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Matthew 21

And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,

Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.

And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.

All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,

Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.

And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,

And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.

And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.

And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.

And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?

And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.

And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,

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.

And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.

And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased,

And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.

Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.

And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.

And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!

Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.

And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?

And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things.

The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?

But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.

And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.

He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.

And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.

Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.

For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:

And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.

And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.

Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.

But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.

But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.

And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.

When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?

They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.

Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.

And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.

But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.

What does Matthew 21:16 mean?

Explanation

Matthew 21:16 quotes a conversation between Jesus and certain religious leaders following an event where children were shouting praises to Him in the temple.

These leaders, likely priests or scribes, were indignant or disturbed by the children’s acclamations.

They ask Jesus if He hears what the children are saying, implying that it was inappropriate or blasphemous.

Jesus's response, affirming that He does hear them, references Psalm 8:2, which speaks of God ordaining strength and praise from infants and children.

The deeper meaning here is that God's truth and praise can be recognized and proclaimed even by those who are simple and young, discarding the notion that spiritual insight is only for the educated or mature.

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Historical Context

Matthew 21 occurs during the week of Jesus's final days before His crucifixion, a time traditionally known as the Passion Week.

The specific scenario unfolds after Jesus enters Jerusalem (the Triumphant Entry) and goes to the temple, where He drives out those who were buying and selling there.

His miraculous healings and the children's subsequent praise occur in a temple still reverberating from this cleansing.

The cultural expectation of the time held that children should be seen and not heard, which adds to the religious leaders' indignation at the scene.

Theological Insights

Different theological perspectives might interpret the verse in various ways:

Traditional Christianity sees this as an affirmation of Jesus's divinity, where the praise from children fulfills a prophecy about God.
Liberation Theology finds in this verse a God who upends social norms, valuing the marginalized and giving voice to the powerless (in this case, children).
Progressive Christianity might emphasize the inclusivity of God's kingdom, highlighting the aspect of children's intrinsic understanding and closeness to God.

Practical Applications

Practically, this verse encourages believers to have a childlike faith, suggesting that God values simplicity, humility, and sincerity in worship over sophisticated or elaborate articulations of faith.

It supports the idea of being open to divine truths from unexpected sources and warns against underestimating the spiritual potential of any individual, regardless of their status or age.

Cross-References

Psalm 8:2 - "Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger."
Matthew 18:3 - "And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."
Luke 18:16-17 - "But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.

Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein."

Language Study

In the original Greek text, "babes" translates as "νήπιος" (nēpios), which refers to an infant or someone who is not speaking.

To "perfect" as used in the context of praise is "καταρτίζω" (katartizō), meaning to complete or to make perfect.

Looking at these terms offers insight into the concept that complete and perfect praise to God does not require sophistication or maturity, as it can be fully realized by infants or those with childlike understanding.

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

In many ancient cultures, children were not credited with having wisdom or spiritual insights.

In this biblical event, the cultural norms are challenged, which could be contrasted with ancient myths where gods often favor the skilled, strong, or clever.

Religiously, one might compare this to other faith traditions where innocence and purity are seen as closer to the divine, such as in certain strands of Hinduism or Buddhism where childlike simplicity is a virtue.

Scientific Perspectives

Modern developmental psychology recognizes that children have a capacity for understanding and processing complex emotional and interpersonal dynamics.

This falls in line with the biblical assertion that children have the capability to comprehend and express profound truths, such as recognizing the significance of Jesus's identity.

Commentaries

Biblical commentaries provide varied insights into Matthew 21:16:

John Calvin sees this as proof of God's wisdom, where He chooses what is deemed foolish in the world to confound the wise.
Matthew Henry emphasizes the offense of the priests and scribes and the simplicity and readiness of children to speak the truth.
William Barclay suggests that there is something in the spontaneous praises of the children that teaches us about the nature of true adoration.

Each commentary brings out different aspects of the verse, such as God's sovereign choices, the honesty of children, and the heart of worship.

Matthew 21

Matthew 21

What does Matthew 21:16 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Matthew Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?

What does Matthew 21:16 mean?

Explanation

Top Rated Matthew Books

Historical Context

Theological Insights

Practical Applications

Cross-References

Language Study

Cultural and Religious Comparisons

Scientific Perspectives

Commentaries

Want more context?