I would appreciate help in understanding this Bible passage?

In Jesus' day, any person who was of mixed race and not a Jew was considered a "Dog" or someone not to be associated with. Both the Jews and the Gentiles considered this normal. There are two words for dog in the Greek that are used in the bible. When Jesus spoke to this woman he did not call her the derogatory Dog but the more familiar "Kunavrion" which means puppy. This use of the word is not as harsh as the other "kuvwn" which would have been used by any other person. Jesus was not only testing her faith but was making a point to the Jewish people around him. This woman had committed a gross breach of etiquette by even speaking to Jesus. But she persisted because of her need. (even today, in some middle eastern countries a woman is not allowed to speak to a man in public. An offense punishable by whipping.) Jesus, with this conversation overheard by many, told the Jews that Gentiles were worthy of God's mercy and blessings as well. This was a radical departure from the way people thought. Jesus met her need and gave a lesson to all the others around. Hope this helps.

Great question. Jesus wasn't being mean to the woman nor was he purposely trying to offend her. The statements to the woman was made because many Jewish religious people were listening. By Jewish law if you were not a Hebrew of nationality (a Jew) you were considered unclean. The Jews could not associate with anybody that was unclean. Unclean people (to the Jews) were unholy, and yes the Jews considered anybody that wasn't a Jew to be the same status as a dog (a filthy animal). Many people say this meeting between Jesus and the Greek woman is symbolic of the fact that Jesus came to bring Salvation to the Jews and the Gentiles are adopted heirs in this salvation. For Jesus to state that the Greek woman could partake in the same blessings as the Jews was totally against their beliefs. That was the point of the comments Jesus made.

don't forget that this was a time, much like today, when the poor would try to feed the children and the pets at the same time. often times the children would be malnourished, which causes many illnesses that people would interpret as demon possession. Jesus wasn't insulting the woman, more like making sure that she indeed fed the children first, then fed the pets with what was left over after the humans had eaten. read the next couple of verses and you will see the Jesus told to go home, and that the demon had been cast out of her daughter. also Jesus would sometimes say things to people to get a reaction, and from that reaction he could tell whether or not he was being conned or not.

If you would have read the next verse you would understand. It showed that the woman understood something that many still don't today. The "children" are the Children of God...whom Jesus came to teach and preach to. It wasn't until after Christ's death that the 'gentiles' were preached the gospel. The "dogs" represent those who were not of the tribes of Israel (whom Jesus was not sent to preach to). The woman understood what Jesus was saying. That is the reason for her response. She understood he was not here to teach her...but she knew who and what he was anyway (the crumbs) and Jesus told her that because of her Faith, her righteous desire would be granted.

See...throughout the annal of time, it was that God taught Israel...and then other would come because of the Israelites. First the Jews then the Gentiles. In the Last dispensations...through the restoration...it has come to the Gentiles and then the Jews will get it from them. The first shall be last and the last shall be first.

Jesus was saying that He came to minister to the Jewish people first; then afterwards the rest of the world. The use of the phrase "throw it to the dogs" does not imply Jesus was calling her a dog, but is best understood as meaning "I can not take some of the little food I have to share and give it away." He also may have been testing to see how much desire or faith the woman had. Jesus thus rewarded her faith.

Indeed the Jews of Jesus' day did consider gentiles dogs. Jesus was sent to first gather the lost sheep of Israel. Some Bible translations use the term "little dogs" and this is consistent with Jesus' kind personality to soften this. This woman probably was very aware of the Jews feelings toward her so it took humility for her to even approach Jesus to ask for help. Her answer to Jesus response also showed great humility and faith. It was her humility and faith that resulted in her daughter being healed. There are important lessons here for us, not the least of which being not to think more of ourselves than is seemly (Romans 12:3) Humility and faith can lead to extraordinary blessings which we ourselves are undeserving of.

You are correct.

Jesus was calling the woman a dog.

From the Jewish viewpoint of the time,

The Syro-Phoenicians were a mixed breed of malcontents with a violent streak. They worshiped all sorts of pagan idols, and the Syrians of the past played a huge part is deceiving the Northern 10 Tribes of Israel, which eventually led to the Jewish captivity in Babylon during the time of Isaiah and Jeremiah.

Both Syrian and Phoenician (Lebanese) by nationality, she was originally Greek born. (Pagan idols AND mythology!)

The Gospel message was meant to bring the Jews back on track in their faith because the Temple Priests and Pharisees had so abused the people and mis-taught the faith.

But the woman had a measure of faith, for which Jesus eventually blessed her.

We are all like that woman. We must come to Jesus, even if our faith is small.

If I understand it correctly, the woman was non-believer, and was asking Jesus to heal her daughter as if He was just a faith-healer or something and not recognizing Him for who He was. It would be like a having a glass of life-giving water and a man walks in from outside sweaty and thirsty and wants to drink it. Would you give it to him? No. He only wants it because he’s thirsty, and is not respecting or thinking about what he’s asking for.

The woman’s statement, "I may be a dog, but being a dog just give me some crumbs from what you give others,” was like telling Jesus that she did have faith and did believe (if I have this right), which is what Jesus wanted, and He healed her daughter.

I guess it would go along the lines of asking Jesus for eternal life, but refusing to accept Him as Lord and Savior and King. “I’ll take what you got, Jesus, but I could care less about You.” Make sense?

The teaching of the day was that Jews had all truth and knowledge and that everyone else was begging them for truth as a dog would an owner. The idea was not that she was literally a dog or that Jesus was a racist but that simply she was last in line it seemed for Gods truth being that she wasnt a Jew part of Gods chosen people.

Jesus merely rebuffed her challenging her faith to come out and it did. Jesus appealed to the circumstances of the day to test and draw out her faith that although Gods new truth was destined first and formost to the Jews, he made an exception based on non-Jewish faith in him which occured various times and Jesus carefully commended them for their faith.

Some of the meaning is lost in translation. For a start, the word for "dog" (kunaria) wasn't as harsh as ours, being a word for a little pet dog and therefore having a note of affection in it. Most dogs at the time were feral dogs, but pets were very much cherished. We also fail to understand the politics of the time and the fact that it was highly unusual for a woman like this to approach a Jewish teacher. We are told by St John that Jesus could see into the heart of everyone He met and he could see what this woman was like. He saw that she was a woman of faith in His ability to heal and He wanted her to give an expression of that faith. He often does that to us when we have to struggle in prayer to be given the desire of our heart. He understood her and she in turn understood the tone of voice in which He would have spoken to her (another thing lost in translation). Hence her witty riposte. Had she been hurt, she would have spoken differently.