But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little 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.
- BSB But Jesus replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the 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 7:27–28But 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.”
- Matt 7:6“Don’t give that which is holy to the dogs, neither throw your pearls before the pigs, lest perhaps they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
- Phil 3:2Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision.
- Eph 2:12that you were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
- Gal 2:15“We, being Jews by nature, and not Gentile sinners,
- Rev 22:15Outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
- Acts 22:21–22“He said to me, ‘Depart, for I will send you out far from here to the Gentiles.’”
- Rom 9:4who are Israelites; whose is the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service, 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.