Matthew 21 Bible Commentary

21:1  And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and came unto Bethphage¹, unto the mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, JESUS' TRIUMPHAL ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM. (From Bethany to Jerusalem and back, Sunday, April 2, A.D. 30.) Matthew 21:1-12,14-17; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-44; John 12:12-19
Bethphage. See Mark 11:1.

21:2  saying unto them, Go into the village that is over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her¹: loose [them], and bring [them] unto me.
Ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her. See Mark 11:2.

21:3  And if any one say aught unto you¹, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.
And if any one say aught unto you, etc. See Mark 11:3.

21:4  Now this is come to pass, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet¹, saying,
That it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet. A combination of Isaiah and Zechariah (Isaiah 62:11; Zechariah 9:9).

21:5  Tell ye the daughter of Zion¹, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee², Meek³, and riding upon an ass⁴, And upon a colt the foal of an ass.
Zion. The poetical name for the city of Jerusalem.
Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, etc. The prophecy is a combination of Isaiah 62:11; Zechariah 9:9.
Meek. He entered in meekness, for the ass was a symbol of peace as the horse was of war (Job 39:19-25), but there was nothing degrading about riding such a beast.
And riding upon an ass. This is the only instance in which Jesus rode. The Eastern ass is smaller, but livelier, and better framed than the specimens found in our country. They constituted a chief asset in the property of the wealthy (Genesis 12:16; Genesis 30:43; 1 Kings 1:38; 1 Chronicles 27:30

21:7  and brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their garments¹; and he sat thereon.
And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their garments. See Mark 11:7. They prepared both beasts, not knowing which he would choose to ride.

21:8  And the most part of the multitude¹ spread their garments in the way²; and others cut branches from the trees, and spread them in the way.
And the most part of the multitude. Matthew would have us know that the demonstration was no small affair, but was well-nigh universal. Josephus estimates that the number present at one Passover was three million, or about one-half the population of Judea and Galilee. The language of the Pharisees in John 12:19--"the world"--shows that there must have been indeed an immense multitude. The people had always been ready to acknowledge Jesus as king, and, seeing that he had now an evident disposition to accept their homage, they hastened to render it.
Spread their garments in the way, etc. See Mark 11:8.

21:9  And the multitudes that went before him, and that followed¹, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David²: Blessed [is] he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest³.
The multitudes that went before him, and that followed, etc. See Mark 11:9.
The Son of David. See Matthew 9:27.
Hosanna in the highest. See Mark 11:10.

21:10  And when he was come into Jerusalem¹, all the city was stirred, saying, Who is this?
And when he was come into Jerusalem. See Mark 11:11.

21:12  And Jesus entered into the temple of God¹, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of he money-changers, and the seats of them that sold the doves;
Jesus entered into the temple of God, etc. On the Monday following the triumphal entry. See Mark 11:15.

21:13  and he saith unto them, It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer: but ye make it a den of robbers.
My house shall be called the house of prayer, etc. See Mark 11:17.

21:14  And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple¹; and he healed them. Matthew 21:14,15
The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, etc. Matthew mingles this scene with events which apparently occurred on Monday, but the enthusiasm and the Hosanna cry evidently belonged to the triumphant Sunday.

21:15  But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children that were crying in the temple and saying, Hosanna to the son of David¹; they were moved with indignation,
The children that were crying in the temple and saying, Hosanna to the son of David. The presence of our Lord in the Temple should, indeed, have been heralded with joy, for as that was the day in which the paschal lamb was presented and set apart, it was fitting that Christ our passover should be presented there amidst rejoicing.

21:16  and said unto him, Hearest thou what these are saying? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea: did ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou has perfected praise?
Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise. Psalms 8:2 as rendered by the Septuagint.

21:17  And he left them, and went forth out of the city to Bethany, and lodged there.
He left them, and went forth of the city into Bethany. See Mark 11:11.

21:18  Now in the morning as he returned to the city, he hungered¹. BARREN FIG-TREE. TEMPLE CLEANSED. (Road from Bethany and Jerusalem. Monday, April 4, A.D. 30.) Matthew 21:18,19,12,13; Mark 11:12-18; Luke 19:45-48
Now in the morning as he returned to the city, he hungered. See Mark 11:12.

21:19  And seeing a fig tree by the way side¹, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only; and he saith unto it, Let there be no fruit from thee henceforward for ever². And immediately the fig tree withered away.
And seeing a fig tree by the way side, etc. See Mark 11:13.
Let there be no fruit from thee henceforward for ever. See Mark 11:14.

21:20  And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled¹, saying, How did the fig tree immediately wither away²? FINDING THE FIG-TREE WITHERED. (Road from Bethany to Jerusalem, Tuesday, April 4, A.D. 30.) Matthew 21:20-22; Mark 11:19-25; Luke 21:37,38
When the disciples saw it, they marvelled. See Mark 11:20.
Saying, How did the fig tree immediately wither away? See Mark 11:21.

21:21  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do what is done to the fig tree, but even if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou taken up¹ and cast into the sea, it shall be done.
Even if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou taken up, etc. See Mark 11:23.

21:22  And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer¹, believing, ye shall receive.
All things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, etc. See Mark 11:24.

21:23  And when he was come into the temple¹, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things²? and who gave thee this authority? IN REPLY TO THE QUESTIONS AS TO HIS AUTHORITY, JESUS GIVES THE THIRD GREAT GROUP OF PARABLES. (In the Court of the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, A.D. 30.) A. INTRODUCTION Matthew 21:23-27; Mark 11:27-33; Luke 20:1-8
When he was come into the temple, etc. See Mark 11:27.
By what authority doest thou these things? See Mark 11:28.

21:24  And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one question¹, which if ye tell me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things.
I also will ask you one question. See Mark 11:29.

21:25  The baptism of John, whence was it¹? from heaven or from men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven²; he will say unto us, Why then did ye not believe him?
The baptism of John, whence was it? etc. See Mark 11:30.
If we shall say, From heaven, etc, See Mark 11:31.

21:26  But if we shall say, From men¹; we fear the multitude; for all hold John as a prophet.
But if we shall say, From men, etc. See Mark 11:32.

21:27  And they answered Jesus, and said, We know not¹. He also said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
We know not, etc. See Mark 11:33.

21:28  But what think ye¹? A man had two sons²; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to-day in the vineyard. IN REPLY TO THE QUESTIONS AS TO HIS AUTHORITY, JESUS GIVES THE THIRD GREAT GROUP OF PARABLES. (In the Court of the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, A.D. 30.) B. PARABLE OF THE TWO SONS. Matthew 21:28-32
But what think ye? By these words Jesus put them on notice that he was about to propound something which would require an answer, and therefore demanding the strictest attention.
A man had two sons. The two sons stand for the Jewish common people.

21:29  And he answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented himself, and went¹.
I will not: but afterward he repented himself, and went. The common people made no special pretension to religious excellence, and the rulers regarded them as very careless about the will or law of their Father, God, and made disparaging contrasts between their own conduct and that of the people (John 7:48,49). But this very same common people repented and did the will of God when they heard the preaching of John the Baptist (Matthew 3:5,6).

21:30  And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I [go], sir: and went not¹.
I [go], sir: and went not. The rulers, though all the while professing to be very zealous for the will of God, utterly refused to enter the kingdom or to work therein as God bade them to by the voice of John the Baptist (Matthew 3:7-9).

21:31  Which of the two did the will of his father? They say, The first¹. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, that the publicans and the harlots² go into the kingdom of God before you³.
They say, The first. They gave the true answer and did not perceive that in so doing they confirmed a parable which condemned themselves.
That the publicans and the harlots. The very worst representatives of the common people.
Go into the kingdom of God before you. Rather than you.

21:32  For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not; but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye saw it, did not even repent yourselves afterward, that ye might believe him.
For John came to you in the way of righteousness. The term "righteousness", as Plumptre observes, seems used in a half-technical sense, as expecting the aspect of righteousness which the Pharisees themselves recognized (Matthew 6:1), and which includes, as its three great elements, the almsgiving, fasting, and prayer that were so conspicuous both in the life and the teaching of the Baptist. Surely they could have presented its demands in a form more acceptable to the Jewish rulers.

The parable of this subdivision is the outgrowth of the preceding subdivision. These rulers had demanded that Jesus show his authority for his assumption of right as teacher, prophet, etc. The parable is an indirect response to this demand, as if Jesus said, "It is in vain for me to tell you that I act under the authority of the Father, for despite all your great profession to the contrary, you really and actually, in your persistent rejection of another (the Baptist), who also acted under it, repudiate utterly his authority; though in so doing you see yourselves condemned by the conduct of even the publicans and harlots, who have felt the force of the Father's authority, and have repentantly obeyed it". The situation must have given great force to the parable, for the rulers in their private conversation had just admitted to each other that the people recognized and obeyed the divine authority of John, while they, the rulers, rejected it.

21:33  Hear another parable: There was a man that was a householder¹, who planted a vineyard, and set a hedge about it, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into another country. IN REPLY TO THE QUESTIONS AS TO HIS AUTHORITY, JESUS GIVES THE THIRD GREAT GROUP OF PARABLES. (In the Court of the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, A.D. 30.) C. PARABLE OF THE WICKED HUSBANDMEN. Matthew 21:33-46; Mark 12:1-12; Luke 20:9-19
There was a man that was a householder, etc. See Mark 12:1.

21:34  And when the season of the fruits drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, to receive his fruits.
He sent his servants to the husbandman, etc. See Mark 12:2.

21:35  And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one¹, and killed another, and stoned another. Matthew 21:35,36
The husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, etc. See Mark 12:3.

21:37  But afterward he sent unto them his son¹, saying, They will reverence my son.
But afterward he sent unto them his son, etc. See Mark 12:6.

21:38  But the husbandmen, when they saw the son, said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him¹, and take his inheritance.
This is the heir; come, let us kill him, etc. See Mark 12:7.

21:39  And they took him, and cast him forth out of the vineyard, and killed him¹.
And they took him, and cast him forth out of the vineyard, and killed him. See Mark 12:8.

21:41  They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those miserable men¹, and will let out the vineyard unto other husbandmen, who shall render him the fruits in their seasons.
He will miserably destroy those miserable men, etc. See Luke 20:16.

21:42  Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected¹, The same was made the head of the corner; This was from the Lord, And it is marvelous in our eyes?
The stone which the builders rejected, etc. See Mark 12:10.

21:44  And he that falleth on this stone shall be broken to pieces: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will scatter him as dust¹.
And he that falleth on this stone shall be broken to pieces: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will scatter him as dust. The stone, of course, represents Jesus, and the two fallings set forth his passive ("on whomsoever it shall fall") active ("he that falleth on this stone") states. In the day when he passively submitted to be judged, those who condemned him were broken (Matthew 27:3-5; Luke 23:48; Acts 2:37); but in the great day when he himself becomes the acting party and calls his enemies to judgment, they shall prefer, and pray, that a mountain fall upon them (Revelation 6:15-17).

21:46  And when they sought to lay hold on him¹, they feared the multitudes, because they took him for a prophet.
When they sought to lay hold on him, etc. See Mark 12:12.