Bible Study series: Matthew 21:12-13. It was in the temple precincts, not the temple proper. It was another sign, a statement, against the Jerusalem and temple establishment.
A warm welcome to this Bible study! I write to learn, so let’s learn together. I also translate to learn. The translations are mine, unless otherwise noted. If you would like to see many others, please click on this link:
In the next link to the original chapter, I comment more and offer the Greek text. At the bottom you will find a “Summary and Conclusion” section geared toward discipleship. Check it out!
In this post, links are provided for further study.
Let’s begin.
Scripture: Matthew 21:12-13
12 Then Jesus went into the temple and threw out all the sellers and buyers in the temple and overturned the tables of moneychangers and the chairs of those selling doves. 13 He said to them: “It is written:
My house shall be called a house of prayer [Is. 56:7],
but you have make it a hideout of robbers!” [Jer. 7:11] (Matt. 21:12-13)
Comments:
This is the second of four signs that the Messiah is in town, the holy city: (1) Triumphal entry; (2) cleansing of the temple; (3) healing the blind and lame; (4) destruction of a fruitless tree. They are about his rightful place as King and Messiah over Jerusalem and the temple, which will reject him in about a week.
The temple was the largest structure in the Roman world: 1590 ft. (484.6m) on the western side; 1035 ft. (315.4m) on the north; 1536 ft. (468m) on the east; 912 ft. (278m) on the south = 35 football fields and one-sixth of Jerusalem (Osborne, comment on 21:11). Jesus did not clear out the entire temple, but a small area of it. It was an action parable that fulfilled Scripture (see the comments at the end of vv. 12-13.
12-13:
Deut. 14:24-26 says that if the distance to a designated holy place is too far for the Israelite to travel because of the animals or grain are burdensome, he is allowed to exchange the animal or grain for money near his home. Then he can carry the money to the designated holy place and there buy the grain or animal, to sacrifice and eat. In Jerusalem it is a sure thing that the money tables were set up to accommodate this lawful practice. Money changers converted the Greek and Roman currency into temple currency; the half-shekel temple tax had to be paid (Matt. 17:24-27).
However, apparently Jesus examined and inspected the temple business and found it lacking. Maybe dishonesty was the rule of the day. Maybe interest was charged, or maybe the price of the animal or grain was exorbitant. Maybe the business was conducted too closely to the temple precinct, which was the most likely occurrence; it provoked his righteous anger. Whatever the specifics, Jesus did not like what he saw. “Doves were by far the most frequently purchased items, as they were the sacrifice of the poor (Lev. 12:8; 14:21-22; cf. Luke 2:22-34), and there is rabbinic evidence that exorbitant prices were often charged (m. Ker. 1:7; m. Pesach. 57a)” (Osborne, comment on 21:12).
His expelling the money-changers and sellers and buyers from the temple took some physical strength. He was no weakling. John 2:13-17 says he made of whip of cords.
Jer. 7:11 says that the temple was a den, cave, grotto, or cavern of thieves. Here Jesus says the same thing, using the same noun. One more tidbit of information that Jesus knew his Bible.
Jesus was making a revolutionary statement. Something better than the temple was here (Matt. 12:6). He had the right to cleanse the temple. In John 2:17, Jesus calls the temple “my Father’s house.” The guardians of the temple—the chief priests—no doubt heard about this protest action and were about to inquire further into this man who accepted praise from children and healed the blind and the lame in the temple area.
“If rabbinic reports are accurate, this practice, originally restricted to the Mount of Olives, had been moved to the temple shortly before Jesus’ arrival, undoubtedly drawing considerable opposition … The practice would have helped the buyers, reducing the risk of an animal’s becoming blemished in transit between the Mount of Olives and the temple, an expensive risk for most people; the the problem was paying money in the temple” (Keener, p. 497).
Jesus had several messages going on. First, this was personal. The Jerusalem religious establishment was misusing his Father house. Next, they allowed too much commercialism near the temple, for profit. No doubt the moneychangers took a cut, if only secretly. Did the religious leaders secretly take money from the cut? Finally, the issue was theological. It was a small act of judgment on the temple which was about to be judged more fully by God (Matt. 24:15; Luke 21:20-22). Action parable. Action protest.
GrowApp for Matt. 21:12-13
1. Study 1 Cor. 15:33. Have you ever had to take firm action to rid yourself of bad company that corrupts? What did you do?
RELATED
9. Authoritative Testimony in Matthew’s Gospel
1. Church Fathers and Matthew’s Gospel
2. Archaeology and the Synoptic Gospels
14. Similarities among John’s Gospel and the Synoptic Gospels
1. The Historical Reliability of the Gospels: Introduction to Series
SOURCES AND MORE
To see the bibliography, please click on this link and scroll down to the bottom. You will also find a “Summary and Conclusion” for discipleship.
Dr. Jim's Essential Bible Teaching 