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Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary (4 vols)

Matthew 21:4

Matthew 21:4. Now this hath come to pass . Of this Divine purpose the disciples had no idea at the time (John 12:16). Lange: ‘The occasion and need of the moment was the obvious motive. But to the Spirit of God these historical occasions were arranged coincidences with the prophetical word. Christ was in need of the foal of the ass, inasmuch as He could not make His entrance on foot in the midst of a festal procession. He must not be lost in the crowd; it was necessary that He should take a prominent position, and appear preeminent. But if He became conspicuous, it must be in the most humble and peaceable fashion: hence the choice of the ass. The dignity of the procession required the ass's colt, and this made the history all the more symbolical. But it could not be concealed from the Spirit of Christ ‘that here again the plain historical necessity coincided with the symbolically significant fulfilment of a prophetical word.' Matthew was present, but only when afterwards inspired did he know what it meant.

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See also Matthew 21:4 in other biblical comments:

  • A Textual Commentary On The Greek New Testament by Bruce M. Metzger

    MATTHEW 21:4 profh,tou Several witnesses (Mmg 42 ita, c, h copboms Hilary) add Zacari,ou before or after profh,tou; other witnesses (vg4 mss copboms eth) prefix “Isaiah.”...

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Matthew 21:4. _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 conce...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    ALL THIS WAS DONE ... - The prophecy here quoted is found in Zechariah 9:9. It was always, by the Jews, applied to the Messiah. DAUGHTER OF ZION - That is, “Jerusalem.” “Zion” was one of the hills on...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    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...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY (Mark 11:1 *, Luke 19:23; John 12:12). Mt. curiously misrepresents the poetic description of one animal in Zechariah 9:9 by making J

  • Barclay Daily Study Bible (NT)

    When they had come near to Jerusalem, and when they had come to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent on two disciples ahead. "Go into the village which is facing you," he said, "and imme...

  • Barclay Daily Study Bible (NT)

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

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    WAS DONE. came to pass, fulfilled. Compare Luke 21:24; Luke 21:32. SPOKEN. As well as written. BY. through. Greek. _dia._ App-104.Matthew 21:1....

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _Nisan_9 (_Palm Sunday_). Ch. Matthew 21:1-10. The Royal Entry into Jerusalem Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-40; John 1

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _that it might be fulfilled_ See note ch. Matthew 1:22....

  • Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary

    ΓΈΓΟΝΕΝ. ‘Is come to pass:’ the Evangelist speaks of an event still recent. Bp. Lightfoot points out (_On a Fresh Revision of the N.T._ p. 91) that for γέγονεν of the earlier and contemporary evangeli...

  • Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary

    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 ...

  • Catena Aurea Commentary

    l. And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, 2. Saying unto them, "Go into the village over against you, and straight...

  • Charles Box Commentaries

    _WITH THE FINISH IN SIGHT JESUS ENTERED JERUSALEM AND CLEANSED THE TEMPLE MATTHEW 21:1-17:_ One of the great statements from this section concerned the donkey and colt, "The Lord has need of them." Yo...

  • Charles Rose Commentaries

    ΓΈΓΟΝΕΝ _perf. ind. act. от_ ΓΊΝΟΜΑΙ (G1096) становиться, случаться. _Perf._ здесь имеет значение _plperf._ (VA, 260). ΠΛΗΡΩΘΉ _aor. conj. pass. от_ ΠΛΗΡΌΩ (G4137) исполнять. _Conj._ с ΊΝ (G2443) исп...

  • Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

    ALL THIS WAS DONE, &C.— See the note on Zechariah 9:9....

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    Section 54 JESUS ENTERS JERUSALEM IN MESSIANIC TRIUMPH (Parallels: Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-44; John 12:12-19) TEXT 21:1-11 1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and came unto Bethphage, unto th...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, For the exposition of this majestic scene-recorded, as will be seen, by...

  • Concordant Commentary on the New Testament by A. E. Knoch

    20 James and John were the sons of Zebedee (Mar_:10:35). Our Lord called them “sons of thunder” (Mar_3:17), to indicate their tempestuous and violent disposition. The gentleness and love of John's wri...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    21:4 saying, (f-18) Zechariah 9:9 ....

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE TRIUMPHAL ENTRY. CLEANSING OF THE TEMPLE Chronology of the Last Week of Christ's Life, commonly called Holy Week (chiefly after Hastings' 'Dictionary of Christ and the Gospels'). Sabbath, Nisan 8...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    SOLEMN ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM (Mark 11:1; Luke 19:29; John 12:12). More than a third of the entire Gospel narrative is occupied with the last week of Christ's life, commonly called Holy Week. The cause...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    MATTHEW’S GOOD NEWS MATTHEW’S *GOSPEL _HILDA BRIGHT_ CHAPTER 21 JESUS ENTERS JERUSALEM 21:1-11 V1 As they came nearer to Jerusalem, they reached the town called Bethphage. It was on the Mount o...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    ALL THIS WAS DONE. — The Evangelist returns to the formula of Matthew 1:22. Literally, _all this has come to pass._ The words are his comment on the act. At the time (as we find from John 12:16) the d...

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CHAPTER 16 To Jerusalem - Matthew 20:17 - Matthew 21:1 I-THE GOING UP. Matthew 20:17 WE have now reached the last stage of the long and sorrowful journey to Jerusalem. From the corresponding passag...

  • Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

    ἵνα πληρωθῇ : is to be taken here as always in this Gospel, in its strictly final sense. Such is the view of the evangelist and the view he wishes his readers to take. But it does not follow from this...

  • Expositor's Greek Testament (Nicoll)

    _The entry_ (Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-44)....

