Mat 21:1-11 | Clarke | STEP | Christ rides into Jerusalem upon an ass, and the multitude receive him joyfully, . He enters the temple, and expels the money-changers, etc. , . The blind and the lame come to him and are healed, . The chief priests and scribes are offended, . Our Lord confounds them, and goes to Bethany, , . The barren fig-tree blasted, . While teaching in the temple, the chief priests and elders question his authority; he answers and confutes them, . The parable of the man and his two sons, . The parable of a vineyard let out to husbandmen, ; applied to the priests and Pharisees, ; who wish to kill him, but are restrained by the fear of the people, who acknowledge Christ for a prophet, . Verse 1 Bethphage - A place on the west declivity of Mount Olivet, from which it is thought the whole declivity and part of the valley took their name. It is supposed to have derived its name from the fig-trees which grew there; בית beeth, signifying a region as well as a house, and פג phag, a green fig.

Matthew 21:1-11

Introduction

Christ rides into Jerusalem upon an ass, and the multitude receive him joyfully, Mat 21:1-11. He enters the temple, and expels the money-changers, etc. Mat 21:12, Mat 21:13. The blind and the lame come to him and are healed, Mat 21:14. The chief priests and scribes are offended, Mat 21:15. Our Lord confounds them, and goes to Bethany, Mat 21:16, Mat 21:17. The barren fig-tree blasted, Mat 21:18-22. While teaching in the temple, the chief priests and elders question his authority; he answers and confutes them, Mat 21:23-27. The parable of the man and his two sons, Mat 21:28-32. The parable of a vineyard let out to husbandmen, Mat 21:33-42; applied to the priests and Pharisees, Mat 21:43-45; who wish to kill him, but are restrained by the fear of the people, who acknowledge Christ for a prophet, Mat 21:46.

Verse 1

Bethphage - A place on the west declivity of Mount Olivet, from which it is thought the whole declivity and part of the valley took their name. It is supposed to have derived its name from the fig-trees which grew there; בית beeth, signifying a region as well as a house, and פג phag, a green fig. Verse 2

Ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt - Asses and mules were in common use in Palestine: horses were seldom to be met with. Our blessed Lord takes every opportunity to convince his disciples that nothing was hidden from him: he informs them of the most minute occurrence; and manifested his power over the heart in disposing the owner to permit the ass to be taken away. Verse 3

The Lord (the proprietor of all things) hath need of them - Jesus is continually humbling himself, to show us how odious pride is in the sight of God: but in his humility he is ever giving proofs of his almighty power, that the belief of his divinity may be established. Verse 4

All this was done - The word all, in this clause, is omitted by some MSS., versions, and fathers.

Which was spoken - The Spirit of God, which predicted those things that concerned the Messiah, took care to have them literally fulfilled:

1. To show the truth of prophecy in general; and,

2. To designate Christ as the person intended by that prophecy.

See the note on Mat 2:23. Verse 5

Tell ye the daughter of Sion - The quotation is taken from Zac 9:9, but not in the precise words of the prophet.

This entry into Jerusalem has been termed the triumph of Christ. It was indeed the triumph of humility over pride and worldly grandeur; of poverty over affluence; and of meekness and gentleness over rage and malice.

He is coming now meek, full of kindness and compassion to those who were plotting his destruction! He comes to deliver up himself into their hands; their king comes to be murdered by his subjects, and to make his death a ransom price for their souls! Verse 7

And put on them their clothes - Thus acknowledging him to be their king, for this was a custom observed by the people when they found that God had appointed a man to the kingdom. When Jehu sat with the captains of the army, and Elisha the prophet came, by the order of God, to anoint him king over Israel, as soon as he came out of the inner chamber into which the prophet had taken him to anoint him, and they knew what was done, every man took his garment, and spread it under him on the top of the steps, and blew the trumpets, saying, "Jehu is king." 2Kgs 9:13.

And they set him thereon - Και επεκαθισεν επανω αυτων, and he sat upon them; but instead of επανω αυτων, upon Them, the Codex Bezae, seven copies of the Itala, some copies of the Vulgate, and some others, read επ' αυτον, upon him, i.e. the colt. This is most likely to be the true reading; for we can scarcely suppose that he rode upon both by turns, - this would appear childish; or that he rode upon both at once, for this would be absurd. Some say he sat on both; for "the ass that was tied up was an emblem of the Jews bound under the yoke of the law; and the colt that had not been tied represented the Gentiles who were not under the law; and that Jesus Christ's sitting on both represented his subjecting the Jews and the Gentiles to the sway of his evangelical scepter." He who can receive this saying, let him receive it. Verse 8

Cut down branches from the trees - Carrying palm and other branches was emblematical of victory and success. See 1 Maccabees 13:51; 2 Maccabees 10:7; and Rev 7:9.

The rabbins acknowledge that the prophecy in Zechariah refers to the Messiah; so Rab. Tancum, and Yalcut Rubeni has a strange story about the ass. "This ass is the colt of that ass which was created in the twilight of the sixth day. This is the ass which Abraham found when he went to sacrifice his son. This is the ass on which Moses rode when he went to Egypt; and this is the ass on which the Messiah shall ride." Some of the Jews seem to think that the zebra is intended; for according to Bab. Sanhedr. fol. 98, when Shapoor, king of Persia, said to Rabbi Samuel: "You say your Messiah will come upon an ass; I will send him a noble horse." To which the rabbi replied, "You have not a horse with a hundred spots (query, streaks) like his ass." See Lightfoot and Schoettgen. Verse 9

Hosanna to the son of David - When persons applied to the king for help, or for a redress of grievances, they used the word hosanna, or rather from the Hebrew הושיעה נא Hoshiah Na! Save now! or, Save, we beseech thee! - redress our grievances, and give us help from oppression! Thus both the words and actions of the people prove that they acknowledged Christ as their king, and looked to him for deliverance. How easily might he have assumed the sovereignty at this time, had he been so disposed! For instances of the use of this form of speech, see 2Sam 14:4; 2Kgs 6:26; Psa 118:25.

Son of David - A well-known epithet of the Messiah. He who cometh in the name, etc. He who comes in the name and authority of the Most High.

Hosanna in the highest - Either meaning, Let the heavenly hosts join with us in magnifying this august Being! - or, Let the utmost degrees of hosanna, of salvation, and deliverance, be communicated to thy people! Probably there is an allusion here to the custom of the Jews in the feast of tabernacles. During the first seven days of that feast, they went once round the altar, each day, with palm and other branches in their hands, singing Hosanna: but on the eighth day of that feast they walked seven times round the altar, singing the hosanna; and this was termed the hosanna rabba, the Great hosanna: i.e. Assist with the greatest succor. Probably answering to the τοις υψιστοις of the evangelist, for on this day they beg the most speedy and powerful help against their enemies, and likewise pray for a prosperous and fruitful year. See Stehlin's Jewish Traditions, vol. ii. p. 322. Verse 10

All the city was moved - Or, the whole city was in motion. Εσεισθη, was in a tumult - they saw and heard plainly that the multitude had proclaimed Christ king, and Messiah. Who is this? Who is accounted worthy of this honor? Verse 11

This is Jesus The Prophet - Ο προφητης That prophet whom Moses spoke of, Deu 18:18. I will raise them up a prophet - like unto thee, etc. Every expression of the multitude plainly intimated that they fully received our blessed Lord as the promised Messiah. - How strange is it that these same people (if the creatures of the high priest be not only intended) should, about five days after, change their hosannas for, Away with him! crucify him! crucify him! How fickle is the multitude! Even when they get right, there is but little hope that they will continue so long.