Online Resource Library
Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadHeinrich Meyer Commentary - Matthew 15:21 - 15:21
(Show All Books | Show All Chapters)
This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
Mat_15:21. Ἐκεῖθεν ] See Mat_14:34.
ἀνεχώρησεν ] He withdrew, to avoid being entrapped and molested by the Pharisees. Comp. Mat_12:15, Mat_14:13.
εἰς τὰ μέρη ] not: towards the districts, versus (Syr. Grotius, Bengel, Fritzsche, Olshausen), for the only meaning of εἰς that naturally and readily suggests itself is: into the districts (Mat_2:22), of Tyre and Sidon. This, however, is not to be understood as implying that Jesus had crossed the borders of Palestine and entered Gentile territory, which is precluded by the words of Mat_15:22 : ἀπὸ τ . ὁρίων ἐκ . ἐξελθοῦσα , but as meaning, that he went: into the (Galilean) districts which border upon the precincts of Tyre and Sidon. Comp. note on Mar_7:24, according to which evangelist Jesus does not pass through Sidon till afterwards, when proceeding farther on His way (Mar_7:31). This in answer to Chrysostom, Theophylact, Euth. Zigabenus, de Wette, Arnoldi, Bleek, Schenkel, whose expedient of supposing that Jesus betook Himself to this Gentile valley, not for the purpose of teaching, but to make Himself acquainted with the feelings of the people who lived there (Schenkel), may be pronounced to be as arbitrary as the supposition that He only wanted (Calvin) to give praeludia quaedam of the conversion of the Gentiles.