Matthew 21:5 - Printer Friendly

ESV: “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”

NIV: Say to Daughter Zion, 'See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.''

NASB: 'SAY TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION, ‘BEHOLD YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU, HUMBLE, AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY, EVEN ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF A DONKEY.’?'

CSB: Tell Daughter Zion,"See, your King is coming to you,gentle, and mounted on a donkey,and on a colt,the foal of a donkey."

NLT: 'Tell the people of Jerusalem, ‘Look, your King is coming to you. He is humble, riding on a donkey — riding on a donkey’s colt.’'

KJV: Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.

NKJV: “Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly, and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”

Matthew is referencing two Old Testament scriptures which carry similar messages. The first line comes from Isaiah 62:11 with the rest coming from Zechariah 9:9. He is showing how Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem on the donkey and colt are a fulfilment of these prophecies (Matthew 21:1–4). Both verses are directed at the "daughter of Zion," which was a common Old Testament name for the city of Jerusalem (2 Samuel 5:7; 1 King 8:1).

The main prophetic aspect is that Zechariah describes the promised King coming to the people of Jerusalem in humility and sitting on a donkey. Zechariah specifies that the animal is a colt, the young foal of donkey or "beast of burden." Jesus will enter Jerusalem riding on the colt, likely with the full-grown donkey along for the comfort of the young one. Zechariah is describing the arrival of the King of the Jews.

The choice of a donkey is, itself, an important symbol. While the people seem to expect Messiah to be a warlike conqueror, that is not yet Jesus' mission (John 18:36). Horses are the ideal animals for war, so victorious warriors would present themselves atop a horse as they paraded. In the modern world, this would be equivalent to a general entering a conquered city on the back of a tank. Jesus, on the other hand, comes on the equivalent of a pickup truck: a workmanlike donkey. Rather than emphasizing His power, Jesus first comes in humility. His second coming, in contrast, will be one of spectacular might and judgment (Revelation 19:11–16).

Matthew doesn't quote Zechariah's middle lines that the king is coming "righteous and having salvation," but that is exactly what Jesus is doing. These words from Zechariah clearly point forward to the arrival of the Messiah in Jerusalem. Jesus has chosen that imagery to make it perfectly clear to those who know the Scriptures that He is that king.

This fulfillment, as with so many others, will serve to reinforce the faith of the disciples after Jesus' death and resurrection (John 2:22; 14:26).

Matthew 21:1–11 follows Jesus on His final, "triumphal" entry into Jerusalem. He rides on a donkey for the final mile or so to intentionally fulfill a prophecy from Zechariah about the king arriving in Jerusalem. The crowds praise Him as the Messiah, lining His path with branches and their cloaks. They shout out, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" and "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" as seen in Psalm 118. The event we now call Palm Sunday stirs up Jerusalem with many people asking who Jesus is.

Jesus fulfills a prophecy from Zechariah about the coming of the king to Jerusalem by riding in on a donkey. The people celebrate and praise Him as the Messiah. Jesus drives the marketers and moneychangers out of the temple and heals some people. He curses a fig tree and tells the disciples nothing will be impossible for them with faith. Jesus forces cowardly and hypocritical religious leaders to back down with a question about John the Baptist. He then exposes their fraudulent spirituality with two parables about vineyards. Jesus applies to Himself a psalm about a rejected stone being made the cornerstone by the Lord.

Matthew 21 finds Jesus arriving near Jerusalem after leaving Jericho in the previous chapter. His triumphal entry is accomplished riding a donkey, and to raucous praise, fulfilling a prophecy about the Messiah. Jesus cleanses the marketplace from the temple, heals, and presents lessons about faith and Israel's failed leadership. This leads into further conversations which Matthew compiles from Jesus' interactions with the Pharisees.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.