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Mark 11

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

What does Mark 11:17 mean?

Explanation

Mark 11:17 refers to an event where Jesus addresses misconduct occurring in the temple courts.

The verse captures Jesus quoting scripture and then expressing his dissatisfaction with how the temple has been misused.

The literal meaning of the first part of the verse "Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer?" is that the temple is intended to be a place of worship for people from all nations.

Jesus is referring to a prophecy from the book of Isaiah (56:7), establishing the temple as a universal place for prayer.

The second part of the verse, "but ye have made it a den of thieves," indicates that instead of being a sacred place of prayer, the temple has become a place where unscrupulous activities are taking place – specifically, in the context of this event, the commercialization of religious practices.

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Historical Context

This verse is situated in the context of Jesus' final week in Jerusalem, leading up to his crucifixion.

The Gospel of Mark portrays Jesus entering the temple courts and observing money changers exchanging money for temple currency and sellers offering animals for sacrifices.

Such activities were not inherently wrong, as they were a necessary part of temple worship.

Pilgrims coming from different regions needed to exchange their currency and buy animals for sacrifices.

However, the issue was the exploitative practices associated with these services, such as unfair exchange rates and the selling of 'approved' sacrificial animals at exorbitant prices.

Theological Insights

From a theological standpoint, Mark 11:17 highlights several important points:

Inclusivity: By mentioning "all nations," Jesus emphasizes the inclusive nature of God's kingdom, aligning with the prophetic vision where worship is not limited by ethnic boundaries.
Purity of Worship: Jesus' cleansing of the temple serves as a recalibration of what true worship should look like – unhampered by economic exploitation and accessible to everyone.
Messiahship: Jesus' authority to cleanse the temple is seen by some as a demonstration of his messianic role, fulfilling the prophecies related to God's intervention to purify temple worship.

Practical Applications

Mark 11:17 can be applied in various ways:

Places of Worship: Religious communities can use this passage to evaluate whether their places of worship maintain the sanctity intended for them, being welcoming and accessible to all.
Personal Behavior: Individuals can reflect on whether their actions within their religious community align with the principles of fairness, inclusivity, and respect for sacred spaces.
Social Justice: It can inspire actions against exploitative practices and challenge systems that profit at the expense of the disadvantaged.

Cross-References

Isaiah 56:7 - "Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people."
Jeremiah 7:11 - "Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD."
Matthew 21:13 - "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."

Language Study

In the original Greek:

οἶκος (oikos) - Translates to "house" or "household." In this context, it represents the temple.
προσευχή (proseuchē) - Means "prayer." This emphasizes the primary function of the temple.
λῃστῶν (lēstōn) - Translates to "of thieves" or "robbers." It suggests not just theft but potentially also violence or banditry, indicating severe corruption.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

In ancient cultures, spaces like temples often served as economic centers, and the conflation of commercial, religious, and social activities was common.

In this case, however, the criticism set forth by Jesus separates the sacred purpose of the temple from profane commercialism, a demarcation not always observed in other religious practices of the time.

Scientific Perspectives

While the verse does not directly relate to scientific perspectives, the broader narrative touches on human psychology and sociology.

Studies in these fields might explore how religious authority can be misused for economic gain or how societal structures can become corrupted, necessitating reform or, in this narrative's case, purification.

Commentaries

Various biblical scholars and theologians have explored Mark 11:17.

Some focus on Jesus' fulfillment of prophecy, others on his social critique and the implications for religious practices.

Many commentaries note the dual quotation from Isaiah and Jeremiah, highlighting both the inclusive prayer for all nations and the critique of the temple's misuse as central to Jesus' prophetic action.

Mark 11

Mark 11

What does Mark 11:17 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Mark Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does Mark 11:17 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Mark Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?