But Jesus replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
Parallel translations
- WEB But he answered, “It is not appropriate to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”
- KJV But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.
- NKJV But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”
- NASB Yet He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”
- NLT Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus says it is not right to take the children's bread and give it to the dogs. It matters because it appears to test the woman's faith with the priority of Israel.
Overview
Using a household image, Jesus contrasts the 'children' (Israel) with 'dogs' (Gentiles), reflecting the redemptive priority of his mission. The term he uses denotes a household pet rather than a wild scavenger, softening the saying. Rather than insult, the words function as a final test, inviting the woman to a deeper expression of faith. Her humble, clever reply will show she has grasped grace better than many in Israel.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Mark 7:27–28“First let the children have their fill,” He said. “For it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”
- Matt 7:6Do not give dogs what is holy; do not throw your pearls before swine. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.
- Phil 3:2Watch out for those dogs, those workers of evil, those mutilators of the flesh!
- Eph 2:12remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.
- Gal 2:15We who are Jews by birth and not Gentile “sinners”
- Rev 22:15But outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
- Acts 22:21–22Then He said to me, ‘Go! I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”
- Rom 9:4the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory and the covenants; theirs the giving of the law, the temple worship, and the promises.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 15:26 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.