Mark 11 · KJV
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Mark 11

Jesus enters Jerusalem

And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples, And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him. And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither. And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him. And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt? And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go. And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him. And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way. And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest. And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.

Approaching Jerusalem by the Mount of Olives, Jesus sends two disciples to fetch a young donkey no one has ridden. He rides it toward the city as people spread cloaks and branches on the road and shout 'Hosanna!' He enters the temple, looks around at everything, and, as it is late, goes out to Bethany with the Twelve.

What does this mean?

A 'colt' (KJV) is a young donkey. 'Hosanna' comes from Hebrew, originally 'save, please!' (Psalm 118:25), and had become a shout of praise. 'Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord' is from Psalm 118:26, a psalm sung by festival pilgrims. 'Strawed' means scattered.

Historical context

Bethphage and Bethany were villages on the eastern slopes of the Mount of Olives, which overlooks the temple from the east. Jerusalem filled with pilgrims at Passover, and the Roman governor came up from Caesarea with troops to keep order. Spreading garments before someone was a gesture of homage to a king (2 Kings 9:13).

Why does it matter?

Riding a donkey recalls Zechariah 9:9, which pictures a humble king coming to Jerusalem. The low-key ending — Jesus inspects the temple and leaves — sets up the next day's action there.

Editorial notes, not scripture.

Told in all four Gospels

How Mark tells it

In Mark there is a single colt no one has ridden (Matthew has a donkey and a colt), and bystanders question the disciples untying it. Mark does not quote Zechariah's prophecy, as Matthew and John do. The crowd hails 'the kingdom of our father David'. Only Mark has Jesus simply look round the temple and leave, returning the next day.

Jesus curses a fig tree

And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry: And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

The next morning, hungry on the way from Bethany, Jesus sees a fig tree in leaf but finds no fruit on it, since it is not the season for figs. He says that no one will ever eat fruit from it again, and his disciples hear him.

What does this mean?

'If haply' (KJV) means if perhaps. 'The time of figs was not yet' means it was not fig season.

Historical context

Fig trees in the region come into leaf in spring, but their main crop ripens in late summer, months after Passover. Some scholars note that small early figs appear with the leaves and were sometimes eaten, though others doubt this.

Why does it matter?

Mark's remark that it was not the season has long puzzled readers. Mark wraps this story around the clearing of the temple (11:15–19), with its outcome in 11:20–21, and many interpreters read the fig tree as an acted-out parable of judgment on the temple, drawing on the prophets' picture of Israel as a fig tree (Jeremiah 8:13; Hosea 9:10).

Editorial notes, not scripture.

Jesus clears the temple

And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves. And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine. And when even was come, he went out of the city.

In the temple Jesus drives out the buyers and sellers, overturns the tables of the money changers and the seats of the dove sellers, and stops people carrying goods through the courts. Quoting scripture, he says God's house should be a house of prayer for all nations, but they have made it a den of robbers. The chief priests and scribes begin looking for a way to destroy him.

What does this mean?

'Moneychangers' exchanged pilgrims' coins for the Tyrian silver coinage required for the temple tax. Doves were the sacrifice of poorer worshippers. 'A den of thieves' (KJV) or 'robbers' — a hideout where bandits shelter — comes from Jeremiah 7:11; 'a house of prayer for all nations' from Isaiah 56:7. A 'vessel' (KJV) is any container or load of goods.

Historical context

Herod the Great had vastly enlarged the temple; its great outer court, open to non-Jews, is the most likely setting for this trade. The chief priests, drawn from a few aristocratic families, controlled the temple and worked with the Roman governor.

Why does it matter?

Interpreters debate whether Jesus' action was a protest against corruption, a call for reform, or a symbolic act foretelling the temple's destruction (see 13:2). In Mark it is what moves the leaders to seek his death.

Editorial notes, not scripture.

Told in all four Gospels

How Mark tells it

Mark places the clearing on the day after Jesus' arrival, inside the fig-tree story. Only Mark says Jesus would not let anyone carry goods through the temple, and only Mark's quotation includes 'for all nations'. Mark notes the leaders feared Jesus because the crowd was astonished at his teaching. John places a temple clearing at the start of Jesus' ministry.

John places this event near the start of Jesus' ministry; Matthew, Mark and Luke place it in his final week. Whether these describe one event or two is debated.

The withered fig tree and faith

And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

The next morning the disciples see the fig tree withered from the roots, and Peter points it out. Jesus tells them to have faith in God: undoubting faith could move a mountain, prayer offered in faith will be answered, and those who pray must forgive.

What does this mean?

'Trespasses' (KJV) means wrongdoings. Moving mountains was a proverbial expression for doing what seems impossible.

Historical context

'This mountain', spoken on the road from Bethany, could mean the Mount of Olives or the temple mount; some interpreters see a link with the temple's coming end. Standing was the usual posture for Jewish prayer. Verse 26 is absent from many early manuscripts and is omitted or footnoted in most modern translations, though both the KJV and the WEB include it.

Why does it matter?

The sayings turn the fig tree's fate into teaching about prayer. The link between forgiving and being forgiven resembles the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:12–15, which Mark does not contain.

Editorial notes, not scripture.

By what authority?

And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple, there come to him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders, And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things? And Jesus answered and said unto them, I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer me. And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; they feared the people: for all men counted John, that he was a prophet indeed. And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

In the temple, the chief priests, scribes and elders demand to know by what authority Jesus acts. He replies with a question of his own: was John's baptism from heaven or from people? Afraid of either answer, they say they do not know, and Jesus refuses to answer them.

What does this mean?

'From heaven' was a reverent way of saying 'from God'. 'We cannot tell' (KJV) means we do not know.

Historical context

These three groups together made up the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council in Jerusalem, with authority over the temple. Demanding a teacher's credentials was natural, since Jesus held no official position.

Why does it matter?

This opens a series of debates in the temple courts (11:27–12:37), in which different groups try to trap Jesus. His counter-question ties his authority to John's and exposes the leaders' concern with popular opinion.

Editorial notes, not scripture.

Translation

KJVTraditional biblical languageWEBContemporary English

Chapters

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12
  13. 13
  14. 14
  15. 15
  16. 16

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Reading

Translation

KJVTraditional biblical languageWEBContemporary English

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

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