Matthew 15:21
IntermediateMatthew 15:21 · World English Bible (WEB)
“Jesus went out from there, and withdrew into the region of Tyre and Sidon.”
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Overview
Jesus deliberately withdraws from Galilee into the Gentile border region of Tyre and Sidon.
This verse is a transition, but an important one: after conflict with the Pharisees over purity, Jesus moves toward a region associated with Gentiles. It prepares for the encounter with the Canaanite woman, where His mercy will shine beyond Israel’s borders.
What Makes This Verse Confusing?
Matthew often uses this kind of movement when Jesus steps away from hostility or pressure, not because He is afraid, but because He is walking in the Father’s timing. Here, the withdrawal also leads directly into a divinely appointed encounter with a Gentile woman of remarkable faith.
The verse does not state Jesus’ reason for leaving, and the surrounding narrative must supply the significance of the movement.
Jesus’ withdrawal is not empty geography. The Lord is moving with purpose, and what looks like retreat becomes the setting for mercy and revelation.
Cultural & Historical Context
Matthew writes to believers who needed to see both Jesus’ faithfulness to Israel and the unfolding inclusion of the nations under His lordship.
Tyre and Sidon lay outside the main Jewish heartland and were remembered in Scripture as Gentile regions. Their mention would signal a crossing into territory where covenant privilege and Gentile need come into sharp focus.
- ✦Jewish-Gentile interaction carried strong boundary concerns, especially around purity, table fellowship, and covenant identity. Matthew places this movement immediately after Jesus’ teaching that uncleanness comes from the heart, not from external contact.
Original Language
to leave — ἀνα-χωρέω , -ῶ [in LXX for בָּרַח, נוּם, etc. ;] __1. to go back. __2. to withdraw : Mat.9:24; frequently in sense of avoiding danger (MM, VGT , see word), Mat.2:12 (but see Thayer), Mat.2:13-14, 22 4:12 12:15 14:13 15:21 27:5 , Mrk.3:7 , Jhn.6:15 , Act.23:19 26:31 .† (AS)
The verb translated “withdrew” carries the sense of departing or moving away. In Matthew, this kind of withdrawal often marks Jesus’ wise, purposeful movement under the Father’s will rather than mere travel.
part — μέρος , -ους, τό (μείρομαι), [in LXX chiefly for קָצֶה ;] __1. a part, share, portion : Jhn.13:8 , Act.19:27 (Page, in l), Rev.20:6 22:19 ; hence (cl.), lot, destiny, Mat.24:51 , Luk.12:46 , Rev.21:8 . __2. a part as opposite to the whole : Luk.11:36 , Jhn.19:23 , Act.5:2 23:6 , Eph.4:16 , Rev.16:19 ; with genitive (of the whole), Luk.15:12 24:42 ; τ. Φαρισαίων, Act.23:9; pl., Jhn.21:6; of the div…
The word behind “region” can mean a district or part of a larger area. Matthew is not necessarily saying Jesus entered the cities themselves, but that He moved into their surrounding territory, which explains why the next scene can take place in a borderland setting.
Lexicon & word tagging: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0)
Related Passages
Mark 7:24-30
parallelMark records the same movement into the region of Tyre and the encounter with the Gentile woman whose daughter was delivered.
Matthew 11:21-23
backgroundJesus had already mentioned Tyre and Sidon when rebuking unrepentant Jewish cities, saying those Gentile cities would have repented if they had seen His mighty works.
Joshua 19:28-29
BackgroundJoshua 13:6
BackgroundJudges 1:31
BackgroundMatthew 10:5-6
contrastEarlier, Jesus instructed the Twelve not to go to the Gentiles but to the lost sheep of Israel.
Genesis 49:13
BackgroundJoshua 11:8
BackgroundCross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · openbible.info (CC-BY)
Analysis generated on August 9, 2026 · version 2.0
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