Neither the silence of Jesus nor the request of the disciples are included in the Marcan parallel (7.26-27), which suggests that both details may be of particular significance for Matthew. The use of a question by the disciples to express their misunderstanding, thereby clearing the way for Jesus to give further instruction to them, is also typical of Matthew’s style.
He, of course, is Jesus, not the demon.
Came is used as it was in 13.10; the disciples are already present on the scene, but they “come up to him” or “gather around him.” Perhaps they were walking behind Jesus in a somewhat loosely knit group, followed by the woman; but now they move up to where Jesus was walking ahead of the group. Translators can say “approached” or “went up to.”
Begged translates an imperfect verb tense which may imply the continuation of action: “Kept asking” (New American Standard Bible [New American Standard Bible]). For many English readers begged and “pleaded with” (New Jerusalem Bible) would suggest action in progress.
Send her away of Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, New English Bible, and Barclay (New American Bible “Get rid of her”) represents the interpretation pursued in most translations. But as New Jerusalem Bible points out with allusion to 18.27 and 27.15, the text may be translated “Give her what she wants.” This meaning is also given as an alternative possibility in Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, but it finds very little support elsewhere. For this reason most translations will have a phrase such as “Tell her to go away.”
For she is crying after us is made into a complete sentence with two verbs by Good News Translation: “She is following us and making all this noise!” The Greek verb represented by crying is first used in 8.29, where it is translated “cried out.” The difficulty with Revised Standard Version is that the reader may assume literal crying on the part of the woman, when the verb actually means “cry out,” “scream,” “shout,” as in verse 22. Translator’s New Testament lends itself to ambiguity, especially should the reader pause in the wrong place: “She is crying out behind us.” Crying may be rendered “shouting out so loudly.” “She is following us making a lot of noise” or “She keeps on shouting and following us” are other possibilities.
Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .