He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus directly contrasts the original, sacred purpose of the Temple with its current reality. He doesn't just say it's a marketplace, but a "den of robbers," highlighting that the people weren't just inconvenienced but were actively being plundered in God's house.
He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Fresh from his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, Jesus enters the Temple and finds it has become a marketplace. He drives out the merchants and money-changers, quoting Scripture to condemn their actions. This isn't just about business; it's about the sacred purpose of the Temple being corrupted for greed, turning a house of prayer into a place of exploitation.
Imagine walking into a sacred space, expecting peace and devotion, but finding a marketplace instead. Jesus confronted this exact scene.
Jesus' cleansing of the Temple wasn't just about removing merchants; it was a powerful statement about the intended purpose of God's house.
A House for All Nations
Jesus quotes Isaiah 56:7, "My house shall be called a house of prayer." This wasn't just a place for Israelites, but a place open to all people, a sanctuary for communication with God. The Temple was meant to be a beacon of prayer and worship, accessible to everyone seeking the Divine.
Perverted Purpose
By turning the Temple courts into a place of commerce, the religious leaders had corrupted its sacred function. Instead of a house of prayer, it had become a place driven by greed and human enterprise, a stark contrast to its divine calling.
Why 'robbers' and not just 'merchants'? Jesus used a much stronger term to expose the depth of the corruption.
Jesus didn't just call the merchants 'traders' or 'businessmen.' He used the severe imagery of a 'den of robbers' to emphasize the spiritual theft happening in the Temple.
Exploiting the Vulnerable
The merchants were not simply selling goods; they were often exploiting the poor and the pilgrims who needed to buy sacrifices. By inflating prices and conducting business within the sacred precincts, they were essentially robbing people of their resources and, more importantly, of a genuine encounter with God.
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Spiritual Plunder
This wasn't just about financial exploitation. It was a spiritual robbery. The true purpose of the Temple – prayer, communion with God, and a place of worship for all nations – was being plundered by greed and misplaced priorities. The religious leaders, by allowing this, were complicit in this spiritual theft.
Understand the original words
proseuchē · Greek Noun
A place designated for communication with God, emphasizing communion, intercession, and the seeking of His will.
spēlaion lēstōn · Greek Noun phrase
A metaphor used to describe a place where people engage in dishonest gain, exploitation, and violence, contradicting the sacred purpose of a site.
Jesus' forceful confrontation in the Temple echoes the ancient prophets, highlighting a dramatic clash between the intended sacred purpose of God's house and its corrupt, commercialized reality.
c. 540 BC
Temple Reconstruction Completed
After the Babylonian exile, the Second Temple in Jerusalem was completed, intended to be a central place of worship and prayer for all people.
c. 515 BC
Temple Rededication
The Second Temple was rededicated, continuing its role as a focal point for Jewish religious life and a symbol of God's presence.
c. 190 BC
Hellenistic Influence Grows
Increasing cultural and political influence from Hellenistic empires (like the Seleucids) began to impact Jewish religious practices and the sanctity of the Temple.
c. 63 BC
Roman Conquest of Judea
Rome conquered Judea, leading to further political instability and often Roman interference in Temple affairs and leadership.
c. 20 BC - AD 64
Herodian Temple Expansion
King Herod the Great undertook a massive renovation and expansion of the Second Temple, making it an even more impressive and complex structure.
c. AD 27-30— this verse
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
During His ministry, Jesus entered the Temple courts and drove out merchants and money-changers, confronting those who had turned the sacred space into a marketplace.
AD 70
Destruction of the Second Temple
The Roman army destroyed the Second Temple, fulfilling Jesus' prophecies and marking a profound turning point in Jewish history and religious practice.
This passage directly provides the first part of Jesus' quote, establishing the original divine purpose for the temple as a 'house of prayer for all nations'.
Jeremiah 7:11This verse contains the second part of Jesus' quote, accusing the people of turning God's house into a 'den of robbers,' highlighting a historical precedent for this kind of spiritual corruption.
Malachi 3:1-3This prophecy speaks of the Lord suddenly coming to His temple to purify it, which parallels Jesus' action of cleansing the temple and acting with messianic authority.
Nehemiah 13:15-16This Old Testament account describes a similar situation where Nehemiah had to confront and stop the buying and selling that was happening in Jerusalem on the Sabbath, showing a recurring theme of commercialization corrupting sacred spaces.
bengelMatthew 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."
Matthew 21:13 . Ὁ οἶκός Μου οἶκος προσευχῆς κληθήσεται · ὑμεῖς δὲ αὐτὸν ἐποιήσατε σπήλαιον λῃστῶν , My house shall be called ([918] or the ) house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves .—The LXX., in Isaiah 56:7 , have— ὁ γὰρ οἶκός Μου , οἶκος προσευχῆς κληθήσεται πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσιν , My house shall be called ([919] or the ) house of prayer for all nat…
clarkeMatthew 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."
My house shall be called the house of prayer - This is taken from Isaiah 56:7 . But ye have made it a den of thieves - This is taken from Jeremiah 7:11. Our Lord alludes here to those dens and caves in Judea, in which the public robbers either hid or kept themselves fortified. They who are placed in the Church of Christ to serve souls, and do it not, and they w…
Jesus directly contrasts the original, sacred purpose of the Temple with its current reality. He doesn't just say it's a marketplace, but a "den of robbers," highlighting that the people weren't just inconvenienced but were actively being plundered in God's house.
Fresh from his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, Jesus enters the Temple and finds it has become a marketplace. He drives out the merchants and money-changers, quoting Scripture to condemn their actions. This isn't just about business; it's about the sacred purpose of the Temple being corrupted for greed, turning a house of prayer into a place of exploitation.
Fresh from his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, Jesus enters the Temple and finds it has become a marketplace. He drives out the merchants and money-changers, quoting Scripture to condemn their actions. This isn't just about business; it's about the sacred purpose of the Temple being corrupted for greed, turning a house of prayer into a place of exploitation.
"He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”" — Jesus directly contrasts the original, sacred purpose of the Temple with its current reality. He doesn't just say it's a marketplace, but a "den of robbers," highlighting that the people weren't just…
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Last reviewed October 2026