In the Region of Tyre and Sidon ^a and in the Decapolis. Probably spring and summer, 29 A.D.

¹After these things, Jesus was walking in Galilee, for he wouldn’t walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill him.

²¹Jesus went out from there, and withdrew into the region of Tyre and Sidon. ²²Behold, a Canaanite woman came out from those borders, and cried, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, you son of David! ^b My daughter is severely demonized!”

²³But he answered her not a word.

His disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away; for she cries after us.”

²⁴But he answered, “I wasn’t sent to anyone but the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

²⁵But she came and worshiped him, saying, “Lord, help me.”

²⁶But he answered, “It is not appropriate to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

²⁷But she said, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”

²⁸Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Be it done to you even as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that hour.

²⁴From there he arose, and went away into the borders of Tyre and Sidon. He entered into a house, and didn’t want anyone to know it, but he couldn’t escape notice. ²⁵For a woman, whose little daughter had an unclean spirit, having heard of him, came and fell down at his feet. ²⁶Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by race. She begged him that he would cast the demon out of her daughter. ²⁷But Jesus said to her, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not appropriate to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

²⁸But she answered him, “Yes, Lord. Yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

²⁹He said to her, “For this saying, go your way. The demon has gone out of your daughter.”

³⁰She went away to her house, and found the child having been laid on the bed, with the demon gone out.

²⁹Jesus departed there, and came near to the sea of Galilee; and he went up into the mountain, and sat there.

³¹Again he departed from the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and came to the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the region of Decapolis.

³⁰Great multitudes came to him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others, and they put them down at his feet. He healed them, ³¹so that the multitude wondered when they saw the mute speaking, injured whole, lame walking, and blind seeing—and they glorified the God of Israel.

³²They brought to him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech. They begged him to lay his hand on him. ³³He took him aside from the multitude, privately, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat, and touched his tongue. ³⁴Looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha!” that is, “Be opened!” ³⁵Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was released, and he spoke clearly. ³⁶He commanded them that they should tell no one, but the more he commanded them, so much the more widely they proclaimed it. ³⁷They were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He makes even the deaf hear, and the mute speak!”

³²Jesus summoned his disciples and said, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days and have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away fasting, or they might faint on the way.”

³³The disciples said to him, “Where should we get so many loaves in a deserted place as to satisfy so great a multitude?”

³⁴Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?”

They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.”

³⁵He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground; ^{e 36}and he took the seven loaves and the fish. He gave thanks and broke them, and gave to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitudes. ³⁷They all ate, and were filled. They took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces that were left over. ³⁸Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.

¹In those days, when there was a very great multitude, and they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to himself, and said to them, ²“I have compassion on the multitude, because they have stayed with me now three days, and have nothing to eat. ³If I send them away fasting to their home, they will faint on the way, for some of them have come a long way.”

⁴His disciples answered him, “From where could one satisfy these people with bread here in a deserted place?”

⁵He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?”

They said, “Seven.”

⁶He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground, and he took the seven loaves. Having given thanks, he broke them, and gave them to his disciples to serve, and they served the multitude. ⁷They had a few small fish. Having blessed them, he said to serve these also. ⁸They ate, and were filled. They took up seven baskets of broken pieces that were left over. ⁹Those who had eaten were about four thousand. Then he sent them away.

³⁹Then he sent away the multitudes, got into the boat, and came into the borders of Magdala. 

¹⁰Immediately he entered into the boat with his disciples, and came into the region of Dalmanutha.

¹The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing him, asked him to show them a sign from heaven. ²But he answered them, “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ ³In the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Hypocrites! You know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but you can’t discern the signs of the times! ^{h 4}An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and there will be no sign given to it, except the sign of the prophet Jonah.”

He left them, and departed.

¹¹The Pharisees came out and began to question him, seeking from him a sign from heaven, and testing him. ¹²He sighed deeply in his spirit, and said, “Why does this generation[1] seek a sign? Most certainly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.”

[1]8:12 The word translated “generation” here (genea) could also be translated “people,” “race,” or “family.”

⁴An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and there will be no sign given to it, except the sign of the prophet Jonah.”

He left them, and departed.

¹³He left them, and again entering into the boat, departed to the other side.

a) The first time that Jesus left the confines of the ancient Eretz (Land of) Israel since His flight into Egypt.

b) How did she know this? We remember that there were people from Tyre and Sidon who listened to Jesus and witnessed His miracles. See Mark 9:8 (No. 69) ; Luke 6:17 (No. 72. 1). The title "Son of Man" was used and heard. Matt. 9:27 (No. 88) and Matt. 12:28 (No. 79).

c) No details are given of the journey itself: From Tyre and Sidon to the right over Lebanon and the upper waters of the Jordan, southward through the territory of Philip until He again reached the Sea of Galilee, but this time on the eastern or southeastern shores. Jesus had made a previous brief visit to this country during the Gadarene journey, after the Parables by the Sea.

d) The historians do not agree on the names of the Ten Cities. Following list may serve as a guide: 1) Scythopolis (Bethshean), the only one west of the Jordan; 2) Gadara; 3) Cerasa; 4) Canatha; 5) Abila; 6) Raphana; 7) Hippos; 8) Dion; 9) Pella; 10) Capitolias. To these may be added: 11) Philadelphia (Rabbath Ammon) and 12) Damascus.

e) The people are commanded to sit down on the bare ground. There is no reference to lilies and flowers, as when Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount, and to the green grass, as at the feeding of the five thousand at Bethsaida.

f) Some place on the Plain of Gennesaret contiguous both to Magdala, the home of Mary Magdalene, and an otherwise unknown Dalmanutha. In some manuscripts the reading is "Magadan" for "Magdala."

g) See Nos. 80, 111, 153.

h) Compare No. 161, 2.

i) See No. 114. Mark 8:22.

Bible References taken from:
The World English Bible (WEB) is a Public Domain (no copyright) Modern English translation of the Holy Bible, based on the American Standard Version of the Holy Bible first published in 1901, the Biblia Hebraica Stutgartensa Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament.