Jesus Drives Money Changers from the Temple

15 (A)Then they *came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple area and began to drive out those who were selling and buying on the temple grounds, and He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling [a]doves; 16 and He would not allow anyone to carry [b]merchandise through the temple grounds. 17 And He began to teach and say to them, “Is it not written: ‘(B)My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? (C)But you have made it a den of robbers.” 18 And the chief priests and the scribes heard this, and they (D)began seeking how to put Him to death; for they were afraid of Him, because all (E)the crowd was astonished at His teaching.

19 And (F)whenever evening came, [c]they would leave the city.

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 11:15 Lit the doves
  2. Mark 11:16 Lit a vessel; i.e., a receptacle or implement of any kind
  3. Mark 11:19 I.e., Jesus and His disciples

Jesus Drives Moneychangers from the Temple

15 Then they came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple [grounds] and began driving out [with force] the people who were [a]selling and buying [animals for sacrifice] in the temple area, and overturned the tables of the moneychangers [who made a profit exchanging foreign money for temple coinage] and the seats of those who were selling doves;(A) 16 and He would not permit anyone to carry [b]merchandise or household wares through the temple [grounds, using the temple area irreverently as a shortcut]. 17 He began to teach and say to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a robbers’ den.”(B) 18 The chief priests and the scribes heard this and began searching for a way to destroy Him; for they were afraid of Him, since the entire crowd was struck with astonishment at His teaching.

19 When evening came, Jesus and His disciples would leave the city.

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 11:15 These vendors could charge pilgrims inflated prices for animals designated for sacrifice because OT law forbade the use of animals with blemishes or defects (Deut 17:1 etc.), and the religious leaders had dictated even more stringent requirements. For example, they ruled that a blemish on an eyelid disqualified an animal for sacrifice (according to the Talmud).
  2. Mark 11:16 Lit a vessel. The Mishnah declared that one should not enter the temple mount with his staff (walking stick) or wallet, or with his shoes on, or with dust on his feet (according to the Talmud). Carrying merchandise through the temple showed even greater disrespect.