Mat 21:12-13 | NET2full | STEP | Then Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all those who were selling and buying in the temple courts and turned over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves .

Matthew 21:12-13

Cleansing the Temple

12 Then ^{▼▼tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.} Jesus entered the temple area ^{▼▼tn Grk “the temple.”} ^{▼▼sn The merchants (those who were selling) would have been located in the Court of the Gentiles.} and drove out all those who were selling and buying in the temple courts ^{▼▼tn Grk “the temple.”} ^{▼▼sn Matthew (here, 21:12-27), Mark (11:15-19) and Luke (19:45-46) record this incident of the temple cleansing at the end of Jesus’ ministry. John (2:13-16) records a cleansing of the temple at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. See the note on the word temple courts in John 2:14 for a discussion of the relationship of these accounts to one another.} and turned over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. 13 And he said to them, “It is written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ ^{▼▼sn A quotation from Isa 56:7.} but you are turning it into a den ^{▼▼tn Or “a hideout” (see L&N 1.57).} of robbers!” ^{▼▼sn A quotation from Jer 7:11. The meaning of Jesus’ statement about making the temple courts a den of robbers probably operates here at two levels. Not only were the religious leaders robbing the people financially, but because of this they had also robbed them spiritually by stealing from them the opportunity to come to know God genuinely. It is possible that these merchants had recently been moved to this location for convenience.}