And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. A woman of Canaan - Matthew gives her this name because of the people from whom she sprung - the descendants of Canaan, Judges 1:31, Judges 1:32; but Mark calls her a Syrophenician, because of the country where she dwelt. The Canaanites and Phoenicians have been often confounded. This is frequently the case in the Septuagint. Compare Genesis 46:10, with Exodus 6:15, where the same person is called a Phoenician in the one place, and a Canaanite in the other. See also the same version in Exodus 16:35; Joshua 5:12.
The state of this woman is a proper emblem of the state of a sinner, deeply conscious of the misery of his soul.
Have mercy on me, etc. - How proper is this prayer for a penitent! There are many excellencies contained in it;
1. It is short;
2humble;
3. full of faith;
4. fervent;
5. modest;
6. respectful;
7. rational;
8. relying only on the mercy of God;
9. persevering.
Can one who sees himself a slave of the devil, beg with too much earnestness to be delivered from his thraldom?
Son of David - An essential character of the true Messiah.