Luke 19:46

KJV

Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves.

KJV (with Strong's)

Saying {G3004} unto them {G846}, It is written {G1125}, My {G3450} house {G3624} is {G2076} the house {G3624} of prayer {G4335}: but {G1161} ye {G5210} have made {G4160} it {G846} a den {G4693} of thieves {G3027}.

Complete Jewish Bible

saying to them, “The Tanakh says, ‘My House is to be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it into a den of robbers!”

Berean Standard Bible

He declared to them, “It is written: ‘My house will be a house of prayer.’ But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”

American Standard Version

saying unto them, It is written, And my house shall be a house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of robbers.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Luke 19:46 captures Jesus' forceful cleansing of the Jerusalem Temple, where He vehemently condemns the commercialization and corruption that had transformed God's designated house of prayer into a hub of exploitation. This pivotal act, occurring just days before His crucifixion, underscores His divine authority, zeal for God's holiness, and prophetic indictment against religious hypocrisy, asserting the sacred purpose of the Temple as a place for genuine worship and communion with God for all nations.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This declaration by Jesus is part of a series of events immediately following His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, as recorded in [Luke 19:28-44](/luke/19-28-44 "Luke 19:28-44 - Jesus' Triumphal Entry"). Having been hailed as king, Jesus immediately asserts His authority over the spiritual center of Judaism. The cleansing of the Temple serves as a dramatic public act, a prophetic sign, and a direct challenge to the religious establishment, setting the stage for the escalating conflict that will lead to His arrest and crucifixion. It is strategically placed in Luke's narrative to highlight Jesus' kingly and priestly authority over the very institution that was meant to mediate between God and His people.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The Jerusalem Temple, particularly its outer court (the Court of the Gentiles), had become a bustling marketplace. Pilgrims traveling from distant lands needed to exchange foreign currency for the specific coinage accepted for Temple taxes and offerings, and to purchase animals for sacrifice that met the strict purity standards. While these services were necessary, they were conducted in the Court of the Gentiles, a space intended for non-Jews to pray. The issue was not merely the presence of commerce but the exploitative practices—inflated prices and unfair exchange rates—that burdened the poor and turned a sacred space into a profit-driven enterprise. This commercial activity obstructed the spiritual purpose of the court, making it difficult for Gentiles to worship, thereby hindering God's stated intention for His house to be a "house of prayer for all nations" ([Isaiah 56:7](/isaiah/56-7 "Isaiah 56:7 - God's House for All Nations")).
* **Key Themes:** Luke 19:46 powerfully contributes to several overarching themes within Luke's Gospel and the broader biblical narrative. It emphasizes the **sanctity of worship** and the purity required in approaching God, a theme echoed in the call for true worship in [John 4:23-24](/john/4-23-24 "John 4:23-24 - Worship in Spirit and Truth"). Jesus' actions reveal His **righteous indignation** against corruption and injustice, demonstrating a divine zeal for God's honor that transcends human emotion, akin to the zeal for His house that consumed David in [Psalm 69:9](/psalm/69-9 "Psalm 69:9 - Zeal for God's House"). Furthermore, the verse highlights the **fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy**, as Jesus directly quotes [Isaiah 56:7](/isaiah/56-7 "Isaiah 56:7 - God's House for All Nations") and [Jeremiah 7:11](/jeremiah/7-11 "Jeremiah 7:11 - Den of Robbers") to justify His actions, thereby affirming His role as the promised Messiah who brings God's judgment and restoration. This event also serves as a sharp **critique of religious hypocrisy**, exposing how outward religious observance can mask inward spiritual corruption and a neglect of true devotion.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

