The Meaning of Matthew 15:28 Explained

Matthew 15:28

KJV: Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

YLT: then answering, Jesus said to her, 'O woman, great is thy faith, let it be to thee as thou wilt;' and her daughter was healed from that hour.

Darby: Then Jesus answering said to her, O woman, thy faith is great. Be it to thee as thou desirest. And her daughter was healed from that hour.

ASV: Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it done unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was healed from that hour.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then  Jesus  answered  and said  unto her,  O  woman,  great  [is] thy  faith:  be it  unto thee  even as  thou wilt.  And  her  daughter  was made whole  from  that very  hour. 

What does Matthew 15:28 Mean?

Study Notes

great is thy faith
See, Luke 7:7-9 ; Mark 6:6 Faith honours God, knowing that he is faithful. cf. 1 John 5:10 .

Verse Meaning

In the spiritual sense Gentiles were "far off" until Calvary, when Jesus reconciled them. Then they enjoyed equal footing with Jews in the church ( Ephesians 2-3).
This miracle was another important lesson for the disciples. The Jews had priority in God"s kingdom program. However, God would deliver Gentiles who also came to Him in humble dependence relying only on His power and mercy for salvation.
"In this miracle of mercy there is a clear foreview of Gentile blessing which fits the pattern established in Matthew 1:1 and Romans 15:8-9. The actions of Christ show that He was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, for confirmation of the promises made unto the fathers and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy." [1]

Context Summary

Matthew 15:21-28 - The Reward Of An Outsider's Faith
A crumb from the table of our Lord can make the heart satisfied and glad. But the suppliant must take the right place and give Him His right place. This poor Gentile mother had no claim on Jesus as the son of David-He was therefore silent. It was impossible for her to come in by the door of the covenant, but His silence led her to knock at another door, and taught her to cry, Lord, help me.
There was yet another lesson for her to learn and the Lord knew that she was capable of learning it. She must realize that for the time His ministry was confined to the Chosen People, so that the Gentile claim could be recognized only incidentally. But when she was willing to take the low place under the table and ask for the children's crumbs, He put the key of His unsearchable riches into her hand, saying, "Woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt." Those who yield to God most absolutely are able to decree things! See Job 22:28; John 15:7. [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 15

1  Jesus reproves the Scribes and Pharisees
7  for transgressing God's commandments through their own traditions;
10  teaches how that which goes into the mouth does not defile a man
21  He heals the daughter of the woman of Canaan,
29  and other great multitudes;
32  and with seven loaves and a few small fish feeds four thousand men

Greek Commentary for Matthew 15:28

As thou wilt [ως τελεις]
Her great faith and her keen rejoinder won her case. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 15:28

Matthew 8:10 So great faith [τοσαυτην πιστιν]
In a Roman centurion and greater than in any of the Jews. In like manner Jesus marvelled at the great faith of the Canaanitish woman (Matthew 15:28). [source]
Mark 7:29 For this saying [δια τουτον τον λογον]
She had faith, great faith as Matthew 15:28 shows, but it was her quick and bright repartee that pleased Jesus. He had missed his rest, but it was worth it to answer a call like this. [source]

What do the individual words in Matthew 15:28 mean?

Then answering - Jesus said to her O woman great [is] of you the faith Be it to you as you desire And was healed daughter of her from the hour that
Τότε ἀποκριθεὶς Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτῇ γύναι μεγάλη σου πίστις γενηθήτω σοι ὡς θέλεις καὶ ἰάθη θυγάτηρ αὐτῆς ἀπὸ τῆς ὥρας ἐκείνης

ἀποκριθεὶς  answering 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Participle Passive, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ἀποκρίνομαι  
Sense: to give an answer to a question proposed, to answer.
  - 
Parse: Article, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Ἰησοῦς  Jesus 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰησοῦς  
Sense: Joshua was the famous captain of the Israelites, Moses’ successor.
εἶπεν  said 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: λέγω  
Sense: to speak, say.
αὐτῇ  to  her 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
  O 
Parse: Interjection
Root: ὦ2  
Sense: the interjection, O!.
γύναι  woman 
Parse: Noun, Vocative Feminine Singular
Root: γυνή  
Sense: a woman of any age, whether a virgin, or married, or a widow.
μεγάλη  great  [is] 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: μέγας  
Sense: great.
σου  of  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
πίστις  faith 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: πίστις  
Sense: conviction of the truth of anything, belief; in the NT of a conviction or belief respecting man’s relationship to God and divine things, generally with the included idea of trust and holy fervour born of faith and joined with it.
γενηθήτω  Be  it 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Imperative Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: γίνομαι  
Sense: to become, i.
σοι  to  you 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Dative 2nd Person Singular
Root: σύ  
Sense: you.
θέλεις  you  desire 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Active, 2nd Person Singular
Root: θέλω  
Sense: to will, have in mind, intend.
ἰάθη  was  healed 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἰάομαι  
Sense: to cure, heal.
θυγάτηρ  daughter 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Feminine Singular
Root: θυγάτηρ  
Sense: a daughter.
αὐτῆς  of  her 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Root: αὐτός  
Sense: himself, herself, themselves, itself.
ὥρας  hour 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: ὥρα  
Sense: a certain definite time or season fixed by natural law and returning with the revolving year.
ἐκείνης  that 
Parse: Demonstrative Pronoun, Genitive Feminine Singular
Root: ἐκεῖνος  
Sense: he, she it, etc.