The term "Syrophoenician" appears in the New Testament and is used to describe a woman of mixed Syrian and Phoenician descent. This designation is significant in understanding the cultural and ethnic context of the regions surrounding ancient Israel during the time of Jesus Christ.

Biblical Reference:

The Syrophoenician woman is mentioned in the Gospel of Mark. In Mark 7:24-30 , Jesus travels to the region of Tyre and Sidon, where He encounters a woman described as a "Syrophoenician by birth." The passage reads:

> "Jesus left that place and went to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know He was there, yet He could not escape notice. Instead, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about Him and came and fell at His feet. Now the woman was a Gentile of Syrophoenician origin, and she kept asking Him to drive the demon out of her daughter. 'First let the children have their fill,' He said. 'For it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.' 'Yes, Lord,' she replied, 'even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.' Then Jesus told her, 'Because of this answer, you may go. The demon has left your daughter.' And she went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon was gone."

Cultural and Historical Context:

The term "Syrophoenician" reflects the geographical and cultural blend of the region. Phoenicia was a coastal area known for its seafaring and trade, while Syria was a larger region to the east. The Syrophoenician woman represents the Gentile population living in these areas, distinct from the Jewish people of Israel. Her interaction with Jesus highlights the broader mission of Christ, which extends beyond the Jewish people to include Gentiles.

Theological Significance:

The encounter between Jesus and the Syrophoenician woman is rich with theological implications. Initially, Jesus' response to the woman may seem harsh, as He uses the metaphor of children and dogs to illustrate the priority of His mission to the Jews. However, the woman's faith and humility are evident in her reply, which acknowledges her position yet expresses confidence in Jesus' power and mercy. Her faith is rewarded, and Jesus heals her daughter, demonstrating His compassion and the inclusivity of His ministry.

This passage underscores the theme of faith transcending ethnic and cultural boundaries. The Syrophoenician woman's persistence and belief in Jesus' ability to heal her daughter serve as a testament to the power of faith and the breaking down of barriers between Jews and Gentiles. It foreshadows the expansion of the Gospel to all nations, a central tenet of the Christian faith.

Related Topics:

· Gentiles in the New Testament
· Jesus' Ministry to Non-Jews
· Faith and Humility in the Gospels
· The Role of Women in the New Testament

The account of the Syrophoenician woman is a profound example of how faith can bridge divides and how Jesus' message of salvation is available to all, regardless of ethnic or cultural background.Syrophoenician

occurs only in (Mark 7:26) The word denoted perhaps a mixed race, half Phoenicians and half Syrians; (or the Phoenicians in this region may have been called Syro-phoenicians because they belonged to the Roman province of Syria, and were thus distinguished from the Phoenicians who lived in Africa, or the Carthaginians. --ED.)

SYROPHOENICIAN

si'-ro-fe-nish'-an, sir-o- (Surophoinissa, Surophoinikissa; Westcott and Hort, The New Testament in Greek has variant Sura Phoinikissa; the King James Version Syrophenician): The woman from the borders of Tyre and Sidon whose daughter Jesus healed is described as "a Greek, a Syrophoenician by race" (Mark 7:26), and again as "a Canaanitish woman" (Matthew 15:22). This seems to mean that she was of Canaanite descent, a native of the Phoenician seaboard, Greek in religion, and probably also in speech. The names Syria and Phoenicia are both applied to the same region in Acts 21:2, 3. Syrophoenician may therefore denote simply an inhabitant of these parts. According to Strabo (xvii.3), this district was called Syrophoenicia to distinguish it from the North African Lybophoenicia.

W. Ewing

4949. Surophoinikissa -- a Syrophoenician (woman)
... a Syrophoenician (woman). Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration:
Surophoinikissa Phonetic Spelling: (soo-rof-oy'-nis-sah) Short Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4949.htm - 6k

Genesis xxvii. 38
... But the point of the story to which the text refers, and which is illustrated also
by the words of the Syrophoenician woman, is one which very directly ...
/.../arnold/the christian life/lecture xviii genesis xxvii 38.htm

The Ministry in Galilee --The New Lesson
... In fact it seems as if he welcomed the Syrophoenician woman's great faith with a
feeling of relief from a restriction that he had felt it wise to adopt for his ...
/.../rhees/the life of jesus of nazareth/iv the ministry in galileethe.htm