#### Key Word Analysis
* **house (Greek, _oîkos'_):** G3624. This term refers to a dwelling, habitation, or home, which can be literal or figurative. In this context, it specifically denotes the Temple, understood as God's dwelling place on earth. Jesus' declaration emphasizes that this sacred space, intended for God's presence and worship, had been perverted from its divine purpose.
* **prayer (Greek, _proseuchḗ'_):** G4335. Derived from a verb meaning "to pray earnestly," this noun signifies worship or an oratory. It highlights the primary function God intended for His Temple: a place where people could commune with Him through prayer, supplication, and adoration. The commercial activities directly undermined this essential spiritual function.
* **den (Greek, _spḗlaion'_):** G4693. This word means a cavern, grotto, or cave. Figuratively, it implies a hiding-place or a resort for illicit activities. By using this term, Jesus vividly portrays the Temple as having devolved into a sanctuary for criminals, a place where those engaged in exploitation could operate with impunity, rather than a sanctuary for the devout.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer:"** Jesus confronts the merchants and money-changers directly, prefacing His condemnation with "It is written," a powerful appeal to scriptural authority. This phrase introduces a direct quotation from [Isaiah 56:7](/isaiah/56-7 "Isaiah 56:7 - God's House for All Nations"), emphasizing God's original intention for His Temple to be a sacred space dedicated to prayer and spiritual communion for all peoples, including Gentiles. Jesus asserts God's ownership ("My house") and His divine purpose for the Temple.
* **"but ye have made it a den of thieves."** The conjunction "but" (Greek, _dé'_) introduces a stark contrast between God's intention and the people's actions. Jesus accuses them of actively transforming the Temple's purpose. The phrase "den of thieves" is a direct quotation from [Jeremiah 7:11](/jeremiah/7-11 "Jeremiah 7:11 - Den of Robbers"), where Jeremiah condemned the people of his day for treating the Temple as a safe haven while continuing their wicked practices outside its walls. Jesus uses this prophetic indictment to describe the Temple as a hideout for "thieves" (Greek, _lēistḗs'_, brigands or robbers), implying not just petty theft but organized, violent exploitation that had desecrated the holy space and hindered true worship.

#### Literary Devices
Luke 19:46 employs several potent literary devices to convey Jesus' message. **Allusion** and **Intertextuality** are central, as Jesus directly quotes and weaves together two Old Testament prophecies from [Isaiah 56:7](/isaiah/56-7 "Isaiah 56:7 - God's House for All Nations") and [Jeremiah 7:11](/jeremiah/7-11 "Jeremiah 7:11 - Den of Robbers"). This demonstrates His profound understanding of scripture and His claim to prophetic authority, placing His actions within a long tradition of divine judgment against corrupt worship. The stark **Contrast** between "house of prayer" and "den of thieves" serves as a powerful rhetorical device, highlighting the profound perversion of the Temple's sacred purpose. This **Metaphorical Language** ("den of thieves") is highly evocative, transforming the physical space of the Temple into a symbol of moral and spiritual corruption, implying a place where illicit activities are not only tolerated but protected. Finally, Jesus' declaration is an act of **Dramatic Irony**, as the very people who should have been guardians of God's house were the ones desecrating it, unknowingly fulfilling ancient prophecies of judgment against such hypocrisy.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Luke 19:46 is a profound theological statement about the nature of worship, the sanctity of sacred spaces, and God's righteous judgment against corruption. It underscores that true worship must be pure, sincere, and focused on God, not on personal gain or external ritual without internal devotion. Jesus' actions demonstrate His divine authority over religious institutions and His zeal for the holiness of God's name, revealing a God who demands integrity in worship and will not tolerate the exploitation of His people or the desecration of His presence. This event serves as a powerful reminder that God's house, whether a physical structure or the gathered community of believers, is fundamentally a place for communion with Him, not for worldly pursuits.

