Focused Passage

Matthew 21:12-17

The King Enters Jerusalem, Judges Fruitless Religion, and Exposes Rejected-Son Leadership

Matthew moves from messianic entry, to temple judgment and healing, to children’s praise and leader indignation, to the prophetic sign of the fig tree, to a challenge over Jesus’ authority, to parables exposing false obedience and murderous stewardship, and finally to Jesus’ declaration that the rejected stone becomes the cornerstone and the kingdom will be given to a fruit-bearing people.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

12Then Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling doves.

13And He declared to them, “It is written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer.’ But you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’”

14The blind and the lame came to Him at the temple, and He healed them.

15But the chief priests and scribes were indignant when they saw the wonders He performed and the children shouting in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David!”

16“Do You hear what these children are saying?” they asked. “Yes,” Jesus answered. “Have you never read: ‘From the mouths of children and infants You have ordained praise’?”

17Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where He spent the night.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 12

Original words

ThenΚαὶG2532ConjunctionJesusἸησοῦςG2424Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularenteredεἰσῆλθενG1525Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular. . .εἰςG1519PrepositiontheτὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter Singulartemple [courts]ἱερόνG2411Noun - Accusative Neuter SingularandκαὶG2532Conjunctiondrove outἐξέβαλενG1544Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularallπάνταςG3956Adjective - Accusative Masculine Pluralwho wereτοὺςG3588Article - Accusative Masculine PluralbuyingἀγοράζονταςG59Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Masculine PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionsellingπωλοῦνταςG4453Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Masculine Plural[there]ἐνG1722Preposition. . .τῷG3588Article - Dative Neuter Singular. . .ἱερῷG2411Noun - Dative Neuter Singular-καὶG2532ConjunctionHe overturnedκατέστρεψενG2690Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingulartheτὰςG3588Article - Accusative Feminine PluraltablesτραπέζαςG5132Noun - Accusative Feminine Pluralof theτῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Pluralmoney changersκολλυβιστῶνG2855Noun - Genitive Masculine PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctiontheτὰςG3588Article - Accusative Feminine PluralseatsκαθέδραςG2515Noun - Accusative Feminine Pluralof thoseτῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine PluralsellingπωλούντωνG4453Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Masculine Plural-τὰςG3588Article - Accusative Feminine PluraldovesπεριστεράςG4058Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural

BSB notes

  • Literally the temple; also in verses 15 and 23; BYZ and TR the temple of God
Verse 13

Original words

AndκαὶG2532ConjunctionHe declaredλέγειG3004Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singularto themαὐτοῖςG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person PluralIt is writtenΓέγραπταιG1125Verb - Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person SingularMyμουG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularhouseοἶκόςG3624Noun - Nominative Masculine Singularwill be calledκληθήσεταιG2564Verb - Future Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singulara houseοἶκοςG3624Noun - Nominative Masculine Singularof prayerπροσευχῆςG4335Noun - Genitive Feminine SingularButδὲG1161ConjunctionyouὑμεῖςG4771Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 2nd Person Pluralare makingποιεῖτεG4160Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person PluralitαὐτὸνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singulara denΣπήλαιονG4693Noun - Accusative Neuter Singularof robbersλῃστῶνG3027Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural

BSB notes

  • Isaiah 56:7
  • Jeremiah 7:11
Verse 14

Original words

-ΚαὶG2532Conjunction[The] blindτυφλοὶG5185Adjective - Nominative Masculine PluralandκαὶG2532Conjunction[the] lameχωλοὶG5560Adjective - Nominative Masculine PluralcameπροσῆλθονG4334Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Pluralto HimαὐτῷG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person SingularatἐνG1722PrepositiontheτῷG3588Article - Dative Neuter SingulartempleἱερῷG2411Noun - Dative Neuter SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionHe healedἐθεράπευσενG2323Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularthemαὐτούςG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Verse 15

Original words

ButδὲG1161ConjunctiontheοἱG3588Article - Nominative Masculine Pluralchief priestsἀρχιερεῖςG749Noun - Nominative Masculine PluralandκαὶG2532Conjunction-οἱG3588Article - Nominative Masculine PluralscribesγραμματεῖςG1122Noun - Nominative Masculine Pluralwere indignantἠγανάκτησανG23Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Pluralwhen they sawἰδόντεςG3708Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine PluraltheτὰG3588Article - Accusative Neuter PluralwondersθαυμάσιαG2297Adjective - Accusative Neuter Plural-G3739Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter PluralHe performedἐποίησενG4160Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctiontheτοὺςG3588Article - Accusative Masculine PluralchildrenπαῖδαςG3816Noun - Accusative Masculine PluralvvvκαὶG2532ConjunctionvvvλέγονταςG3004Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Masculine PluralvvvτοὺςG3588Article - Accusative Masculine PluralshoutingκράζονταςG2896Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Masculine PluralinἐνG1722PrepositiontheτῷG3588Article - Dative Neuter Singulartemple [courts]ἱερῷG2411Noun - Dative Neuter SingularHosannaὩσαννὰG5614Hebrew Wordto theτῷG3588Article - Dative Masculine SingularSonυἱῷG5207Noun - Dative Masculine Singularof DavidΔαυίδG1138Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Verse 16

Original words

Do You hearἈκούειςG191Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person SingularwhatτίG5101Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Singularthese [children]οὗτοιG3778Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Masculine Pluralare sayingλέγουσινG3004Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural-καὶG2532Conjunctionthey askedεἶπανG2036Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural-αὐτῷG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person SingularYesΝαίG3483Particle-δὲG1161Conjunction-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularJesusἸησοῦςG2424Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularansweredλέγειG3004Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular-αὐτοῖςG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person PluralvvvοὐδέποτεG3763AdverbHave you never readἀνέγνωτεG314Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural-ὅτιG3754ConjunctionFromἘκG1537Preposition[the] mouthsστόματοςG4750Noun - Genitive Neuter Singularof childrenνηπίωνG3516Adjective - Genitive Masculine PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctioninfantsθηλαζόντωνG2337Verb - Present Participle Active - Genitive Masculine PluralYou have ordainedΚατηρτίσωG2675Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 2nd Person SingularpraiseαἶνονG136Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular

BSB notes

  • Psalm 8:2 (see also LXX)
Verse 17

Original words

ThenΚαὶG2532ConjunctionHe leftκαταλιπὼνG2641Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine SingularthemαὐτοὺςG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Plural[and] wentἐξῆλθενG1831Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singularout ofἔξωG1854PrepositiontheτῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine SingularcityπόλεωςG4172Noun - Genitive Feminine SingulartoεἰςG1519PrepositionBethanyΒηθανίανG963Noun - Accusative Feminine Singular-καὶG2532Conjunctionwhere He spent the nightηὐλίσθηG835Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular. . .ἐκεῖG1563Adverb

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.