Matthew 21:1

1 . were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives ] “Unto Bethphage and Bethany at the mount of Olives” (Mark). “Nigh to Bethphage and Bethany at the mount called the mount of Olives” (Luke). Bethany was about two miles from Jerusalem, at the S.E. base of the mount of Olives. Of Bethphage (“place of green or winter figs”) no remains have been discovered, and its exact position is unknown. It was probably west of Bethany, and so near to Jerusalem as to be reckoned part of the Holy City. See Godet on St Luke 19:28 . Some have inferred from the order in which Bethphage and Bethany are named that Bethphage was east of Bethany. Nisan 9 ( Palm Sunday ). Ch. Matthew 21:1-10 . The Royal Entry into Jerusalem Mark 11:1-11 . Luke 19:29-40 . John 12:12-19 . St Luke alone places here the incident of Christ weeping over Jerusalem ( Luke 19:40-44 ).

Matthew 21:1-3 . And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem — Namely, on the first day of the week, five days before his death, for the passover was kept on the fourteenth day of the month, and this was the tenth; on which day the law appointed that the paschal-lamb should be taken up, Exodus 12:3 , and set apart for that service: on that day therefore Christ our passover, who was to be sacrificed for us, was publicly shown. So that this was the prologue to his passion. And were come to Bethphage — Mark says, and Bethany. Then sent Jesus two disciples, saying, Go into the village over against you — This, as the Arabian geographer informs us, was a little village two miles distant from the mount of Olives, toward the south. And straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her — As Mark and Luke say that the colt was tied, the words of Matthew contain an ellipsis, which must be supplied thus, and a colt bound with her. It must be observed, also, that the other evangelists make mention only of the colt, because our Lord sat on him only. See note on Matthew 21:7 . Here we have “a wonderful instance of Christ’s prescience in very minute matters. He says, 1, You shall find a colt: 2, On which no man ever sat: 3, Bound with his mother: 4, In a place where two ways meet, Mark 11:4 : 5, As you enter into the village: 6, The owners of which shall at first seem unwilling that you should unbind him: 7, But when they hear the Lord hath need of him, they will let him go.” — Whitby.

CHAPTER 21 Mt 21:1-9. Christ's Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem on the First Day of the Week. ( = Mr 11:1-11; Lu 19:29-40; Joh 12:12-19). For the exposition of this majestic scene—recorded, as will be seen, by all the Evangelists—see on [1333]Lu 19:29-40.Matthew 21:1-11 Christ rideth into Jerusalem upon an ass amidst theacclamations of the multitude.Matthew 21:12-14 He driveth the buyers and sellers out of the temple,and healeth the diseased there.Matthew 21:15-16 His reply to the priests and scribes who took offenceat the hosannas of the people.Matthew 21:17-22 He curseth the barren fig tree, which presently withereth.Matthew 21:23-27 He silences the priests and elders who questioned hisauthority.Matthew 21:28-32 The parable of the two sons whom their father sent towork in his vineyard.Matthew 21:33-46 The parable of the vineyard let out to wicked husbandmen. See Poole on "Matthew 21:3".

XXI. (1) And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem.—Here again we have, as far as we can, to fill up a gap in St. Matthew’s Gospel. We have to think of the journey up the narrow valley that leads from Jericho to Jerusalem. Our Lord, as before, was followed by the disciples, and they in their turn were followed by the crowds of pilgrims who were drawn to the Holy City either by the coming Passover or by wonder and curiosity to see what part the Prophet of Nazareth would take. Throughout the multitude, including the disciples, there was a feverish expectation that He would at last announce Himself as the Christ, and claim His kingdom (Luke 19:11). They reach Bethany “six days before the Passover,” probably, i.e., on the Friday afternoon (John 12:1). They remain there for the Sabbath, probably in the house of Lazarus or Simon the leper (Matthew 26:6; John 12:2; and in that of the latter we have the history of the anointing, which St. Matthew relates, out of its chronological order, in Matthew 26:6-13). The point of time with which the narrative, which now becomes more continuous, opens, may be fixed at the dawn of the first day of the week, the daybreak of Palm Sunday. Bethphage.—The village is named in Luke 19:29, and in many MSS. of Mark 11:1, in conjunction with Bethany, and before it, and from this it would seem probable that it lay on the road from Jericho, and was therefore to the east of Bethany.

