St Matthew Chapter XXI : Verses 1-11
Contents
- Matt. xxi. 1-11. Douay-Rheims text & Latin text (Vulgate).
- Notes on the text.
Matt. xxi. 1-11
 |
| You shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her. J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum. |
Et cum appropinquassent Jerosolymis, et venissent Bethphage ad montem Oliveti : tunc Jesus misit duos discipulos,
2 Saying to them: Go ye into the village that is over against you, and immediately you shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them and bring them to me.
dicens eis : Ite in castellum, quod contra vos est, et statim invenietis asinam alligatam, et pullum cum ea : solvite, et adducite mihi :
3 And if any man shall say anything to you, say ye, that the Lord hath need of them: and forthwith he will let them go.
et si quis vobis aliquid dixerit, dicite quia Dominus his opus habet : et confestim dimittet eos.
 |
| Hosanna to the son of David! J-J Tissot. Brooklyn Museum. |
Hoc autem totum factum est, ut adimpleretur quod dictum est per prophetam dicentem :
5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion: Behold thy king cometh to thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of her that is used to the yoke.
Dicite filiæ Sion : Ecce rex tuus venit tibi mansuetus, sedens super asinam, et pullum filium subjugalis.
6 And the disciples going, did as Jesus commanded them.
Euntes autem discipuli fecerunt sicut præcepit illis Jesus.
7 And they brought the ass and the colt, and laid their garments upon them, and made him sit thereon.
Et adduxerunt asinam, et pullum : et imposuerunt super eos vestimenta sua, et eum desuper sedere fecerunt.
8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way: and others cut boughs from the trees, and strewed them in the way:
Plurima autem turba straverunt vestimenta sua in via : alii autem cædebant ramos de arboribus, et sternebant in via :
9 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.
turbæ autem, quæ præcedebant, et quæ sequebantur, clamabant, dicentes : Hosanna filio David : benedictus, qui venit in nomine Domini : hosanna in altissimis.
10 And when he was come into Jerusalem, the whole city was moved, saying: Who is this?
Et cum intrasset Jerosolymam, commota est universa civitas, dicens : Quis est hic?
11 And the people said: This is Jesus the prophet, from Nazareth of Galilee.
Populi autem dicebant : Hic est Jesus propheta a Nazareth Galilææ.
Notes
Note. — Between the cure of Bartimeus and the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem we must note the following events —
(a) Jesus reaches Bethania on the evening of Friday, Nisan 8th.
(b) He passes the Sabbath there, and in the evening sups with Simon, who had been a leper.
(c) At this supper, Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha, anoints Jesus’ feet.
(d) During that night the Jews meet in council to plot against our Lord, and also they thought to kill Lazarus (St John xii. 10).
1. drew nigh to Jerusalem. The Triumphal Entry probably took place on the first day of the week ; hence, in commemorating this event, we refer to it as occurring on “ Palm Sunday.”
Bethphage . . . Mount Olivet. A few olive-trees still stand on the slope of the mountain.
two disciples. From the minute details given by St Mark, it has been surmised that these two were St Peter (from whom this Evangelist received so much information) and St John.
2. Go ye into the village. Most likely Jesus pointed to Bethphage (i.e. house of figs). This village has been located differently by eminent writers ; some place it north-east or south-east of Bethania, others are of opinion that it was north-west or south-west of that village. In any case it was close both to Bethania and Jerusalem. Modern research seems to prove that it stood about half a mile from the summit of Olivet, while Bethania was about the same distance lower down. Hence a person coming from Jericho would first come upon Bethphage. From our Lord’s words, go into the village that is over against you, it seems to have lain back from the high road.
immediately you shall find. The disciples found the two animals as soon as they entered the village, in accordance with our Lord’s words ; — immediately at your coming in thither, you shall find a colt tied (St Mark).
an ass tied and a colt. St Matthew alone mentions the two animals, in St Mark we read a colt, while St Luke tells us it was the colt of an ass.
In the East the horse is used chiefly in war ; asses there are held in high esteem, and are far superior to the European ass. The ass was ordinarily used on peaceful occasions. Both St Mark and St Luke give a detail which St Matthew omits. It was a colt on which no man ever had sitten. Such an animal was proper for a sacred use.
3. And if any man shall say, etc. From the parallel passages we find that the disciples were questioned twice. Cf. And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said to them : Why loose you the colt ? But they said: Because the Lord hath need of him (St Luke). And some of them that stood there, said to them : What do you loosing the colt Who said to them as Jesus had commanded them; and they let him go with them (St Mark).
the Lord hath need. The owner of the ass was probably a secret disciple, who, knowing that Jesus required the animals, lent them gladly.
he will let them go. Better, “ he will send them” (ἀποστελεῖ αὐτούς.).
4. that it might be fulfilled. St John also calls attention to a prophecy being fulfilled unconsciously by the disciples on this occasion. These things his disciples did not know at the first ; but when Jesus was glorified, then the]} remembered that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things to him (xii. 16).
5. Tell ye the daughter, etc. A quotation from Zach. ix. 9 : Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Sion, shout for joy, O daughter of Jerusalem : Behold, thy king will come to thee, the just and saviour ; he is poor, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
6. the disciples going, etc. St Mark relates that going their way, they found the colt tied before the gate without in the meeting of two ways ; and they loose him (xi. 4), — i.e. they found the colt tied at the gate, in a back lane which skirted the dwelling.
7. laid their garments, etc. The disciples took their “abbas,” and folding them, placed them as a saddle both on the ass and the colt.
made him sit thereon. Christ rode on the colt, as three Evangelists relate. A few commentators are of opinion that Jesus rode on the ass and the colt in turn, but it is more probable that an ass and a colt are in apposition and refer to the same animal, while the ass walked riderless beside the colt, and this explanation agrees with the prophecy of Zacharias quoted above.
8. spread their garments. It was customary to spread garments in the path of kings, conquerors, and rabbis renowned for their holiness and learning.
Thus a royal procession was improvised for Jehu when he was anointed king of Israel. Then they made haste, and taking every man his garment, laid it under his feet, after the manner of a judgment seat (4 Kings ix. 13).
others cut boughs from the trees. St John mentions that they took branches of palm-trees (xii. 13). These could readily be had in the neighbourhood of Bethania (i.e. house of dates).
In St Matthew the original word stands for branches of any description. Olive and palm trees abounded in the locality. Branches of these were used for waving on festal occasions, as on the Feast of Tabernacles. The palm leaves, which measured from twelve to sixteen feet, were roughly twisted together to make a leafy carpet.
9. that went before and that followed. As they approached near to Jerusalem there were two processions, one coming from the holy city to greet Jesus, the other following Him : those from Jerusalem carried palm branches. On meeting Him, the latter turned round and headed the procession. Cf. When they had heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem took branches of 'palm-trees and went forth to meet him, etc. (St John xii. 12, 13).
The palm was a symbol of joy and of victory. The resurrection of Lazarus, the cure of blind Bartimeus, and the proximity of the Paschal season account for the vast concourse of people that thronged our Lord. By a census taken in the time of Nero, it was ascertained that 2,700,000 Jews were present at the Pasch. St John lays special stress on the fact that the people came to meet him, because they heard that he had done this miracle (St John xii. 18), that is, raised Lazarus.
cried, saying. St Luke gives fuller details. Cf. And when he was now coming near the descent of mount Olivet, the whole multitude of his disciples began with joy to praise God 'with a loud voice, for all the mighty works they had seen.
Their intense excitement, which Jesus had recently checked, now burst forth in all its force. For the first time Jesus allowed the people to acclaim Him publicly, and doubtless this triumphal procession roused their enthusiasm to the highest pitch, and they thought that the Messianic kingdom was at last about to be solemnly inaugurated.
Hosanna, — i.e. save now.
