Matthew 21:13
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)
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Jesus quotes Scripture not just to condemn, but to reveal the original purpose of the temple – a place of prayer for all nations. By transforming it into a marketplace, they not only desecrated a holy site but also, crucially, robbed the Gentiles of their intended access to God's house.
Jesus has just entered Jerusalem to great fanfare, fulfilling prophecy, and now enters the Temple courts. He finds them turned into a marketplace, a place of commerce rather than worship. He quotes Scripture to condemn the corrupt leaders for turning God's house into a place for dishonest gain and exploitation.
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' confrontation in the Temple occurred within a complex history of foreign rule, religious observance, and commercialization, highlighting His role as a reformer and the Messiah fulfilling prophecies.
c. 538 BC
Second Temple Completed
After the Babylonian exile, the Jewish people, returning to Jerusalem, rebuilt and rededicated the Second Temple. This marked a significant religious and cultural center for Jewish life.
c. 200 BC - 63 BC
Hellenistic and Hasmonean Rule
Judea came under the influence and control of Hellenistic empires, followed by the Hasmonean dynasty. These periods saw political shifts and varying degrees of religious and cultural pressure.
63 BC
Roman Conquest of Jerusalem
Roman general Pompey conquered Jerusalem, bringing Judea under Roman control. This marked the beginning of Roman influence and eventual direct rule, impacting temple administration and taxation.
c. 20 BC - 10 BC
Herod the Great's Temple Renovation
King Herod the Great began a massive renovation and expansion of the Second Temple. This project, intended to glorify his reign and appease the Jewish people, continued for decades.
This passage directly states that the temple 'shall be called a house of prayer for all nations,' which Jesus quotes to highlight the original purpose of the temple that the religious leaders had corrupted.
Jeremiah 7:11Jesus here echoes the prophet Jeremiah's strong condemnation of the people who had turned the Lord's house into a 'den of robbers,' showing that this critique of religious corruption was not new.
Malachi 3:1This prophecy speaks of the Lord suddenly coming to His temple, implying a cleansing and judgment, which directly parallels Jesus' actions in driving out the merchants and money-changers.
Luke 19:45-46This parallel account in Luke also records Jesus cleansing the temple and quoting 'My house shall be a house of prayer,' reinforcing the significance of this event and Jesus' authority.
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 quotes Scripture not just to condemn, but to reveal the original purpose of the temple – a place of prayer for all nations. By transforming it into a marketplace, they not only desecrated a holy site but also, crucially, robbed the Gentiles of their intended access to God's house.
Jesus has just entered Jerusalem to great fanfare, fulfilling prophecy, and now enters the Temple courts. He finds them turned into a marketplace, a place of commerce rather than worship. He quotes Scripture to condemn the corrupt leaders for turning God's house into a place for dishonest gain and exploitation.
Jesus has just entered Jerusalem to great fanfare, fulfilling prophecy, and now enters the Temple courts. He finds them turned into a marketplace, a place of commerce rather than worship. He quotes Scripture to condemn the corrupt leaders for turning God's house into a place for dishonest gain and exploitation.
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c. AD 27-30— this verse
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
Jesus entered the Second Temple during Passover and, angered by the commercial activities and exploitation within its courts, drove out the money changers and merchants, declaring it a house of prayer.
AD 66-70
First Jewish-Roman War and Temple Destruction
Fueled by discontent and rebellion, the First Jewish-Roman War culminated in the Roman army's destruction of Jerusalem and the Second Temple in AD 70. This event had profound and lasting consequences for Judaism.
"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 quotes Scripture not just to condemn, but to reveal the original purpose of the temple – a place of prayer for all nations. By transforming it into a marketplace, they not only desecrated a…
