Mark 7:25
in Mark 7Instead, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit soon heard about Jesus, and she came and fell at His feet.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But straightway a woman, whose little daughter had an unclean spirit, having heard of him, came and fell down at his feet.
KJV
For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:
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This verse in Mark 7
Commentary
11 notes on this verseThe aforementioned woman, having heard about Him, displays a fervent faith. Therefore the Lord does not immediately consent to her request, but delays the gift in order to show that the woman's faith is firm and that she waits patiently despite the refusal. Let us …
This site's exposition
a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit
on Mark 7:25-26
Mark names the woman twice over, a Greek woman of Syrophoenician origin, Greek by religion and culture and Syrophoenician by birth. The double name sets her outside the covenant people on both counts a Jewish reader would know.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(de Con. Evan. 2, 49) It appears however that some question about a discrepancy may be raised, because it is said that the Lord was in the house when the woman came to her, asking about her daughter. When, however, Matthew says that His disciples had suggested to Him, Send her away, for she crieth after us, (Matt. 15:23) he appears to imply nothing less than that the woman uttered supplicating cries after the Lord, as He walked. How then do we infer that she was in the house, except by gathering it from Mark, who says that she came in to Jesus, after having before said that He was in the house? But Matthew in that he says, He answered her not a word, gave us to understand that He went out, during that silence, from the house; thus too the other events are connected together, so that they now in no way disagree. It continues; But he said unto her, Let the children be first filled.
The Medieval Church2 voices
(ubi sup.) Lastly, the Canaanitish woman came in to Him, on hearing of Him; if she had not first submitted herself to the God of the Jews, she would not have obtained their benefit. Concerning her it continues: For a woman, whose daughter had an unclean spirit, as soon as she had heard of him, came in and fell at his feet.
Mystically however the Gentile woman, who prays for her daughter, is our mother the Church of Rome. Her daughter afflicted with a devil, is the barbarian western race, which by faith hath been turned from a dog into a sheep. She desires to take the crumbs of spiritual understanding, not the unbroken bread of the letter.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The application made to him by a poor woman in distress and trouble. She was a Gentile, a Greek, a stranger to the commonwealth of Israel, an alien to the covenant of promise; she was by extraction a Syrophenician, and not in any degree proselyted to the Jewish religion; she had a daughter, a young daughter, that was possessed with the devil.
For a certain woman,....
4 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit--or, as in Matthew (Mt 15:22), "was badly demonized." heard of him--One wonders how; but distress is quick of hearing. and fell at his feet:
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
proposed
We know nothing of the woman who is here mentioned, beyond the facts that we here read. Her name, her former history, the way in which she was led to seek our Lord, though a Gentile, and dwelling in the borders of Tyre and Sidon — all these things are hidden from us. But the few facts that are related about this woman are full of precious instruction. Let us observe them, and learn wisdom. In the first place, this passage is meant to encourage us to pray for others . The woman who came to our Lord, in the history now before us, must doubtless have been in deep affliction. She saw a beloved child possessed by an unclean spirit. She saw her in a condition in which no teaching could reach the mind, and no medicine could heal the body — a condition only one degree better than death itself. She hears of Jesus, and beseeches Him to "cast the demon out of her daughter." She prays for one who could not pray for herself, and never rests until her prayer is granted. By prayer she obtains the cure which no human means could obtain. Through the prayer of the mother, the daughter is healed. On her own behalf that daughter did not speak a word; but her mother spoke for her to the Lord, and did not speak in vain. Hopeless and desperate as her case appeared, she had a praying mother, and where there is a praying mother there is always hope. The truth here taught is one of deep importance. The case here recorded is one that does not stand alone. Few duties are so strongly recommended by Scriptural example, as the duty of intercessory prayer. There is a long catalogue of instances in Scripture, which show the benefits that may be conferred on others by praying for them. The nobleman's son at Capernaum — the centurion's servant — the daughter of Jairus, are all striking examples.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
proposed
We know nothing of the woman who is here mentioned, beyond the facts that we here read. Her name, her former history, the way in which she was led to seek our Lord, though a Gentile, and dwelling in the borders of Tyre and Sidon — all these things are hidden from us. But the few facts that are related about this woman are full of precious instruction. Let us observe them, and learn wisdom. In the first place, this passage is meant to encourage us to pray for others .
