Matthew 21:13

And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? For the exposition, see Luke 19:1 after 5:44; and the notes at Mark 11:12. Now commences, as Alford remarks, that series of parables and discourses of our Lord with His enemies, in which He develops, more completely than ever before, His hostility to their hypocrisy end iniquity: and so they are stirred up to compass His death....

13._It is written. _Christ quotes two passages taken out of two Prophets; the one from Isaiah 56:7, and the other from Jeremiah 7:11. What _was written _by Isaiah agreed with the circumstances of the time; for in that passage is predicted the calling of the Gentiles. Isaiah, therefore, promises that God will grant, not only that the temple shall recover its original splendor, but likewise that _all nations shall flow to it, _and that the whole world shall agree in true and sincere piety. (14) He speaks, no doubt, metaphorically; for the spiritual worship of God, which was to exist under the reign of Christ, is shadowed out by the prophets under the figures of the law. Certainly this was never fulfilled, that all nations went up to Jerusalem to worship God; and therefore, when he

12-17 Christ found some of the courts of the temple turned into a market for cattle and things used in the sacrifices, and partly occupied by the money-changers. Our Lord drove them from the place, as he had done at his entering upon his ministry, John 2:13. His works testified of him more than the hosannas; and his healing in the temple was the fulfilling the promise, that the glory of the latter house should be greater than the glory of the former. If Christ came now into many parts of his visible church, how many secret evils he would discover and cleanse! And how many things daily practised under the cloak of religion, would he show to be more suitable to a den of thieves than to a house of prayer!...

Verse Matthew 21:13. _MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED THE HOUSE OF PRAYER_] This is taken from Isaiah 56:7. _BUT YE HAVE MADE IT A DEN OF THIEVES._] This is taken from Jeremiah 7:11. Our Lord alludes here to those _dens_ and _caves_ in Judea, in which the public robbers either hid or kept themselves fortified. They who are placed in the Church of Christ to _serve_ souls, and do it not, and they who enjoy the revenues of the Church, and neglect the _service_ of it, are _thieves_ and _robbers_ in more senses than one. Our Lord is represented here as purifying his temple; and this we may judge he did in reference

This paragraph contains the account of the barren fig-tree, and of the cleansing of the temple. See also Mark 11:12; Luke 19:45. Matthew 21:12 AND JESUS WENT INTO THE TEMPLE OF GOD ... - From Mark 11:11, it is probable that this cleansing of the temple did not take place on the day that he entered Jerusalem in triumph, but on the day following. He came and looked round upon all things, Mark says, and went out to Bethany with the twelve. On the day following, returning from Bethany, he saw the fig-tree. Entering into the temple, he

EXPOSITION MATTHEW 21:1 _Triumphal entry into Jerusalem_. (Mark 11:1; Luke 19:29; John 12:12.) MATTHEW 21:1 We have come to the last week of our Lord's earthly life, when he made his appearance in Jerusalem as Messiah, and suffered the penalty of death. If, as is believed, his crucifixion took place on the fourteenth day of the month Nisan, the triumphal entry must be assigned to the ninth, which day was reckoned to commence at one sunset and to continue till the follow-lug evening. Th

AND SAID UNTO THEM, IT IS WRITTEN,.... In Isaiah 56:7. MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED THE HOUSE OF PRAYER. These are the, words of God, calling the temple his house, which was built according to the plan he gave; and was the place of his worship, and where he dwelt, and vouchsafed his presence to his people; and signifying, that in time to come, it should be an house of prayer; not for the Jews only, but for the Gentiles also: "for all people", as it is expressed by the prophet, and cited by Mark; and particularly this part of it, in which were the money changers and sellers of doves; for that was the court of the Gentiles, where they were admitted to pray, and perform other parts of worship. These words are rightly applied by Christ to the temple; nor can the Jews themselves deny it; for their own Targum paraphrases it thus, בית מקדשי, "the house of my sanctuary shall be called a

9. THE KING ENTERS INTO JERUSALEM. The Parables of the Two Sons and the Householder and His Vineyard. CHAPTER 21 1. The King Enters Jerusalem. (Matthew 21:1 .) 2. The Second Cleansing of the Temple. (Matthew 21:12 .) 3. The Fig tree Cursed. (Matthew 21:18 .) 4. His Authority Impeached and His Question. (Matthew 21:23 .) 5. The Parable of the Two Sons. (Matthew 21:28 .) 6. The Parable of the Householder. (Matthew 21:33 .)

THE CLEANSING OF THE TEMPLE (Mark 11:15 *, Luke 19:45; John 2:13). Mt. here omits the first part of Mk.'s divided account of the figtree, and links the Temple incident with the entry. It is the temple of God (Matthew 21:12), and the phrase for all nations (Matthew 21:13) is omitted, though, as Lk. also omits, this need not be pressed as an indication of Mt.'s exclusiveness. Matthew 21:14. Mt. only; he is fond of healings (cf....

THE BEGINNING OF THE LAST ACT (Matthew 21:1-11)...