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    THE GREAT HEALER AND THE LOWLY KING Matthew 20:29-34; Matthew 21:1-7 The Lord is always saying: _What will ye that I shall do?_ Let us not ask small things. We honor Him by making great demands. Our...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    In this cleansing of the Temple for the second time-He had done the same at the outset of His ministry- the Lord revealed His conception of the secret of all civic righteousness and strength. He revea...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    _The Lord hath need. Not our Lord, or your Lord, but the Lord, viz. of all, both of the beasts and of their masters, and of every creature. Christ here discovers two of his own attributes, his omnisci...

  • Godbey's Commentary on the New Testament

    TRIUMPHANT ENTRY John 12:12-19; Matthew 21:1-11; Matthew 21:14-17; Luke 19:29-44;...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    "And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, (2) Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightwa...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    We now enter on the Lord's final presentation of Himself to Jerusalem, traced, however, from Jericho; that is, from the city which had once been the stronghold of the power of the Canaanite. The Lord...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    Afterwards (chapter 21), disposing of all that belonged to His willing people, He makes His entry into Jerusalem as King and Lord, according to the testimony of Zechariah. But although entering as Kin...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    ALL THIS WAS DONE,.... The disciples were sent to the neighbouring village for the ass and colt, and they brought them, and Christ rode upon them; not because of the distance of the place from Jerusal...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Ver. 4. _All this was done that, &c._] Here is the mystery of the history; which would otherwise seem to some ri...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _All this was done, &_ c. Ινα πληρωθη το ρηθεν δια του προφητου, _that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled_, that is, not only hereby the words of the prophet were fulfilled, but our Lo...

  • Justin Edwards' Family Bible New Testament (1851)

    BY THE PROPHET; ZECHARIAH 9:9. The prophecies of the Old Testament concerning the Messiah were all fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth, thus proving with absolute certainty that he was the Christ....

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    The prophecy fulfilled:...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    ALL THIS WAS DONE THAT IT MIGHT BE FULFILLED WHICH WAS SPOKEN BY THE PROPHET, SAYING,...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    It is a moment of most serious significance as the Lord is now about to enter Jerusalem. He is to be publicly presented to Israel, yet in lowly grace, not in power and majesty. Two of His disciples ar...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-11 This coming of Christ was described by the prophet Zechariah, Zechariah 9:9. When Christ would appear in his glory, it is in his meekness, not in his majesty, in mercy to work salvation. As meek...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    SEE POOLE ON "MATTHEW 21:5"....

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Matthew 21:4 All G1161 G3650 this G5124 done G1096 (G5754) that G2443 fulfilled G4137 (G5686) which...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    JESUS PREPARES FOR HIS TRIUMPHAL ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM (21:1-7). An essential part of any coronation among the Jews was an ass on which the King would ride to the crowning ceremony. This tradition comm...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    ‘Now this is come about, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying,' But Matthew then again points out that a further fulfilment of the Old Testament prophetic message wa...

  • Robertson's Word Pictures of the New Testament

    BY THE PROPHET (δια του προφητου). The first line is from Isaiah 62:11, the rest from Zechariah 9:9. John (John 12:14) makes it clear that Jesus did not quote the passage himself. In Matthew it is n...

  • Scofield's Bible Commentary

    FULFILLED The king's final and official offer of Himself according to (Zechariah 9:9). Acclaimed by an unthinking multitude whose real belief is expressed in (Matthew 21:11); but with no welcome from...

  • Spurgeon's Bible Commentary

    Matthew 21:1. And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come the Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: The triumphant entry. Jesus' second purification of the temple. Barren fig tree cursed. Jesus' authority questioned. Parable of the two sons in the vineyard. Parable of the house-holder dema...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Matthew 21:1. _When they were come to Bethphage._ The rabbins dispute about the etymon of this village, whether it mean the “house of the fountain,” as is the literal import; or the “house of grossiti...

  • The Bible Study New Testament

    THIS HAPPENED TO MAKE COME TRUE. The prophecy of Isaiah 62:11 and Zechariah 9:9. Both the donkey and the colt were brought, but John 12:15 speaks of Jesus riding only the young colt. Only animals that...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Beth-phage._ SIXTH SUNDAY IN LENT I. It presents an illustration of the relation of Christ to the religious feeling of mankind. We are relig...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    MATTHEW—NOTE ON MATTHEW 21:4 THIS TOOK PLACE TO FULFILL. Matthew specifies that Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem upon a colt fulfills the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9. J

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    MATTHEW—NOTE ON MATTHEW 21:1 The Messiah Asserts His Authority over Jeru­salem. Jesus’ authority over Jerusalem is revealed in his triumphal entry (Matthew 21:1), action

  • The Gospels Compared

    Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey Matthew 21:1-9; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:28-38; John 12:12-15;...

  • The Great Commentary of Cornelius à Lapide

    1-46 CHAPTER 21 _And when they were come nigh_, &c. Mark has (Mark 11:1), "And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, He sendeth forth two of His discip...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    _CRITICAL NOTES_ We now enter upon the crowded and peculiarly solemn events of the great week of our Saviour’s career, His last week—the passion week (_Morison_). Matthew 21:1. JERUSALEM.—The Jerusal...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION MATTHEW 21:1 _Triumphal entry into Jerusalem_. (Mark 11:1; Luke 19:29; John 12:12.)...

  • Through The Bible C2000 Serie by Chuck Smith

    Now when they drew near to Jerusalem, they were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, and then Jesus sent two disciples, saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and immediately...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    John 12:15; John 19:36; John 19:37; Matthew 1:22; Matthew 26:56;...

  • William Burkitt's Expository Notes

    Here the reason is assigned why Christ rode upon the ass into Jerusalem; it was to fulfil an ancient prophecy, that the Messiah, or King of the Jews, should come riding upon that beast into Jerusalem....

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Old Testament