7:27a–b

In these verses Jesus replied to the Gentile woman with a parable. You can translate this figurative language in several ways:

• Maintain the figurative language. For example, the New Century Version says:

It is not right to take the children’s bread and give it to the dogs. First let the children eat all they want.

• Maintain the figurative language and make the meaning clear. For example:

First I should help my own family, the Jews. It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs. (New Living Translation, 1996 edition)
-or-
First allow me to give my own people, the Jews, what they need. Otherwise, it is like taking bread from children and throwing it to dogs.

• Make the figure clear without using figurative language.

I should help the people of Israel first before the people of other nations.

If possible, you should keep the figurative language and follow one of the first two examples. In some languages it may be helpful to introduce Jesus’ words by indicating that he answered in a figurative way. For example:

Jesus answered with an illustration/parable

7:27a

First: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as First in this context means “first in time.” It indicates “The first thing to do is…”

let: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as let means “allow.” (The verb form is second person singular.) It is worded as a request to the woman with the implied subject “you.” It indicates that she should allow the children (Jews) to be satisfied first before Jesus granted her own request. In some languages it may be more natural to phrase this request in another way. For example:

First, allow the children to eat…
-or-
Let us first feed the children. (Good News Bible)

children: The word children is used here in a figurative way to refer to the people of Israel, the Jews. Jesus was a Jew. This word does not refer only to literal children.

have their fill: Another way to say have their fill is “eat until they are satisfied.”

He said: In Greek, the phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as He said comes at the beginning of 7:27a. The Berean Standard Bible has changed the order. You should place this phrase where it is most natural in your language.

7:27b

For: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as For introduces the reason that Jesus gave for not healing the woman’s daughter immediately. He at first refused because it is not right to give the children’s food to dogs.

Many versions do not translate the word For. For example, the God’s Word says:

First, let the children eat all they want. It’s not right to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.

You should indicate this reason in a way that is natural in your language.

it is not right: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as not right literally means “not good,” or “not proper.” It does not mean that it is sinful or morally wrong.

children’s bread: The figurative expression that the Berean Standard Bible translates as children’s bread refers to things that will benefit the people of Israel. In this context it refers specifically to the help that Jesus gave to people by healing them.

bread: Bread was the main food of the people who lived in that area at the time of Jesus. Here the word bread is used in a figurative sense to refer to all food. If the people in your area do not commonly eat bread, it may be natural to follow the God’s Word:

It’s not right to take the children’s food

and toss it to the dogs: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as dogs is used figuratively to refer to people who were not Jewish. When Jewish people referred to someone as a dog, they were insulting him.

General Comment on 7:27a–b

In some languages, it may be more natural to change the order of 7:27a and 7:27b. For example:

27bIt is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs. 27aThat is the reason why I ask you to first let the children eat all they want.

© 2008 by SIL International®

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All Scripture quotations in this publication, unless otherwise indicated, are from The Holy Bible, Berean Standard Bible.
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