mission initially focuses on Israel before expanding to Gentiles, as shown in the surrounding dialogue.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Greek words

ἡhē<the>δὲdeNow γυνὴgunēthe woman ἦνēnwas ἙλληνὶςHellēnisGentile ΣυροφοινίκισσαSurophoinikissaSyrophoenician τῷtō<the>γένει,geneiby race,καὶkaiand ἠρώταērōtawas asking αὐτὸνautonHim ἵναinathat τὸtothe δαιμόνιονdaimoniondemon ἐκβάλῃekbalēHe may cast forth ἐκekout of τῆςtēsthe θυγατρὸςthugatrosdaughter αὐτῆς.autēsof her.

King James Version

The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.

Cross-references

Matthew 15:22 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.”
Isaiah 49:12 Behold, they will come from far away, from the north and from the west, and from the land of Aswan.”
Galatians 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
Colossians 3:11 Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free, but Christ is all and is in all.