MAT 21:1-11

The Triumphal Entry

1And when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, [21:2] saying to them, "Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. [21:3] If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord needs them,' and he will send them at once." [21:4] This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet, saying, [21:5] "Say to the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your king is coming to you, humble and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.'" [21:6] The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. [21:7] They brought the donkey and the colt and put their outer garments on them, and he sat on them. [21:8] Most of the crowd spread their outer garments on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. [21:9] And the crowds going before him and those following were crying out, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!" [21:10] And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was shaken with agitation, saying, "Who is this?" [21:11] And the crowds said, "This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee."

In the world it was spoken into

In the first-century Jewish context, Jesus' entry into Jerusalem during Passover would have carried deep symbolic and political resonance. The donkey and colt evoke Zechariah 9:9, a prophetic image of a humble, peaceful king arriving not on a warhorse but on a beast of burden. This act would have been understood as a deliberate claim to messianic identity, particularly in the charged atmosphere of Passover, a festival commemorating liberation from oppression. The spreading of cloaks and branches on the road echoes practices of honoring kings or victorious leaders, as seen in 2 Kings 9:13. For the crowds, this act likely signaled hope for a Davidic Messiah who would liberate them from Roman rule. However, Jesus' choice of a donkey, rather than a horse, subverts expectations of a militaristic deliverer, aligning instead with the prophetic vision of a gentle king. The city's response—stirred up and questioning—reflects the tension between popular messianic hopes and Jesus' redefinition of kingship.

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How other translations render this

MAT 21:1

KJV: And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,
BSB: As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent out two disciples,
Koinōnos: And when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,

MAT 21:2

KJV: Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.
BSB: saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt beside her. Untie them and bring them to Me.
Koinōnos: saying to them, "Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me.

MAT 21:3

KJV: And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.
BSB: If anyone questions you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
Koinōnos: If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord needs them,' and he will send them at once.

MAT 21:4

KJV: All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,
BSB: This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
Koinōnos: This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet, saying,

MAT 21:5

KJV: Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.
BSB: “Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your King comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
Koinōnos: Say to the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your king is coming to you, humble and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.'

MAT 21:6

KJV: And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,
BSB: So the disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them.
Koinōnos: The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them.

MAT 21:7

KJV: And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.
BSB: They brought the donkey and the colt and laid their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them.
Koinōnos: They brought the donkey and the colt and put their outer garments on them, and he sat on them.

MAT 21:8

KJV: And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.
BSB: A massive crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
Koinōnos: Most of the crowd spread their outer garments on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

MAT 21:9

KJV: And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
BSB: The crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed were shouting: “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest!”
Koinōnos: And the crowds going before him and those following were crying out, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!

MAT 21:10

KJV: And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?
BSB: When Jesus had entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
Koinōnos: And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was shaken with agitation, saying, "Who is this?

MAT 21:11

KJV: And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
BSB: The crowds replied, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Koinōnos: And the crowds said, "This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Translator's notes

MAT 21:1

two:The word translated 'two' here is actually the term for 'disciple,' indicating that these individuals were not just random people, but followers who had committed to Jesus's teachings and way of life.

MAT 21:5

gentle:The word translated 'gentle' here carried a sense of disciplined strength and controlled power, often used to describe a wild animal that has been tamed and made useful, rather than mere weakness or timidity.

MAT 21:7

cloaks:The word translated 'cloaks' refers specifically to the outer garment, a large piece of cloth worn over a tunic, which served as both clothing and often as a blanket or bedroll for the poor.

MAT 21:10

was stirred:The term translated 'was stirred' implies a strong, almost seismic disturbance or shaking, suggesting a profound and widespread agitation or commotion throughout the city.