Matthew 15:26
Sunday, 4 January 2026
But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” Matthew 15:26
“And answering, He said, ‘It is not good to take the children’s bread and cast to the puppies’” (CG).
In the previous verse, the Canaanite woman came to Jesus and worshiped Him and asked Him to help her. Following this, Matthew records, “And answering, He said, ‘It is not good to take the children’s bread and cast to the puppies.’”
A new word is seen, kunarion, a diminutive form of kuón, a dog. Thus, it refers to a puppy. The word is found only four times. All four are in the same account found in Matthew and Mark. According to the Law of Moses, a dog is an unclean animal in regard to dietary restrictions.
It does not logically follow that dogs are unclean and not to be associated with, apart from those dietary laws. If that were true, those of Israel could not ride on donkeys, horses, mules, or camels. Therefore, equating a dog to something inherently unclean is not something to be found in Jesus’ words.
Further, Jesus’ words about casting the bread of the children to the puppies are not devaluing the woman at all. It is simply a truth that Jesus, the Bread of Life, was sent to the house of Israel, not to the Gentiles.
And that brings up the obvious metaphor used in the Hebrew Scriptures of Caleb. His name means Dog. He is used typologically as a picture of the Gentiles every time he is mentioned. Likewise, in Judges 7:5, the dog is used again typologically referring to Gentiles –
“So he brought the people down to the water. And the Lord said to Gideon, ‘Everyone who laps from the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set apart by himself; likewise everyone who gets down on his knees to drink.’” Judges 7:5
In that seemingly cryptic passage, the focus is not on how the lapping is conducted but on which animal did the lapping, the dog. The dog, anticipating Gentiles in Scripture, is thus typologically equated in that story to the fact that Gentiles during the church age will lap up the water (the word, Christ, the Spirit, etc.), meaning by faith. They reflect those who will engage in the spiritual battle that Israel failed to accept at the coming of Christ.
Jesus’ words here do not speak in a derogatory manner. Rather, there is the matter of priority. God covenanted with Israel. Therefore, Jesus’ ministry was to be focused on the House of Israel. Only after they rejected Jesus would the Gentiles become the focus of God’s ongoing redemptive narrative.
Life application: It has been said that the actions of Jesus toward this Canaanite woman show a flippant, derogatory attitude toward Gentiles. The exact opposite is the case. Referring to a group of people by their nature is simply a way of making people understand a particular point about them. This is as common as threads in a weaving factory.
Throughout the Bible, the names of people groups are identified by the things they do, the places they live, or certain characteristics they possess. This is true in both testaments. Instead of finding offense in such things, we should try to discover why the name of a person or a people group identifies them in such a way.
By doing this, we will understand more about their nature and how God and other people groups perceive them. Further, when we understand these things, we can then understand how they and their names anticipate other things typologically. The entire Old Testament is filled with typology, anticipating other truths that are realized in Jesus Christ, His church, the future state of Israel, the dispensations of time, and so forth.
The only thing that is derogatory about the account of Jesus and this Canaanite woman is how people misuse it for various reasons. However, in understanding how God views the Gentiles, using the dog as a metaphor for them, and then in understanding the noble traits of the dog, we find that God is actually exalting the Gentiles, placing them in a preeminent position in Scripture.
While Israel failed to accept Jesus, the dogs of the world, the Gentile people, have been lapping up the spiritual truths of the word, faithfully following their Master, eagerly awaiting His return, and doggedly defending His house until He returns. Hooray for the dog! For a wonderful, short look at the dog, check out this song by Wendy J Francisco: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H17edn_RZoY&list=RDH17edn_RZoY&start_radio=1
Lord God, Your creation reflects You in such wonderful ways. You created the dog, which is faithful, loving, infinitely patient, and always forgiving when we return to it. Thank You for what we can learn about You when we consider our pet dogs. Amen.
