12And Jesus entered the temple and cast out all those selling and buying in the temple, and He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling the doves. [21:13] And He says to them, 'It has been written: "The house of Mine will be called a house of prayer" — but you yourselves make it a den of robbers.' [21:14] And the blind and lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. [21:15] Now having seen the wonders that He did and the children who are crying out in the temple and saying, 'Hosanna to the Son of David!' the chief priests and the scribes were indignant [21:16] and said to Him, 'Do you hear what these are saying?' And Jesus says to them, 'Yes. Have you never read, "Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings You have perfected praise"?' [21:17] And having left them, He went out of the city to Bethany and passed the night there.
MAT 21:12-17
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
In the world it was spoken into
In the 1st century, the Jerusalem Temple was not only a religious center but also a hub of economic and political activity. The outer courts, known as the , were bustling with merchants selling animals for sacrifice and money changers converting Roman or foreign currency into the Tyrian shekels required for Temple offerings. This commerce, while practical, often exploited pilgrims, especially the poor, by inflating prices. Jesus’ overturning of the tables and driving out the sellers would have been seen as a direct challenge to the Temple authorities, who profited from this system. His accusation of the Temple becoming a 'den of robbers' carried dual meaning: it condemned both financial exploitation and the Temple’s complicity in Roman oppression, as could also refer to insurrectionists. The healing of the blind and lame in the Temple further underscored Jesus’ authority, as these individuals were typically excluded from full participation in Temple worship. The children’s cries of 'Hosanna' added a layer of Messianic expectation, unsettling the chief priests and scribes, who saw their authority threatened.
›See the receipts
How other translations render this
MAT 21:12
- KJV
- And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
- BSB
- Then 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.
- Koinōnos
- And Jesus entered the temple and cast out all those selling and buying in the temple, and He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling the doves.
MAT 21:13
- KJV
- And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
- BSB
- And 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.’”
- Koinōnos
- And He says to them, 'It has been written: "The house of Mine will be called a house of prayer" — but you yourselves make it a den of robbers.
MAT 21:14
- KJV
- And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.
- BSB
- The blind and the lame came to Him at the temple, and He healed them.
- Koinōnos
- And the blind and lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.
MAT 21:15
- KJV
- And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were sore displeased,
- BSB
- But 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!”
- Koinōnos
- Now having seen the wonders that He did and the children who are crying out in the temple and saying, 'Hosanna to the Son of David!' the chief priests and the scribes were indignant
MAT 21:16
- KJV
- And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?
- BSB
- “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’?”
- Koinōnos
- and said to Him, 'Do you hear what these are saying?' And Jesus says to them, 'Yes. Have you never read, "Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings You have perfected praise"?
MAT 21:17
- KJV
- And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.
- BSB
- Then He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, where He spent the night.
- Koinōnos
- And having left them, He went out of the city to Bethany and passed the night there.
Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.
Translator's notes
MAT 21:12
- the:The word translated 'temple' here refers specifically to the temple precincts, including the outer courts, not the inner sanctuary where only priests could enter.
MAT 21:13
- of robbers.’:The term used here for 'robbers' often referred to violent bandits or insurrectionists, not just petty thieves, suggesting a more aggressive and dangerous element.
MAT 21:15
- wonders:The word translated 'wonders' implies something awe-inspiring and extraordinary, often with a sense of divine power or intervention, beyond mere surprise.
MAT 21:16
- surely sometime:The phrase translated 'surely sometime' is a strong double negative in the original, emphasizing an emphatic 'never' or 'not ever,' conveying a sense of absolute certainty.