Mark 11:17 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.”

NIV: And as he taught them, he said, 'Is it not written: 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it 'a den of robbers.''

NASB: And He began to teach and say to them, 'Is it not written: ‘MY HOUSE WILL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL THE NATIONS’? But you have made it a DEN OF ROBBERS.'

CSB: He was teaching them: "Is it not written, My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations? But you have made it a den of thieves! "

NLT: He said to them, 'The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.'

KJV: And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.

NKJV: Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”

The first half of Jesus' quote is from Isaiah 56:7. Isaiah 56:3–8 prophesies about Gentiles who will worship God, and how God is faithful to them. God promises to bring non-Jews who choose Him over their families to His mountain, give them joy, and accept their offerings. This will be entirely fulfilled in the millennial kingdom, but God's purpose for Israel always included blessing Gentiles (Isaiah 42:6).

The second half of Jesus' condemnation is from Jeremiah 7:11: "Has this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes?" The courtyard once dedicated to God-worshiping Gentiles is now filled with money changers, bird merchants, and locals who think of it as a common shortcut. They are "robbing" Gentiles of space dedicated for worship and prayer to God. They are robbing the customers through inflated prices and opportunism.

Jesus isn't addressing the offerings due to the priests. The Bible establishes that the priests deserve to be supported by the Israelites (Deuteronomy 18:1) just like Christian teachers deserve to make a living from their work for the kingdom (1 Corinthians 9:8–12). Jesus is speaking to laymen who are abusing the devotion of God-worshipers for their own gain. This habit has unfortunately never stopped. In the early church age, relic hunters would sell you a fingerbone, supposedly from a saint. The modern era has con-men peddling special anointing oil or prayer cloths. They twist items used in the early church into false idols, and make money doing so.

Christ is also addressing God-worshipers who value convenience and appearances over genuine piety or concern toward others. That habit, as well, has persisted into the modern era. It might mean abusing spaces intended for the handicapped or crowding out a classroom or worship area with storage or decorations. Believers cannot ignore our responsibility to welcome needy, physically challenged, and foreign persons into our church body, nor choose expediency and convenience over the gospel. We must be like Christ and value "the least of these" (Mark 9:35–37; 10:13–16).

Mark 11:15–19 is one account of Jesus driving corrupt merchants out of the temple grounds. Matthew, Mark, and Luke's accounts of Jesus' ministry are in harmony, but they vary on which details are mentioned, and in what order. John's Gospel was written much later and follows a separate structure. John mentions Jesus cleansing the temple three years earlier (John 2:13–17). Matthew and Luke infer Jesus cleansed the temple right after the triumphal entry, while Mark might be implying it was the next day. Scholars think John's story is an entirely separate event. Matthew's seeming discrepancy is likely because he grouped both halves of the fig tree story together. Luke doesn't mention the fig tree incident at all. Parallel passages are Matthew 21:12–17 and Luke 19:45–48.

Jesus and the disciples arrive in Jerusalem a week before the crucifixion, and Jesus begins the last days of His public ministry. They spend their nights on the Mount of Olives and their days in Jerusalem (Luke 21:37). Jesus accepts the accolades designed for a king (Mark 11:1–11), attacks materialistic tradition that keeps people from worshiping God (Mark 11:15–19), gives an object lesson about the fate of fruitless Jerusalem (Mark 11:12–14, 20–25), and reveals the Jewish religious leaders' hypocrisy (Mark 11:27–33). Despite the support of the crowd, Jesus is pushing the leaders toward the crucifixion.

The preceding passages included several miracles and lessons from Jesus. These set the stage for the last, dramatic days of His earthly ministry. In this chapter, Jesus enters Jerusalem to great fanfare and openly confronts local religious leaders for their hypocrisy. Over the next few chapters, Mark will continue to record controversial teachings, leading up to Jesus' arrest and early sham trials, recorded in chapter 14.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.