And brought the donkey, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they sat him thereon.
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George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Sit thereon. St. Jerome reprobates the opinion of those who suppose that Christ rode upon both the ass and the colt, though without sufficient reason. The Greek indeed, epano auton, upon them, may be referred either to the beasts or to ta imatia, the garments; but the very general sentiment is, that he first sat upon the ass for a short time, and then mounted the colt. It may be asked why Jesus, who through humility had during his whole life travelled on foot, and in no one previous instance is found to have allowed himself the convenience of riding, should on this occasion enter Jerusalem riding? One reason was, as mentioned in note on ver. 4, supra, to fulfil the prophecy of Zarcharias, who had given this mark of the Messias. Hence St. John (Chrysostom, hom. lxvi.) challenges the Jews to show him any other king of theirs, who had entered Jerusalem riding on an ass. Other reasons were, to give a faint specimen of his real kingly dignity before he suffered; to be publicly acknowledged ...
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Luke and Mark mention only one beast of burden, but Matthew mentions both ass and foal; yet they do not contradict. The mother followed the foal which was led. "He sat thereon," not on the two beasts, but on the clothes. Or, first He sat on the ass and later on the foal, since He first took His rest in the synagogue of the Jews and later among the people of the Gentiles.
