Word study · Greek
kynarion
little dog
Say it: koo-NAH-ree-on (approximate)
κυνάριον
What it means
A diminutive of the word for dog, used in Matthew and Mark only in the story of the Canaanite woman. Matthew uses the plain word for dog elsewhere (7:6), as an insult for people outside. Here the woman picks up the small word Jesus used and turns it into a plea.
Open question Debated
Whether the diminutive softens the saying, pointing to household pets rather than street dogs, is debated, as is how Jesus intends the whole exchange.
Range of meaning
- Little dogA small dog, a household pet in many homes.
- Insulting termGentiles could be called dogs by some Jews.
In Matthew
- Chapter 15
The "little dogs" under the table (15:26-27).
Every verse (2)
Verses where G2952 is tagged in the Hebrew text: STEPBible Data (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. About our sources