The exorcism of the Syrophoenician woman's daughter is one of the miracles of Jesus and is recounted in the Gospel of Mark in chapter 7 (Mark 7:24–30) and in the Gospel of Matthew in chapter 15 (Matthew 15:21–28). In Matthew, the story is recounted as the healing of a Canaanite woman's daughter.Jesus the miracle worker: a historical & theological study by Graham H. Twelftree 1999 pp. 133–134 According to both accounts, Jesus exorcised the woman's daughter whilst travelling in the region of Tyre and Sidon, on account of the faith shown by the woman.

The third-century pseudo-Clementine homily refers to her name as Justa and her daughter's name as Berenice. Also at 3.73 and 4.1.

In art, one or more dogs (otherwise unusual in New Testament scenes) are very often shown; Tobias and the Angel is the only other biblical subject in art to typically include a dog. More rarely the stricken daughter is seen.

Passage

The relevant passage in Matthew 15:22–28 reads as follows:

Many English translations of the Gospels state that Jesus was in the region of Tyre and Sidon and had from Galilee where he had entered in discussion with the Pharisees over their interpretation of the Jewish law.Translations available at Biblegateway.com The Geneva Bible and the King James Version suggest that the visit was to the coast (i.e. the Mediterranean Sea), but the Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges argues that Jesus went to "the neighbourhood, [or] district, not the sea-shore, as might be thought".Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges on Matthew 15, accessed 22 January 2017

This episode is, according to Graham H. Twelftree, an example of how Jesus emphasizes the value of faith, as also shown in the Healing the Centurion's servant episode.

Syrophoenician woman

The woman described in the miracle, the Syrophoenician woman (Mark 7:26; , ) is also called a "Canaanite" (Matthew 15:22; , ) and is an unidentified New Testament woman from the region of Tyre and Sidon. "The woman is[...] described as Syrophoenician by race. It is unclear whether Mark seeks to distinguish between a Phoenician from Syria and one from North Africa or between someone living in the coastal area of Syria and someone living in the central part."

The Gospel of Mark describes the woman as "Gentile" or "Greek", while the Gospel of Matthew identifies her as a "Canaanite". "Canaanite" could be interpreted as a deliberate rhetorical device because they did not literally exist as a recognizable ethnicity in 1st century CE Judea. In Jewish literature, Canaanites were synonymous with "the opponent" and "idolatry", even if the person was of Israelite descent.

Commentary Thomas Aquinas comments on this passage in his homily on the sinful soul, saying,

Charles Ellicott contrasts this miracle with the miraculous healing of the centurion's servant in . According to Ellicott, whilst both miracles showed Jesus's willingness to help Gentiles, Jesus had a more favorable view of the centurion. Compared to the Syrophoenician woman, the centurion behaved like the proselyte of the gate, due to his contributions in building a synagogue and moral conduct, which was commended by Jewish elders. Meanwhile, the Syrophoenician woman made no attempt to show she was a true convert. Ellicott also links Jesus's hostility to the curse of Canaan in since Syrophoenicians descended from Canaan. Nonetheless, shows Jesus's receptivity to Syrians, including those that did not openly profess their faith. According to Chrysostom, the Syrians demonstrated their strong faith by directly bringing their sick to him.

Mookgo S. Kgatle describes the Syrophoenician woman as a social activist against traditional Jewish views about gender, purity and ethnicity. However, she accepts the reality of her outsider status when it came to membership in God's chosen people. Kgatle notes that ancient Jewish culture used 'dog' to describe enemies of Israel, regardless of background, and also, generic contempt, unworthiness, religious profanity or alternatively, humility. He also says that the author of the Gospel of Matthew deliberately changed the woman's ethnicity from Syrophoenician to Canaanite to show that she was "unclean and pagan" and the presence of an "Israel-centered conflict" between her and Judeans.

Gallery

See also Life of Jesus in the New Testament Ministry of Jesus Miracles of Jesus Parables of Jesus Perfection of Christ 1st century in Lebanon Asian feminist theology

References

Further reading

Burkill, T. A. "The Historical Development of the Story of the Syrophoenician Woman (Mark vii: 24–31).", Novum Testamentum 9 (1967): 161–177. Downing, F. Gerald. "The Woman from Syrophoenicia, and her Doggedness: Mark 7:24–31 (Matthew 15:21–28)." Women in the Biblical Tradition. Ed. George J. Brooke. Lewiston: The Edwin Mellen Press, 1992. 129–149. Schäfler, Markus, "The Syrophoenician Woman (Mk 7:24–31)" Alt, C., The Dynamic of Humility and Wisdom: The Syrophoenician Woman and Jesus in Mark 7:24–31a, Lumen et Vita, Vol. 2, 2012 Alonso, P. 2011. The woman who changed Jesus. Crossing Boundaries in Mk 7:24–30. Biblical tools and studies, 11 . Peeters Publishers.

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