And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse doesn't just describe Jesus cleaning house; it marks the beginning of his Messianic ministry within the temple. The word "began" shows this wasn't just a spontaneous outburst, but a deliberate act to reclaim God's house as a place of prayer, aligning with his role as the prophesied King and purifier.
And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Just days before his crucifixion, Jesus triumphantly entered Jerusalem, but his attention quickly turned to the corruption within the temple. This verse marks his dramatic action, driving out merchants and money-changers who had turned God's house into a marketplace, directly challenging the religious authorities who allowed this desecration. His actions here set the stage for his final teachings and the escalating conflict with the religious leaders.
Why did Jesus, who often taught with gentle patience, suddenly become so forceful in the temple?
Jesus' action in driving out the sellers and buyers from the temple wasn't a loss of temper, but a righteous display of zeal. The temple was meant to be a place of prayer for all nations, a sacred space for encountering God. However, it had become a marketplace, a place of commerce and corruption. Jesus' forceful action demonstrates His deep commitment to the holiness of God's dwelling place and His intolerance for anything that desecrates it.
What was so wrong with selling and buying in the temple courts?
The practice of selling animals for sacrifice and exchanging currency within the temple precincts, while perhaps initiated with practical intentions, had devolved into a lucrative business. It turned the outer courts, intended for Gentiles to pray and worship, into a noisy, distracting marketplace. Jesus quotes the prophets, calling it a 'den of robbers,' indicating that greed and exploitation had replaced devotion. This commercialization perverted the sacred purpose of the temple, making it a place of business rather than spiritual connection.
Understand the original words
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hieron · Greek Noun
The sacred dwelling place of God on earth; in the New Testament, it serves as the locus of worship, which became corrupted by commercialism.
oikos · Greek Noun
In biblical theology, this refers to the place where God dwells among His people or manifests His presence. It signifies a place of holiness, worship, and meeting with the Creator.
proseuchē · Greek Noun
A practice involving communication with God, including adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and petition. It is the posture of a dependent creature seeking the presence and intervention of the Creator.
spēlaion lēstōn · Greek Noun Phrase
A term used for a cave or hideout where criminals or rebels seek refuge; figuratively, it represents a place corrupted by greed and spiritual dishonesty, turning a holy space into a sanctuary for sinful exploitation.
This dramatic act by Jesus occurred during the week leading up to his crucifixion, at a time when the Temple, a symbol of God's presence, had become a hub of commercial activity, a far cry from its intended purpose as a house of prayer. His cleansing of the Temple was a powerful prophetic statement about the need for spiritual purity and devotion to God above all else, especially in the very place meant to honor Him.
c. 20-17 BC
Herod the Great Rebuilds the Temple
King Herod the Great initiates a massive, multi-decade project to rebuild and expand the Second Temple in Jerusalem, creating a magnificent structure that would serve as the center of Jewish religious life.
c. AD 27-30
Jesus' Public Ministry Begins
Jesus begins his public ministry, teaching, healing, and gathering disciples. His message of repentance and the coming Kingdom of God challenges the religious establishment.
c. AD 30-33 (Passion Week)— this verse
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
Jesus enters the Temple in Jerusalem during Passover week and drives out merchants and money changers. He declares the Temple a house of prayer, not a marketplace, a powerful act of prophetic protest against its corruption.
AD 30-33 (Passion Week)
Jesus Teaches Daily in the Temple
Following the temple cleansing, Jesus spends his remaining days before his crucifixion teaching the crowds in the Temple courts, drawing large followings and further provoking the anger of the religious leaders.
AD 30-33 (Passion Week)
Religious Leaders Plot Jesus' Death
The chief priests, scribes, and elders, enraged by Jesus' actions and teachings, and fearing his influence over the people, begin to actively seek a way to arrest and kill him.
AD 70
Destruction of the Second Temple
During the First Jewish-Roman War, Roman forces under Titus besiege and destroy Jerusalem, leveling the Second Temple. This event marks a catastrophic end to Jewish worship as it had been practiced for centuries.
This passage parallels Luke's account by describing Jesus entering the temple and driving out those who were selling and buying, highlighting Jesus' righteous anger against the commercialization of God's house.
Mark 11:15Mark's Gospel also records this event, emphasizing Jesus' action of overturning tables and driving out merchants, underscoring the disruptive nature of Jesus' purification of the temple.
Isaiah 56:7Jesus quotes this prophecy, 'my house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations,' showing that the temple's intended purpose was spiritual worship, not commerce, and that its corruption was a violation of God's ancient word.
Jeremiah 7:11Jesus echoes Jeremiah's denunciation, 'you have made it a den of robbers,' linking the current corruption of the temple to a historical pattern of abuse and spiritual decay that God had condemned before.
pooleLuke 19:45: "And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought;"
Ver. 45,46. We have met with this before more fully: See Poole on "Matthew 21:12" . See Poole on "Matthew 21:13" . See Poole on "Mark 11:15" , and following verses to Mark 11:17 .
barnesLuke 19:45: "And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought;"
See the notes at Matthew 21:12-13 .
This verse doesn't just describe Jesus cleaning house; it marks the beginning of his Messianic ministry within the temple. The word "began" shows this wasn't just a spontaneous outburst, but a deliberate act to reclaim God's house as a place of prayer, aligning with his role as the prophesied King and purifier.
Just days before his crucifixion, Jesus triumphantly entered Jerusalem, but his attention quickly turned to the corruption within the temple. This verse marks his dramatic action, driving out merchants and money-changers who had turned God's house into a marketplace, directly challenging the religious authorities who allowed this desecration. His actions here set the stage for his final teachings and the escalating conflict with the religious leaders.
Just days before his crucifixion, Jesus triumphantly entered Jerusalem, but his attention quickly turned to the corruption within the temple. This verse marks his dramatic action, driving out merchants and money-changers who had turned God's house into a marketplace, directly challenging the religious authorities who allowed this desecration. His actions here set the stage for his final teachings and the escalating conflict with the religious leaders.
"And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.”" — This verse doesn't just describe Jesus cleaning house; it marks the beginning of his Messianic ministry within the temple. The word "began" shows this wasn't just a spontaneous outburst, but a deli…
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Last reviewed October 2026