The traditional site, however, followed in most maps, makes it to the west of Bethany, and nearer the summit of the hill. The name signified “the house of unripe figs,” as Bethany did “the house of dates,” and Gethsemane “the oil-press,” the three obviously indicating local features giving distinctness to the three sites. All three were on the Mount of Olives. Bethany is identified with the modern El-’Azariyeh, or Lazarieh (the name attaching to its connection with the history of Lazarus), which lies about a mile below the summit on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, in a woody hollow planted with olives, almonds, pomegranates, and figs. The palms implied in the name of Bethany and in the history of the entry into Jerusalem (John 12:13) have disappeared. Two disciples.—The messengers are not named in any of the Gospels. The fact that Peter and John were sent on a like errand in Luke 22:8 makes it, perhaps, probable that they were employed in this instance.

Matthew 21:1 . Καὶ ὅτε , κ . τ . λ ., and when , etc.) From this point forward, the actions and contests of our Lord are described by the several Evangelists with great fulness and agreement.— εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα , to Jerusalem ) which they were about to enter.— τότε , κ . τ . λ ., then , etc.) not before. It is clearly intimated, that the event[899] about to be described was full of mystery. Often had Jesus entered Jerusalem;[900] now, in this His last journey, and at the conclusion of it, He rides for the only time, solemnly taking possession of the Royal City (see ch. Matthew 5:5 ), not only for a few days, but on account of that kingdom (see Mark 11:33 .) which He was just about to institute; see Luke 24:47 ; Luke 1:33 , and the conclusion of Zechariah 9:10 , with the whole context. [899] In the original, “Vectura ( a being carried or borne, a riding ) mysterii plena innuitur.” See Matthew 21:2-9 .—(I. B.) [900] “The Saviour had come to Jerusalem—(1), in infancy ( Luke 2:22 , seqq.); (2), in childhood ( Luke 2:42 , seqq.); (3), in His temptation (chap. Matthew 4:5 ); (4), at the Passover ( John 2:23 .); (5), at the Day of Pentecost ( John 5:1 ); (6), during the Feast of Tabernacles ( John 7:10 ); and now, for the seventh time, to His Passion.

After the entrance ( Einritte ) [described in the following verses], He went daily to and from Jerusalem, until, at the commencement of the Friday, [for the Jewish days began at six o’clock in the evening,] He was carried in bound, and taken forth in the morning to Golgotha.”—B. H. E.

Matthew 21:1 . Comp. Mark 11:1 ff.; Luke 19:29 ff. Καὶ ἦλθον εἰς Βμθφαγῆ ] by way of giving greater precision to the foregoing ἤγγισαν εἰς Ἱερος . They had come towards Bethphage ; that is, as the connection shows ( Matthew 21:2 ), they had not actually entered the village, but were close upon it, so that it lay right before them; comp. on John 4:5 . Hard by them (“in latere montis Oliveti,” Jerome) was the neighbouring village of Bethany ( Matthew 21:17 ), about which, however, and its position with reference to Bethphage (Robinson, Pal . II. p. 312), nothing more precise can now be said. Consequently there is no divergence from Mark and Luke, so that it is unnecessary to understand εἰς , versus , after ἦλθον (Fritzsche), which is distinct from, and more definite than, ἤγγισαν . Of Bethphage , בֵּית פַּאנֵי , house of figs, no trace remains (Robinson, as above). It is not once mentioned in the Old Testament, though frequently in the Talmud. Buxtorf, p. 1691; Hug, Einl. I. p. 18. τότε ] an important juncture. “Non prius; vectura mysterii plena,” Bengel. To any one travelling from Jericho, the holy city would be in full view at Bethphage (not at Bethany). And Jesus makes due arrangements for the entry; it is not something done simply to gratify the enthusiastic wishes of those about Him (Neander, de Wette, Weizsäcker); comp. Keim, III. p. 85 f. REMARK.

The stay of Jesus at Bethany, recorded by John ( Matthew 12:1 ff.), does not admit of being inserted into the account given by the Synoptists (in answer to Ebrard, Wichelh. Komment. über d. Leidensgesch . p. 149; Lichtenstein); we should rather say that these latter expressly forbid the view that the night had been passed at Bethany, all the more that they introduce the anointing ( Matthew 26:6 ff.; Mark 14:3 ff.), and consequently the stay of Jesus at this village after the triumphal entry, and that not merely in the order of their narrative, but also in the order of events ( Matthew 26:2 ; Mark 14:1 ). This likewise in answer to Wieseler, p. 391 f. The tradition, to the effect that the triumphal entry took place on the Sunday (Palmarum) , is in no way inconsistent with the synoptic narrative itself , and agrees at the same time with John 12:1 ; John 12:12 , inasmuch as it would appear from this evangelist that the day on which Jesus arrived at Bethany was most probably the 8th of Nisan, which, however, according to John’s representation, must have been Saturday (see note on John 12:1 ).