Matthew 16

Matthew 16:1

Behold, a woman of Canaan. The name Canaan was the oldest bestowed upon the country, and all the heathen inhabitants were often called Canaanites, whether of the same stock or not. Mark says that the woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician (Mr 7:26); i.e., a Gentile, and a Syro-Phoenician, because she lived in the district of Syria called Phoenicia. Have mercy on me. She has a boon to ask for her daughter, or rather indeed for herself, for so entirely had she made her daughter’s misery her own. O Lord, [thou] son of David. It is remarkable that two of the brightest examples of faith seen in the ministry of Christ were exhibited by Gentiles, that of the centurion (Matthew 8:8-10), and of this woman. The fact that the latter addresses Jesus as “the son of David”, shows that she knew of the prophecies concerning the Christ and that he would be the son of David. My daughter is grievously afflicted with a devil. More correctly, “a demon”. See PNT Matthew 8:29.

Matthew 16:2

He answered her not a word. He neither repelled her, nor made a favorable answer. There were reasons for hesitation, but there is no doubt that it was his purpose to have mercy. See PNT Matthew 15:24. He delayed in order to bring out a great lesson.

Matthew 16:3

I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. The Lord’s “personal” mission was to the Jews. Under the first commission his apostles were directed to go only to the Jews (Matthew 10:6). It would be impossible to evangelize the Gentiles without setting aside the Jewish customs, the law of Moses, and arousing the bitterest prejudice of the Jews. Hence it was the divine plan that the Son should “keep the law blameless” during his ministry. It was only when the Jews crucified him that “the handwriting of ordinances was nailed to the cross” (Colossians 2:14), the “wall of partition” (Ephesians 2:14) between Jews and Gentiles broken down, and all prepared for the Great Commission which bade his disciples “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mr 16:15).

Matthew 16:4

Then came she and worshipped him. Instead of being discouraged by the words of Christ, she only became the more earnest.

Matthew 16:5

It is not meet to take the children’s bread. She knew that, in comparing the Jews to the children of God’s family, and the heathen to the dogs without, he simply used the customary language of a Jew. He would bring out fully the greatness of her faith. The gospel was offered first to the Jews and then to all.

Matthew 16:6

Truth, Lord. Observe that she acquiesces heartily in Christ’s declaration: it is not fit that the dogs be fed “before” the children. Yet the dogs eat of the crumbs. The Greek word for “crumbs”, “psichion”, is a diminutive, and means “little crumbs”.

Matthew 16:7

Woman, great [is] thy faith. We can see how greatness of faith is manifested: (1) She came to Christ under difficulties. (2) She persevered when her prayer seemed to be denied. (3) She still pleaded when obstacles were presented. (4) She waited at the feet of the Lord until he had mercy. Such faith always prevails. Her daughter was made whole. Mark, who adds some features omitted by Matthew, follows the woman home, where she found her daughter no longer raving, or in convulsions, but lying quiet on the bed, healed in consequence of her mother’s faith and prayers (Mr 7:30).

Matthew 16:8

And Jesus departed from thence. How long Jesus stayed in these parts is unknown.

Matthew 16:9

And great multitudes came unto him. Where he had retired for rest and solitude to a mountain (Matthew 15:29).

Matthew 16:10

Glorified the God of Israel. They were Jews, but living on the border, somewhat under heathen ideas. The miracles of Christ led them to praise and reverence Jehovah.

Matthew 16:11

I have compassion on the multitude. Because while seeking him in his mountain solitude many of them had been for three days without regular food.

Matthew 16:12

Whence should we get so much bread? This was not said in ignorance of the Lord’s creative power, but probably to suggest the need of its exercise. They could not have forgotten the events narrated in Matthew 14:15-21.

Matthew 16:14

He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. Not on the grass, as in Matthew 14:19, for they were in a bare, desolate, grassless region, such as the greater part of Judea is today.

Matthew 16:17

Four thousand. Instead of 5,000, as in the former miracle (Matthew 14:21).

Matthew 16:18

Came into the coasts of Magdala. He took the boat to escape the multitude. Magdala was on the western shore of the lake, three miles north of Tiberias. The Revised Version says “Magadan”, supposed to have been a village near Magdala. Mark says “Dalmanutha” (Mr 8:10). The meaning is that he came into the vicinity of all three of these places, which were near each other.

Matthew 16:20

The Foundation of the Church SUMMARY OF MATTHEW 16: A Sign Demanded. The Leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. At Caesarea Philippi. The Elias Who Should Come. The Confession of Peter. The Rock on Which the Church Should Be Founded. The Keys. Christ’s Death at Jerusalem Foretold. The Rebuke of Peter. Losing Life and Finding It. The Coming of the Son of Man. The Pharisees also with the Sadducees. Compare Mr 8:10-13. For description of these two sects, see PNT Matthew 3:7. It is the first time the latter party is mentioned as opposed to Christ. A sign from heaven. Some mighty, visible miracle. See Matthew 12:38. Still in Paul’s time “the Jews required a sign (1 Corinthians 1:22).

Matthew 16:22

Can ye not [discern] the signs of the times. They could read the weather, but were blind to the events (signs of the times) that showed the fulfillment of prophecy, the end of the Jewish dispensation, and the establishment of the Messiah’s kingdom.

Matthew 16:23

The sign of the prophet Jonas. See PNT Matthew 12:40.

Matthew 16:24

His disciples were come to the other side. They crossed over the sea to the eastern shore. Had forgotten to take bread. They had started on a journey to Caesarea Philippi, partly through a wilderness country, and would need a supply. Mark says that they had one loaf. Compare Mr 8:14-21.

Matthew 16:25

Beware of the leaven, etc. The teaching and influence which spreads like leaven. See Matthew 16:12. The figure of the leaven was suggested by their need of bread. Sadducees. Mark instead of “of the Sadducees”, says, “of Herod” (Mr 8:15). Herod and his followers were Sadducees.

Matthew 16:26

[It is] because we have taken no bread. The thoughts of the disciples were so fixed upon their failure to supply bread that they thought the remark about leaven contained a rebuke. The Lord reminds them of his creative power, and how it has been put forth.