* [Matthew 21:12-13](/matthew/21-12-13 "Matthew 21:12-13 - Parallel Account of Temple Cleansing")
* [Mark 11:15-17](/mark/11-15-17 "Mark 11:15-17 - Mark's Account of Temple Cleansing")
* [John 2:13-17](/john/2-13-17 "John 2:13-17 - John's Account of Temple Cleansing and Zeal")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Jesus' cleansing of the Temple in Luke 19:46 serves as a timeless and convicting challenge for believers today, prompting us to examine the purity of our worship, both individually and corporately. While we no longer have a physical temple in Jerusalem, the New Testament teaches that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit ([1 Corinthians 6:19](/1_corinthians/6-19 "1 Corinthians 6:19 - Your Body as a Temple")), and the church, as a collective body of believers, is God's spiritual house ([1 Peter 2:5](/1_peter/2-5 "1 Peter 2:5 - Living Stones, Spiritual House")). This passage calls us to consider if our personal lives, our churches, and our spiritual practices truly reflect a "house of prayer" dedicated to God's glory, or if we have allowed "thieves" of materialism, self-interest, distraction, or hypocrisy to take root. It challenges us to cultivate a zealous commitment to righteousness and genuine devotion, ensuring that our worship—in all its forms—is pure, unhindered, and focused solely on honoring God.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what ways might my personal spiritual life or our church community be allowing "thieves" (e.g., materialism, busyness, self-focus, or unconfessed sin) to hinder genuine prayer and worship?**
* **How can I cultivate a greater zeal for God's holiness and the purity of His "house" (my life, my church) in practical, everyday ways?**
* **What specific actions can I take to ensure that my worship, both private and public, is truly focused on communion with God rather than external performance or personal gain?**

### FAQ
**Why was Jesus so angry at the people in the Temple?**

Answer: Jesus' actions were not a loss of temper but a demonstration of righteous indignation and divine zeal. He was angry because the Temple, intended by God as a "house of prayer for all nations" ([Isaiah 56:7](/isaiah/56-7 "Isaiah 56:7 - God's House for All Nations")), had been corrupted by commercial exploitation. The money changers and animal sellers, while providing necessary services, were operating in the Court of the Gentiles, obstructing access for non-Jews to pray, and often engaging in dishonest practices. This turned a sacred space into a marketplace and a "den of thieves" ([Jeremiah 7:11](/jeremiah/7-11 "Jeremiah 7:11 - Den of Robbers")), hindering true worship and dishonoring God. Jesus' anger stemmed from His passion for God's holiness and justice.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Luke 19:46 finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment not merely in Jesus' physical cleansing of the Temple, but in His establishment of a new, spiritual Temple—His own body and, by extension, the Church. Jesus' declaration, "My house is the house of prayer," foreshadows the shift from a physical dwelling place for God to a spiritual one. In His death and resurrection, Jesus became the true Temple, the ultimate meeting place between God and humanity ([John 2:19-21](/john/2-19-21 "John 2:19-21 - Jesus Predicts the Temple's Destruction and His Resurrection")). Through His sacrifice, He cleansed humanity from the "den of thieves" of sin and corruption, opening a new and living way for all people to approach God directly in prayer and worship ([Hebrews 10:19-22](/hebrews/10-19-22 "Hebrews 10:19-22 - Access to God through Christ")). The cleansing of the Temple thus points to Christ as the one who purifies worship, not by driving out merchants, but by offering Himself as the perfect sacrifice, making His followers living stones in a spiritual house, a "holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" ([1 Peter 2:5](/1_peter/2-5 "1 Peter 2:5 - Living Stones in a Spiritual House")). His zeal for God's house is fully realized in His work to redeem and sanctify His people, making them a dwelling place for God's Spirit ([Ephesians 2:19-22](/ephesians/2-19-22 "Ephesians 2:19-22 - Christ as the Cornerstone, Building the Church")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Isaiah 56:7

Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices [shall be] accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.

Jeremiah 7:11

Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen [it], saith the LORD.

Matthew 23:13

¶ But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in [yourselves], neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

Ezekiel 43:12

This [is] the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about [shall be] most holy. Behold, this [is] the law of the house.

Psalms 93:5

Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine house, O LORD, for ever.

Hosea 12:7

¶ [He is] a merchant, the balances of deceit [are] in his hand: he loveth to oppress.