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Complete Jewish Bible
And the crowds answered, "This is Yeshua, the prophet from Natzeret in the Galil."
Berean Standard Bible
The crowds replied, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
American Standard Version
And the multitudes said, This is the prophet, Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.
World English Bible Messianic
The multitudes said, “This is the prophet, Yeshua, from Nazareth of Galilee.”
Young's Literal Translation
And the multitudes said, `This is Jesus the prophet, who is from Nazareth of Galilee.'
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Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers . Public domain.
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John ChrysostomAD 407
Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 66
But see the baseness of the Jews. He had wrought so many miracles, and never were they thus amazed at Him; but when they saw a multitude running together, then they marvel. "For all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? But the multitudes said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee." And when they thought they were saying something great, even then were their thoughts earthly, and low, and dragging on the ground.
John Chrysostom (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 407
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
(Hom. lxvii.) Which aggravates the fault of the Jews, who after He had done the same thing twice, yet persisted in their hardness.
But not even thus were the Chief Priests convinced, but at His miracles and the shouts of the children they had indignation.
This was at once a type of the Gentiles, and no small comfort to the Apostles; for that they might not be perplexed, contriving how having no education for the purpose they should preach the Gospel, these children going before them did away that fear; for He who made these to sing His praises, shall give speech to those. This miracle also shows that Christ was the Framer of nature; seeing the children spoke things full of meaning, and agreeing with the Prophets, whereas the men uttered things meaningless, and full of frenzy.
Jerome (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 420
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
When Jesus entered with the multitudes, the whole city of Jerusalem was moved, wondering at the crowds, and not knowing the power.
While others were in doubt or enquiring, the worthless multitude confessed Him; But the people said, This is Jesus the Prophet from Nazareth in Galilee. (Ps. 24:8.) They begin with the lesser that they may come to the greater. They hail Him as that Prophet whom Moses had said should come like to himself, (Deut. 15:18.) which is rightly written in Greek with the testimony of the article, (ὁ προφήτες.) From Nazareth of Galilee, for there He had been brought up, that the flower of the field might be nourished with the flower of all excellencies.
And he cast out all them that sold and bought. It should be known that in obedience to the Law, in the Temple of the Lord venerated throughout the whole world, and resorted to by Jews out of every quarter, innumerable victims were sacrificed, especially on festival days, bulls, rams, goats; the poor offering young pigeons and turtle-doves, that they might not omit all sacrifice. But it would happen that those who came from a distance would have no victim. The Priests therefore contrived a plan for making a gain out of the people, selling to such as had no victim the animals which they had need of for sacrifice, and themselves receiving them back again as soon as sold. But this fraudulent practice was often defeated by the poverty of the visitors, who lacking means had neither victims, nor whence to purchase them. They therefore appointed bankers who might lend to them under a bond. But because the Law forbade usury, and money lent without interest was profitless, besides sometimes a loss of the principal, they bethought themselves of another scheme; instead of bankers they appointed 'collybistæa,' a word for which the Latin has no equivalent. Sweetmeats and other trifling presents they called 'collyba,' such, for example, as parched pulse, raisins, and apples of divers sorts. As then they could not take usury, they accepted, the value in kind, taking things that ore bought with money, as if this was not what Ezekiel preached of, saying, Ye shall not receive usury nor increase. (Ezek. 18:17.) This kind of traffic, or cheating rather, the Lord seeing in His Father's house, and moved thereat with spiritual zeal, cast out of the Temple this great multitude of men.
For he is indeed a thief, and turns the temple of God into a den of thieves, who makes a gain of his religion. Among all the miracles wrought by our Lord, this seems to me the most wonderful, that one man, and He at that time mean to such a degree that He was afterwards crucified, and while the Scribes and Pharisees were exasperated against Him seeing their gains thus cut off, was able by the blows of one scourge to cast out so great a multitude. Surely a flame and starry ray darted from his eyes, and the majesty of the Godhead was radiant in his countenance.
But, according to the plain sense; the doves were not in seats, but in cages; unless indeed the sellers of the doves were sitting in seats, but that were absurd, for the seat denotes the dignity of the teacher, which is brought down to nothing when it is mixed with covetousness. Mark also, that through the avarice of the Priests, the altars of God are called tables of money-changers. What we have spoken of Churches let each man understand of himself, for the Apostle says, Ye are the temple of God (2 Cor. 6:16.) Let there not be therefore in the abode of your breast the spirit of bargaining, nor the desire of gifts, lest Jesus, entering in anger and sternness, should purify His temple not without scourging, that from a den of thieves He should make it a house of prayers.
