What Does Mark 7:27 Mean in the King James?

But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.

Mark 7:27 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

This verse in the Selah Decoded Version

THE KEY

The word “first” turns the bread into an ordered claim and makes the boundary around its provision explicit.

THE MEANING

The sentence gives the children first claim to the bread and calls taking it from them to cast to the dogs “not meet.” The image makes exclusion audible as an ordered rule: the woman asking for provision is placed beyond the first circle of belonging.

THE ROOT

χορτασθῆναι

khortasthēnai

GROWS FROM

χορτ-

⁨χορτ-⁩ (khort-): grass or fodder, extending to feeding until full.

The word for being filled belongs to a family that connects fodder with feeding and satisfaction. English “filled” can sound like mere capacity; this Greek family brings the image back to food that satisfies hunger.

ALSO GROWS

chórtos: grass; fodder

χόρτος

This branch shows the food and feeding sense beneath the verse’s language of being filled.

khortázō: to feed; satisfy; fill

χορτάζω

This is the verb family of the verse’s “be filled,” joining fullness to being fed.

πρῶτον

prōton

GROWS FROM

πρωτ-

⁨πρωτ-⁩ (prōt-): first; foremost.

The stem carries the idea of being first or holding precedence. Here “first” marks a priority in who receives the bread, not merely a moment in time.

ALSO GROWS

prōtos: first; foremost

πρῶτος

This adjective shares the stem and makes the sense of precedence explicit.

prōteúō: to be first; hold first place

πρωτεύω

This verb shows the stem describing priority or first place, the ordering at stake in the verse.

prōtótokos: firstborn

πρωτότοκος

This compound carries the same firstness into a marked position within a family.

κυναρίοις

kynaríois

GROWS FROM

κυν-

⁨κυν-⁩ (kyn-), from ⁨κύων⁩ (kýōn): dog; canine.

The verse uses ⁨κυνάριον⁩ (kynárion, little dog), a diminutive of ⁨κύων⁩. The diminutive shapes the image, but the word still places the dogs in a distinct position from the children at the table.

ALSO GROWS

kýōn: dog

κύων

This is the base noun behind the diminutive used in the verse.

kynikós: doglike; canine

κυνικός

This related form preserves the same ⁨κυν-⁩ stem and shows its wider canine association.

THE PATTERN

A first claim governs the sequence in which provision is received.

And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.

1 Kings 17:13 · KJVThe word “first” orders the cake’s distribution before the widow and her son receive what follows.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Romans 1:16 · KJVThe verse names a first recipient and then extends the sequence to another.

But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.

1 Corinthians 15:23 · KJVThe wording makes sequence explicit: firstfruits come before those who follow.

THE THREAD

Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.

Luke 6:21 · KJV

Mark’s “be filled” and Luke’s “shall be filled” are forms of ⁨χορτάζω⁩ (khortázō, feed or satisfy). Luke’s promise to the hungry brings the same root into view where Mark places filling inside a contested order of access.

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