And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
Read Chapter 21
George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
The Prophet It was amidst these acclamations that Christ wept, and foretold the destruction of the city. (Luke xix. 42.) (Witham)
It was not without great reason, that the whole city was so much disturbed with the triumphal entry of Jesus. Man was extolled as God, and God extolled in man. The elders, admiring his heavenly virtue, exclaimed, who is the king of glory! (Origen)
This is Jesus, the prophet, (outos estin Iesous o prophetes,) the one promised by Moses, (Deuteronomy xviii. 15.) was the answer of the simple and candid people. (Jansenius)
John’s Gospel also reported this, but at the beginning of his narrative. But now in Matthew we are coming to the end of the narrative. Thus it is probable that this was done twice and on different occasions. That there was a first cleansing of the temple and then a second is evident from many evidences. In John’s Gospel he came at the time of the Passover. Here it was before Passover. In John the Jews said, “What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” In Matthew they hold their peace, though reproved, because he was not marveled at among all the population. If this happened on two different occasions, this becomes a heavier charge against the Jewish leadership. He did it not only once but a second time, and still they continued their buying and selling and called him an adversary of God. They should have learned from the first cleansing to honor his Father and his own power. They could see his works agreeing with his words, and they could behold his mi...
The multitude, being simple and guileless, were not spiteful towards Christ, but neither did they have the proper understanding of Who He was. Therefore they call Him "prophet." Yet since they said it with the article, "the prophet," it could be understood as "the long awaited Prophet," of whom Moses said, "God will raise them up a Prophet" (Deut. 18:18). For they did not say, "This is a prophet," but "the Prophet," that is, He Who is awaited with hope.