For had He not overthrown the tables of the money-changers and the seats of them that sold doves, the blind and the lame would not have deserved that their wonted sight and power of motion should be restored to them in the temple.
For, not daring to lay hands on Him, the Priests defame his works, and the testimony of the children who cried, Hosanna to the Son of David, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord, as though this might be said to none but to the Son of God only. Let then Bishops and all holy men take heed how they suffer these things to be said to them, if this is charged as a fault in Him who is truly Lord to whom this was said, because the faith of the believers was not yet confirmed.
But the answer of Christ was cautions. He spake not what the Scribes would fain have heard, The children do well that they bear witness to me; nor on the other hand, They do what is wrong, they are but children, you ought to be indulgent to their tender years. But He brings a quotation from the eighth Psalm, that though the Lord were silent, the testimony of Scripture might defend the words of the children (Ps. 8:2) as it follows, But Jesus said unto them, Yea, have ye never read, &c.
Pseudo-Chrysostom (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 500
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
Those prophesying spoke of Christ who was to come; these speak in praise of the coming of Christ already fulfilled.
With good reason were they moved at sight of a thing so to be wondered at. Man was praised as God, but it was the God that was praised in the man. But, I suppose, that neither they who praised knew what they praised, but the Spirit that suddenly inspired them poured forth the words of truth.
And Jesus entered into the temple of God. This was the part of a good Son to haste to His Father's house, and do Him honour; so you then becoming an imitator of Christ as soon as you enter into any city, first run to the Church. Further, it was the part of a good physician, that having entered to heal the sick city, he should first apply himself to the source of the sickness; for as every thing good cometh out of the temple, so also doth every evil. For when the priesthood is sound, the whole Church flourishes, but if it is corrupt, faith is impaired; and as when you see a tree whose leaves are pale-coloured you know that it is diseased at its root, so when you see an undisciplined people conclude without hesitation that their priesthood is unsound.
For this reason also He overturns the tables of the money-changers, to signify that in the temple of God ought to be no coin save spiritual, such as bears the image of God, not an earthly image. He overturns the seats of those that sold doves, saying by that deed, What make in My temple so many doves for sale, since that one Dove descended of free gift upon the temple of My Body? What the multitude had proclaimed by their shouts, the Lord shows in deeds; whence it follows, And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.
For as a pillar a little out of the perpendicular, if more weight be laid upon it, is driven to lean still more to one side; so also the heart of man when once turned aside, is only stirred the more with jealousy by seeing or hearing deeds of some righteous man. In this way the Priests were stirred up against Christ, and said, Hearest thou what these say?
As though He had said, Be it so, it is My fault that these cry thus. But is it My fault that so many thousand years before the Prophet foretold that so it should be? But babes and sucklings cannot know or praise any one. Therefore they are called babes, not in age, but in guilelessness of heart; sucklings, because they cried out being moved by their joy at the wonderful things they beheld, as by the sweetness of milk. Miraculous works are called milk, because the beholding of miracles is no toil, but rather excites wonder, and gently invites to the faith. Bread is the doctrine of perfect righteousness, which none can receive but they who have their senses exercised about spiritual things.
Remigius of Rheims (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 533
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
That they are healed in the Temple signifies, that men cannot be healed but in the Church, to which is given the power of binding and loosing.
Rabanus Maurus (as quoted by Aquinas, AD 1274)AD 856
Catena Aurea by Aquinas
But it is to be noted, that this entry of His into Jerusalem was five days before the passover. For John relates, that six days before the Passover He came to Bethany, and on the morrow sitting on the ass entered Jerusalem. (John 12:1.) In this observe the correspondence between the Old and New Testaments, not only in things but in seasons. For on the tenth day of the first month, the lamb that was to be sacrificed for the passover was to be taken into the house, (Exod. 12:3.) because on the same day of the same month, that is, five days before the passover, the Lord was to enter the city in which He was to suffer.
Theophylact of OhridAD 1107
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.
Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Matthew 21:11 captures a pivotal moment during Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, where the city is stirred by His arrival. As the crowds enthusiastically welcome Him, the question arises regarding His identity. This verse records the multitude's collective response, identifying Jesus not as the anticipated Messiah-King, but as "the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee," revealing both their recognition of His divine authority and their incomplete understanding of His full messianic and divine nature.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The verse employs several significant literary devices. Identification is central, as the crowd explicitly names Jesus and assigns Him a title. The use of the Appellation "the prophet" is crucial, revealing the crowd's primary understanding of Jesus' role. This title functions as a Synecdoche, where a part (prophet) stands for the whole (Messiah, Son of God), indicating a limited but significant grasp of Jesus' true identity. The geographical markers "of Nazareth of Galilee" serve as a form of Contrast or Irony, highlighting Jesus' humble and unexpected origins against the backdrop of His momentous entry into the holy city. This also functions as a Geographical Marker, firmly placing Jesus within a specific, often underestimated, regional context. Finally, the collective voice of "the multitude" represents a Choral Character, where a group speaks as one, emphasizing the widespread nature of this public perception.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
The crowd's identification of Jesus as "the prophet" is deeply significant, reflecting both a profound recognition and a tragic limitation. Throughout Israel's history, God raised up prophets to speak His word, call His people to repentance, and prepare them for His coming. Jesus undeniably fulfilled and transcended this prophetic office through His authoritative teaching, His revelation of God's will, and His foretelling of future events, including His own death and resurrection. However, to identify Him only as "the prophet" falls short of His full identity as the promised Messiah, the Son of God, and the King of Israel. Their perception, while acknowledging His divine authority, missed the deeper truth of His redemptive mission and His unique relationship with the Father. This partial understanding sets the stage for the dramatic shifts in public opinion that would occur later in the week, culminating in His crucifixion.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Matthew 21:11 challenges us to examine our own understanding and perception of Jesus. Like the multitude, we may recognize Jesus' historical significance, His profound teachings, or His moral authority, acknowledging Him as a great prophet or even a wise teacher. Yet, the New Testament calls us to move beyond this limited view to embrace His full identity as the Christ, the Son of the living God, who not only speaks for God but is God, the one who died for our sins and rose again. Our response to Jesus should not merely be admiration for a prophet from Nazareth, but worship and surrender to the resurrected Lord and Savior. Do we allow His humble origins or our preconceived notions to limit our understanding of His boundless power and authority? This verse invites us to deepen our faith, moving from a superficial recognition to a transformative relationship with the One who is truly "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6).
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did the multitude identify Jesus as 'the prophet' rather than 'the Messiah'?
Answer: The identification of Jesus as "the prophet" reflects a common expectation among the Jewish people for a great prophet, similar to Moses, who would arise before or alongside the Messiah (see Deuteronomy 18:15 and John 6:14). While the crowd had just shouted "Hosanna to the Son of David" (Matthew 21:9), indicating some messianic hope, their understanding of the Messiah was often tied to a political deliverer who would overthrow Roman rule. Jesus' actions and teachings, while authoritative and miraculous, did not fully align with these political expectations. Thus, "the prophet" was a safer, more understandable category for them, acknowledging His divine authority and miraculous power without necessarily committing to the full, and perhaps misunderstood, implications of "Messiah" or "King." It was a high honor, but still a limited one, reflecting their incomplete grasp of His true identity.
What is the significance of Jesus being from 'Nazareth of Galilee'?
Answer: The mention of "Nazareth of Galilee" highlights Jesus' humble and unexpected origins, which often caused skepticism among those in Judea (John 1:46, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?"). Nazareth was a small, obscure town, and Galilee was a region often looked down upon by the religious elite in Jerusalem. This detail underscores that God often works through unexpected means and places, challenging human preconceptions about where the Messiah or a great prophet should come from. It also fulfills Old Testament prophecies that, while not explicitly naming Nazareth, spoke of the Messiah's humble beginnings or association with Galilee (e.g., Isaiah 9:1-2). For Matthew, it also serves to reinforce Jesus' genuine humanity and His connection to the common people, contrasting with the grandeur of Jerusalem.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Matthew 21:11, though presenting a limited understanding of Jesus by the multitude, points profoundly to His Christ-centered fulfillment. Jesus is indeed "the prophet," but He is the ultimate Prophet, the one to whom all previous prophets pointed and in whom all prophetic revelation culminates. Unlike the prophets of old who spoke for God, Jesus is God, the very Word made flesh (John 1:1, 14). He is the one Moses foretold in Deuteronomy 18:15, the one who speaks with unparalleled authority, not merely saying "Thus says the Lord," but "Truly, truly, I say to you" (John 5:24). His prophetic ministry reached its zenith not just in His teachings, but in His ultimate revelation of God's love through His atoning death on the cross and His triumphant resurrection (Hebrews 1:1-3). As the Christ, He is not only Prophet but also Priest and King, fulfilling all the offices of salvation, offering Himself as the perfect sacrifice (Hebrews 9:11-14) and reigning as Lord over all creation (Philippians 2:9-11). The crowd's partial recognition foreshadows the full revelation of Jesus as the Christ, the Savior of the world, whose identity transcends all human categories and expectations.