The Children and the Dogs
... Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by race. And she besought Him
that He would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. ...
/.../chadwick/the gospel of st mark/chapter 7 24-30 the children and.htm

The True Sign
... Gennesaret. In the border of Tyre and Sidon His spirit had been refreshed
by the confiding trust of the Syrophoenician woman. The ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 44 the true sign.htm

Healing a Phoenician Woman's Daughter.
... The term Syrophoenician was narrower still. It meant a Syrian in Phoenicia,
and distinguished the Phoenicians from the other Syrians. ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/lxvii healing a phoenician womans.htm

The Phoenician Retirement and the Gentile Cure.
... him, came and fell down at his feet. Now the woman was a Greek, a
Syrophoenician by race. And she cried, saying, "Have mercy on ...
//christianbookshelf.org/barton/his life/the phoenician retirement and the.htm

Jesus Christ, the Divine Teacher of Prayer
... illustrated. The Syrophoenician woman is a pre-eminent illustration of
the ability and the success of importunity in prayer. The ...
/.../bounds/the reality of prayer/v jesus christ the divine.htm

The Gethsemane Prayer
... "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it
shall be done unto you," He said to the Syrophoenician woman, "Great is thy ...
/.../bounds/the reality of prayer/xii the gethsemane prayer.htm

Matt. vi. 28, 29
... else becomes an hindrance. Say not, "I am unworthy, and do not pray;" for
such was the Syrophoenician woman too. Say not, "I have ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on the gospel of saint matthew/homily xxii matt vi 28.htm

The Doctrines of Salvation A. Repentance. B. Faith. C. ...
... virtue. The Syrophoenician woman (Matt.15) had perseverance; the centurion
(Matt.8), humility; the blind man (Mark 10), earnestness. ...
/.../evans/the great doctrines of the bible/the doctrines of salvation a.htm

Syrophoenician (1 Occurrence)
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia SYROPHOENICIAN. si'-ro ... Lybophoenicia. W. Ewing.
Multi-Version Concordance Syrophoenician (1 Occurrence). Mark ...
/s/syrophoenician.htm - 7k

Zarephath (4 Occurrences)
... It is conjectured that the Syrophoenician woman mentioned in Luke 4:26 was an
inhabitant of Zarephath., and it is possible that our Lord visited the place in ...
/z/zarephath.htm - 11k

Greek (19 Occurrences)
... Greek (19 Occurrences). Mark 7:26 Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by
race. She begged him that he would cast the demon out of her daughter. ...
/g/greek.htm - 13k

Race (36 Occurrences)
... (WEY). Mark 7:26 Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by race. She begged
him that he would cast the demon out of her daughter. (WEB ASV DBY NAS). ...
/r/race.htm - 19k

Drive (132 Occurrences)
... (See NIV). Mark 7:26 Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by race. She begged
him that he would cast the demon out of her daughter. (See NIV). ...
/d/drive.htm - 38k

Born (228 Occurrences)
... Mark 7:26 Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by race. She begged him
that he would cast the demon out of her daughter. (See NIV). ...
/b/born.htm - 38k

Begged (71 Occurrences)
... (WEB NIV). Mark 7:26 Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by race. She begged
him that he would cast the demon out of her daughter. (WEB WEY RSV NIV). ...
/b/begged.htm - 26k

Syro-phoenician (1 Occurrence)
Syro-phoenician. Syrophoenician, Syro-phoenician. Syrophoeni'cian . Multi-Version
Concordance ... (WEY BBE). Syrophoenician, Syro-phoenician. Syrophoeni'cian ...
/s/syro-phoenician.htm - 6k

Syro-phenician (1 Occurrence)
Syro-phenician. Syrophenician, Syro-phenician. Syrophoenician . Multi-Version
Concordance ... (YLT). Syrophenician, Syro-phenician. Syrophoenician . ...
/s/syro-phenician.htm - 6k

Greeks (22 Occurrences)
... In Mark 7:26 the woman of Tyre, called "a Greek (the Revised Version, margin "Gentile")
a Syrophoenician," was clearly not of Hellenic descent. ...
/g/greeks.htm - 19k

Why did Jesus call the Canaanite woman a dog? | GotQuestions.org

How many prophecies did Jesus fulfill? | GotQuestions.org

Why did Jesus mention Tyre and Sidon in Luke 10:14? | GotQuestions.org

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