Charles Ellicott Commentary Matthew 15:23

"But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us." — Matthew 15:23 (ASV)

He answered her not a word — Two alternative views present themselves regarding our Lord’s action in this matter. The first view, favored by nearly all ancient and most modern interpreters, assumes that He intended from the beginning to grant her request. According to this view, He spoke as He did only to test and reveal her faith. Interpreters have been unwilling to recognize the possibility of a change of purpose in our Lord's human nature, which they—in an unconsciously heretical way—confused with His divine nature. Instead, they have preferred to fall back on the assumption of a feigned harshness.

The truer and more reverential course, I believe, is to accept the impression the facts naturally make—apart from any a priori theory—and to see in these events the prevailing power of prayer working on Christ's sympathy, leading Him to go beyond the ordinary limits of His appointed mission. On this assumption, our task is to trace, with all reverence, the successive stages of this process. First, even the silence is significant, implying a conflict. It would have been easy to dismiss her with a word. However, the tenderness He felt toward this sufferer, as toward others, forbade that course, while at the same time, the awareness of the normal limits of His work forbade granting her request. Silence was the natural outcome of the equilibrium of these conflicting motives.

Send her away, for she is crying out after us — The disciples were clearly unable to understand either of the two feelings that were contending for mastery in Him. Their words, interpreted in light of our Lord’s answer, were in some sense a plea on the woman's behalf. They wanted Him to grant her request and so dismiss her. And yet, we feel that their words were far harsher than their Master’s silence. They only wanted to be rid of her presence, as she had followed them from the streets into the house, and to be free from the loud, eager cries that annoyed them.