Blessed is he, etc. This quotation is taken from Ps. cxvii. (26). This psalm, together with Psalms cxii. to cxvii., were sung by the Jews on solemn festivities, such as the Pasch, the Feast of Tabernacles, etc. The Levites sang each verse of these psalms, to which the people responded, by way of refrain, “ Hosanna, Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.’'
These chants were also used by the Jews when they went out waving branches of trees to greet the bands of pilgrims as they arrived in large caravans for the religious solemnities. On this occasion “The actual procession would not proceed farther than the foot of Mount Moriah, beyond which they might not advance in travelling array nor with dusty feet.”
that cometh. This was a title of the Messias. Thus the disciples of St John the Baptist ask the Lord, Art thou he that art to come, or look we for another ? (St Matt. xi. 3).
Note. — St Luke relates here that the Pharisees, on hearing the “ Hosannas,” expostulated with our Lord : And some of the Pharisees from amongst the multitude said to him ; Master, rebuke thy disciples. To whom he said ; I say to you, that if these shall hold their peace, the stones mil cry out.
We must also place here the lamentation of Christ over His beloved city of Jerusalem, “As they approached the shoulder of the hill, where the road bends downwards to the north, the sparse vegetation of the eastern slope changed, as in a moment, to the rich green of gardens and trees, and Jerusalem in its glory rose before them. It is hard for us to imagine, now, the splendour of the view. The City of God, seated on her hills, shone at the moment in the morning sun. Straight before stretched the vast white walls and buildings of the Temple, its courts, glittering with gold, rising one above the other ; the steep sides of the hill of David crowned with lofty walls ; the mighty castles towering above them ; the sumptuous palace of Herod in its green parks, and the picturesque out¬ lines of the streets. Over all rested the spell of a history of two thousand years ; of a present which craved salvation in its own perverted way ; and the mystic Holy of Holies linked the seen to the invisible. The crusaders, long centuries after, when the only glory left to the Holy City was its wondrous memories, burst out into a loud cry — ‘Jerusalem! Jerusalem !’ when they first saw it, and the enthusiasm of the Jew could not have been fainter. The shouts and rejoicings rose higher than ever” (Geikie, Life of Christ, vol, ii.).
10. was come into Jerusalem. Three roads branched off from Bethania to Jerusalem, and it is generally thought that our Lord chose the most frequented route, which lay between the Mount of Olives and the Hill of offence.
was moved. Lit. “was shaken” as by an earthquake (ἐσείσθη). This popular enthusiasm greatly offended the Pharisees. Cf. The Pharisees therefore said among themselves : Do you see that we prevail nothing ? Behold the whole world is gone after him (St John xii. 19).
“Jerusalein had been stirred and troubled once before, when the Wise Men walked through the streets, inquiring, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? (ch. ii. 2, 3). But the excitement was far greater now, more general, composed of many different elements. The Romans expected some public rising ; the Pharisaical party was aroused to new envy and malice ; the Herodians dreaded a possible usurper ; but the populace entertained for the moment the idea that their hopes were now fulfilled — that the lung desired Messias had at last appeared, and could lead them to victor y ” (Pulpit Commentary, p. 315).
Who is this ? To the inhabitants of Jerusalem our Lord must have been well known, therefore this question was asked by the pilgrims who had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Pasch,
11. the people said. The people “kept on saying” (ἔλεγον) Who is this ?
Jesus the prophet, etc. The people give His name. His dignity, and the place of His birth.
Note. — From St Mark’s account we infer that the cleansing of the Temple must be placed on the Monday in Holy Week, since, on the day of our Lord’s Triumphal Entry, the Evangelist tells us that Jesus entered into Jerusalem, into the temple, and having viewed all things round about, when now the eventide was come, he went out to Bethania with the twelve (xi. 11).
[Post scriptum: An ass and a colt. A mother and son....]
Totus tuus ego sum
Et omnia mea tua sunt;
Tecum semper tutus sum:
Ad Jesum per Mariam.
No comments:
Post a Comment