A certain woman - See this account of the Syrophoenician woman explained at large, Mat 15:21-28 (note).
The words behind it
19 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ἀλλ᾽ | all᾽ | But | G235 → | 635 times |
| εὐθὺς | euthus | immediately | G2112 → | 87 times |
| ἀκούσασα | akousasa | having heard | G191 → | 425 times |
| γυνὴ | gune | a woman | G1135 → | 211 times |
| περὶ | peri | about | G4012 → | 332 times |
| αὐτοῦ | autou | Him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἧς | hes | of whom | G3739 → | 1405 times |
| εἶχεν | eichen | had | G2192 → | 707 times |
| τὸ | to | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| θυγάτριον | thugatrion | little daughter | G2365 → | |
| αὐτῆς | autes | of her | G846 → | 5565 times |
| πνεῦμα | pneuma | spirit | G4151 → | 378 times |
| ἀκάθαρτον, | akatharton | unclean, | G169 → | 32 times |
| ἐλθοῦσα | elthousa | having come | G2064 → | 628 times |
| προσέπεσεν | prosepesen | she fell | G4363 → | 8 times |
| πρὸς | pros | at | G4314 → | 700 times |
| τοὺς | tous | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| πόδας | podas | feet | G4228 → | 93 times |
| αὐτοῦ· | autou | of Him; | G846 → | 5565 times |
ἀλλ᾽But
all᾽G235 →635 times
εὐθὺςimmediately
euthusG2112 →87 times
ἀκούσασαhaving heard
akousasaG191 →425 times
γυνὴa woman
guneG1135 →211 times
περὶabout
periG4012 →332 times
αὐτοῦHim
autouG846 →5565 times
ἧςof whom
hesG3739 →1405 times
εἶχενhad
eichenG2192 →707 times
τὸthe
toG3588 →19766 times
θυγάτριονlittle daughter
thugatrionG2365 →
αὐτῆςof her
autesG846 →5565 times
πνεῦμαspirit
pneumaG4151 →378 times
ἀκάθαρτον,unclean,
akathartonG169 →32 times
ἐλθοῦσαhaving come
elthousaG2064 →628 times
προσέπεσενshe fell
prosepesenG4363 →8 times
πρὸςat
prosG4314 →700 times
τοὺςthe
tousG3588 →19766 times
πόδαςfeet
podasG4228 →93 times
αὐτοῦ·of Him;
autouG846 →5565 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Mark 1:40Then a leper came to Jesus, begging on his knees: “If You are willing, You can make me clean.”
it leads to
- Luke 5:12–14
While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell facedown and begged Him, “Lord, if You are willing, You can…
- Matthew 8:2–4
Suddenly a leper came and knelt before Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”
- Leviticus 13:1–14
Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
- 2 Samuel 3:29
May it whirl over the heads of Joab and the entire house of his father, and may the house of Joab never be without one having a discharge or skin disease, or one who…
- Luke 5:12–14
Through
Matthew 15:22And a Canaanite woman from that region came to Him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is miserably possessed by a demon.”
it leads to
- Matthew 9:27
As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”
- Matthew 17:15
“Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering terribly. He often falls into the fire or into the water.
- Mark 7:25–26
Instead, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit soon heard about Jesus, and she came and fell at His feet.
- Psalms 45:12
The Daughter of Tyre will come with a gift; men of wealth will seek your favor.
- Matthew 9:27
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Mark
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Augustine of Hippo, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels, Mark; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Pseudo-Augustine, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Pseudo-Jerome, Catena Aurea by Aquinas and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Mark.