John Calvin on Matthew 15:20

And pollute the man. Instead of the verb pollute, the Greek term is κοινοῖ, make common; as Mark, a little before, (7:2,) used the phrase, κοιναῖς χερσὶ, with common hands, for with unclean hands. “Les mains communes pour souillees et non lavees;” — “common hands for polluted and not washed.” It is a Hebrew phrase; “C’est une facon de parler propre aux Hebrieux;” — “it is a mode of speaking peculiar to the Hebrews.” for, since God had set apart the Jews on the condition that they should separate themselves from all the pollutions of the Gentiles, everything that was inconsistent with this holiness was called common, that is, profane.

Matthew 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30

Matthew 15:21-28

Mark 7:24-30

21. And Jesus departing thence withdrew into the territories of Tyre and Sidon. 22. And, lo, a woman of Canaan, who had come from those territories, cried saying, Have compassion on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously afflicted by a devil. 23. But he made no reply to her, and his disciples approaching implored him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. 24. But he answering said, I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25. And she came and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26. But he answering said, It is not seemly to take the children’s bread, and throw it to the dogs. 27. But she said, Certainly, O Lord; yet the dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from the table of their masters. 28. Then Jesus answering said to her, O woman, great is thy faith; be it to thee as thou desirest. And her daughter was cured from that time. “Et des ce mesme instant sa fille fut guairie;” — “and from that very instant her daughter was cured.”

24. And he arose and departed thence into the borders of Tyre and Sidon; and, entering into a house, he wished that no man should know it, but he could not be concealed. 25. For a woman, whose daughter had an unclean spirit, no sooner heard of him than she came and fell at his feet, 26. (For the woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by birth,) and implored him to cast the devil out of her daughter. 27. And Jesus said to her, Allow the children to be first satisfied; for it is not seemly to take the children’s bread, and throw it to the dogs. 28. But she replied and said to him, Certainly, O Lord; for even the dogs “Car les chiens mangent, ou, mais aussi les chiens mangent;” — “for the dogs eat, or, but even the dogs eat.” under the table eat of the children’s crumbs. 29. And he said to her, On account of that saying go away, the devil is gone out of thy daughter. 30. And when she had gone to her own house, she found that the devil had gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed.