Matthew 21
Expanded Bible
Jesus Enters Jerusalem as a King(A)
21 As Jesus and his ·followers [disciples] ·were coming closer to [approached] Jerusalem, they ·stopped at [L came to] Bethphage ·at [or on] the Mount of Olives. From there Jesus sent two of his ·followers [disciples] 2 and said to them, “Go to the town ·you can see there [ahead of you; or opposite you]. When you enter it, you will ·quickly [immediately] find a donkey tied there with its colt. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone asks you ·why you are taking the donkeys [L anything], say that ·the Master [the Lord; or its Owner] needs them, and ·he will send them at once [or the Lord will return it soon; see Mark 11:3].”
4 This was to ·bring about [fulfill] what ·the prophet had said [L had been spoken through the prophet]:
5 “Tell ·the people of Jerusalem [L the daughter of Zion; C a metaphor for Israel],
‘[L Look; T Behold,] Your king is coming to you.
He is ·gentle [humble] and ·riding [mounted] on a donkey,
on the colt of a donkey [Is. 62:11; Zech. 9:9].’”
6 [So] The ·followers [disciples] went and did what Jesus ·told them to do [instructed; commanded]. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt to Jesus and laid their ·coats [cloaks] on them, ·and Jesus sat on them. 8 ·Many people [A very large crowd; or Most of the crowd] spread their coats on the road. Others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The ·people [crowds] were walking ahead of Jesus and ·behind [following] him, shouting,
“·Praise [L Hosanna! C a Hebrew word originally used in praying for help, but by this time a joyful shout of praise to God] to the Son of David [C a title for the Messiah]!
·God bless [Blessed is] the One who comes in the name of the Lord [Ps. 118:26]!
·Praise to God in heaven [L Hosanna in the highest; C either “in highest heaven” or “to the Most High God”]!”
10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, all the city was ·filled with excitement [stirred up; in an uproar]. The people asked, “Who is this man?”
11 The crowd said, “This man is Jesus, the prophet from the town of Nazareth in Galilee.”
Jesus Goes to the Temple(B)
12 Jesus went into the ·Temple [temple complex; C the large temple area, not the inner building where only the priests could go] and ·threw [drove] out all the people who were buying and selling there. He turned over the tables of ·those who were exchanging different kinds of money [L the moneychangers], and he upset the benches of those who were selling doves [or pigeons; C moneychangers provided particular coins needed for the temple tax; doves or pigeons were sold for sacrifices; Lev. 5:7]. 13 Jesus said to ·all the people there [L them], “It is written in the Scriptures, ‘My ·Temple [L House] will be called a house for prayer [Is. 56:7].’ But you are ·changing [making] it into a ·hideout for robbers [T den of thieves; Jer. 7:11].”
14 The blind and ·crippled people [lame] came to Jesus in the Temple [courts; v. 12], and he healed them. 15 [L But when] The ·leading [T chief] priests and the ·teachers of the law [scribes] saw that Jesus was doing wonderful things and that the children were praising him in the Temple [courts; v. 12], saying, “·Praise [L Hosanna; v. 9] to the Son of David [C a title for the Messiah; v. 9].” All these things made the priests and the ·teachers of the law [scribes] ·very angry [indignant].
16 They asked Jesus, “Do you hear the things these children are saying?”
Jesus answered, “Yes. Haven’t you read in the Scriptures, ·‘You have taught children and babies to sing praises’ [L ‘From the mouths of infants and nursing babes you have prepared/created praise’; Ps. 8:2 LXX]?”
17 Then Jesus left and went out of the city to Bethany, where he spent the night.
The Power of Faith(C)
18 Early the next morning, as Jesus was going back to the city, he became hungry. 19 Seeing a fig tree beside the road, Jesus went to it, but ·there were no figs [L he found nothing] on the tree, only leaves [Is. 5:1–7]. So Jesus said to the tree, “·You will [May you] never again have fruit.” The tree immediately ·dried up [withered].
20 When his ·followers [disciples] saw this, they were amazed. They asked, “How did the fig tree ·dry up [wither] ·so quickly [immediately]?”
21 Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will be able to do what I did to this tree and even more. You will be able to say to this mountain, ‘·Go, fall [L Be lifted up and thrown] into the sea.’ And if you have faith, it will ·happen [be done]. 22 If you ·believe [have faith], you will get anything you ask for in prayer.”
Leaders Doubt Jesus’ Authority(D)
23 Jesus went to the Temple [courts], and while he was teaching there, the ·leading [T chief] priests and the elders of the people came to him. They said, “What authority do you have to do these things? [L And] Who gave you this authority?”
24 Jesus answered, “I also will ask you a question. If you answer me, then I will tell you what authority I have to do these things. 25 Tell me: When John baptized people, did that come from ·God [L heaven; C a reverential Jewish way of referring to God] or just from ·other people [human beings]?”
They argued about Jesus’ question, saying, “If we answer, ‘John’s baptism was from ·God [L heaven],’ Jesus will say, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘It was from ·people [human beings],’ we are afraid of what the crowd will do because they all ·believe [think; hold] that John was a prophet.”
27 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”
Jesus said to them, “Then I won’t tell you what authority I have to do these things.
A Story About Two Sons
28 “Tell me what you think about this: A man had two sons. He went to the ·first [elder] son and said, ‘Son, go and work today in ·my [the] vineyard.’ 29 The son answered, ‘I will not go.’ But later the son ·changed his mind [regretted/thought better of it] and went. 30 Then the father went to the other son and said, ·‘Son, go and work today in my vineyard’ [L the same thing]. The son answered, ‘Yes, sir, I will,’ but he did not go. 31 Which of the two sons ·obeyed [L did the will of] his father?”
·The priests and leaders [L They] answered, “The first son.”
Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes ·will enter [are going into] the kingdom of God ·before you do [ahead of you]. 32 [L For] John came to show you the ·right way to live [the way/path of righteousness]. You did not believe him, but the tax collectors and prostitutes believed him. Even after seeing this, you still refused to ·change your ways [change your mind; repent] and believe him.
The Story of the Evil Farmers(E)
33 “Listen to ·this story [another parable]: There was a ·man who owned [landowner who planted] a vineyard. He put a wall around it and dug a ·hole [vat; pit] for a winepress and built a tower [C to protect against thieves; see Is. 5:1–7 for the background to this parable]. Then he leased the land to some [C tenant] farmers and left for a trip [C the owner represents God, the farmers are Israel’s religious leaders]. 34 When it was time for the grapes to be picked, he sent his ·servants [slaves] to the farmers to get his share of the grapes. 35 But the farmers grabbed the ·servants [slaves], beat one, killed another, and then ·killed a third servant with stones [L stoned a third]. 36 So the man sent some other ·servants [slaves] to the farmers, even more than he sent the first time. But the farmers did the same thing to them that they had done before [C the servants represent the prophets God sent to Israel]. 37 ·So [L Finally; Last of all] the man sent his son to the farmers [C the son represents Jesus]. He said, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the farmers saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This son will inherit the vineyard. Let’s kill him, and we will get his inheritance!’ 39 Then the farmers grabbed the son, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40 So what will the ·owner [lord] of the vineyard do to these farmers when he comes?”
41 ·The priests and leaders [L They] said, “He will ·surely kill those evil men [bring those wretches/evil men to a wretched/evil end]. Then he will lease the vineyard to some other farmers who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time [C referring to the sinners who were responding to Jesus’ call for repentance, and eventually to the Gentiles who would be saved].”
42 Jesus said to them, “·Surely you have read [L Haven’t you ever read…?] this in the Scriptures:
‘The stone that the builders rejected
became the cornerstone [capstone; keystone; L head of the corner; C the meaning is uncertain, but clearly refers to the most important stone in the building; Jesus is the rejected stone].
The Lord did this,
and it is ·wonderful [amazing; marvelous] ·to us [for us to see; L in our eyes; Ps. 118:22–23].’
43 “·So [For this reason; Therefore] I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to ·people [a nation] who ·do the things God wants in his kingdom [L will produce its fruit]. 44 The person who ·falls on [stumbles over] this stone will be ·broken [shattered], and on whomever that stone falls, that person will be crushed.”[a]
45 When the ·leading [T chief] priests and the Pharisees heard these ·stories [parables], they knew Jesus was talking about them. 46 They ·wanted [were seeking/trying] to arrest him, but they were afraid of the ·people [crowds], because the people believed that Jesus was a prophet.
Footnotes
- Matthew 21:44 The … crushed. Some Greek copies do not have verse 44.
Matthew 21
New American Standard Bible
The Triumphal Entry
21 (A)When they had approached Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage, at (B)the Mount of Olives, Jesus then sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with it. Untie them and bring them to Me. 3 And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them on immediately.” 4 Now (C)this [a]took place so that what was spoken through [b]the prophet would be fulfilled:
5 “(D)Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold your King is coming to you,
Humble, and mounted on a donkey,
Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
6 The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them, 7 and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their cloaks on them; and He sat on [c]the cloaks. 8 Most of the crowd (E)spread their cloaks on the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them on the road. 9 Now the crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting,
“[d]Hosanna to the (F)Son of David;
(G)Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord;
[e]Hosanna (H)in the highest!”
10 When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds were saying, “This is (I)Jesus the prophet, from (J)Nazareth in Galilee.”
Cleansing the Temple
12 (K)And Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all those who were selling and buying on the temple grounds, and He overturned the tables of the (L)money changers and the seats of those who were selling (M)doves. 13 And He *said to them, “It is written: ‘(N)My house will be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a (O)den of robbers.”
14 And those who were blind and those who limped came to Him in the temple area, and (P)He healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple area, “[f]Hosanna to the (Q)Son of David,” they became indignant, 16 and they said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?” And Jesus *said to them, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘(R)From the mouths of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise for Yourself’?” 17 And He left them and went out of the city to (S)Bethany, and spent the night there.
The Barren Fig Tree
18 (T)Now in the early morning, when He was returning to the city, He became hungry. 19 And seeing a lone (U)fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves alone; and He *said to it, “No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.” And at once the fig tree withered.
20 Seeing this, the disciples were amazed and [g]asked, “How did the fig tree wither all at once?” 21 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, (V)if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen. 22 And (W)whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive it all.”
Authority Challenged
23 (X)When He entered the temple area, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him (Y)while He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?” 24 But Jesus responded and said to them, “I will also ask you one [h]question, which, if you tell Me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John was from what source: from heaven or from men?” And they began considering the implications among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the [i]people; for they all regard John as (Z)a prophet.” 27 And answering Jesus, they said, “We do not know.” He also said to them, “Neither am I telling you by what authority I do these things.
Parable of Two Sons
28 “But what do you think? A man had two [j]sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘[k]Son, go work today in the (AA)vineyard.’ 29 But he replied, ‘I do not want to.’ Yet afterward he regretted it and went. 30 And the man came to his second son and said the same thing; and he replied, ‘I will, sir’; and yet he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They *said, “The first.” Jesus *said to them, “Truly I say to you that (AB)the tax collectors and prostitutes [l]will get into the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but (AC)the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even [m]have second thoughts afterward so as to believe him.
Parable of the Landowner
33 “Listen to another parable. (AD)There was a [n]landowner who (AE)planted a (AF)vineyard and put a [o]fence around it, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and he leased it to [p]vine-growers and (AG)went on a journey. 34 And when the [q]harvest time approached, he (AH)sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his fruit. 35 And the vine-growers took his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again, he (AI)sent other slaves, more than the first; and they did the same things to them. 37 But afterward he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the vine-growers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let’s kill him and take possession of his inheritance!’ 39 And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40 Therefore, when the [r]owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers?” 41 They *said to Him, “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end and (AJ)lease the vineyard to other vine-growers, who will pay him the fruit in the proper seasons.”
42 Jesus *said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures,
‘(AK)A stone which the builders rejected,
This has become the [s]chief cornerstone;
This came about from the Lord,
And it is marvelous in our eyes’?
43 Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a [t]people producing its fruit. 44 And (AL)the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and on whomever it falls, it will crush him.”
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them. 46 And although they sought to arrest Him, they (AM)feared the crowds, since they considered Him to be a (AN)prophet.
Footnotes
- Matthew 21:4 Lit has happened
- Matthew 21:4 I.e., Zechariah
- Matthew 21:7 Lit them
- Matthew 21:9 Aramaic for Save, we pray
- Matthew 21:9 Aramaic for Save, we pray
- Matthew 21:15 Aramaic for Save, we pray
- Matthew 21:20 Lit said
- Matthew 21:24 Lit word
- Matthew 21:26 Lit crowd
- Matthew 21:28 Lit children
- Matthew 21:28 Lit Child
- Matthew 21:31 Lit are getting into
- Matthew 21:32 Or change your minds
- Matthew 21:33 Lit a man, head of a household
- Matthew 21:33 Or hedge
- Matthew 21:33 Or tenant farmers, also vv 34, 35, 38, 40
- Matthew 21:34 Lit the fruit season
- Matthew 21:40 Lit lord
- Matthew 21:42 Lit head of the corner
- Matthew 21:43 Lit nation
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New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
