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Mark 11

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The Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem 1–11

1
And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples, ​
2
And saith unto them, Go your way into the village over against you: and as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat; loose him, and bring him. ​
3
And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither. ​
4
And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him.
5
And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt?
6
And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go.
7
And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him.
8
And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way.
9
And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: ​
10
Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.
11
And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve. ​

The Cursing of the Fig Tree 12–14

12
And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:
13
And seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, he came, if haply he might find any thing thereon: and when he came to it, he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet. ​
14
And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple 15–19

15
And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; ​
16
And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.
17
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. ​
18
And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine. ​
19
And when even was come, he went out of the city.

The Lesson on Faith and Forgiveness 20–26

20
And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.
21
And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.
22
And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. ​
23
For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. ​
24
Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
25
And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. ​
26
But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

The Authority of Jesus Questioned 27–33

27
And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple, there come to him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders,
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And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things? ​
29
And Jesus answered and said unto them, I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.
30
The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer me. ​
31
And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him?
32
But if we shall say, Of men; they feared the people: for all men counted John, that he was a prophet indeed.
33
And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for Mark 11

Verse 1

Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives — Bethany is where Jesus lodges through this week (11:11–12; 14:3). The mount of Olives is the mountain of Zech 14:4, where the LORD’s ‘feet shall stand in that day… which is before Jerusalem on the east’. He sends two disciples ahead, the same pairing as the sending in 6:7.

Verse 2

a colt tied, whereon never man sat — Polos is a young animal, and John quotes Zech 9:9 for this ride, ‘thy King cometh, sitting on an ass’s colt’ (John 12:14–15). Animals ‘upon which never came yoke’ were those chosen for holy use, as the red heifer (Num 19:2) and the kine that drew the ark (1 Sam 6:7).

Verse 3

the Lord hath need of him — ‘Lord’ is kyrios, and the answer is given as a message, not as an argument. The owners ‘let them go’ as Jesus had said (vv.5–6), the two ways being met ‘by the door without’ (v.4). Mark uses the same title in 12:36–37, ‘David therefore himself calleth him Lord’.

Verse 9

Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord — Hosanna is the Hebrew of Ps 118:25, ‘Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD’, by now a cry of acclaim. The next line is Ps 118:26, and v.10 adds ‘the kingdom of our father David’. The same Psalm supplies the stone ‘rejected’ in 12:10.

Verse 11

looked round about upon all things — Periblepo, to look all around, is Mark’s verb for the look of Jesus (3:5, 3:34, 5:32, 10:23). Here it falls on the temple, and nothing is done until the morrow (vv.12, 15). Malachi had said, ‘the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple’ (Mal 3:1).

Verse 13

he found nothing but leaves; for the time of figs was not yet — Mark states the season himself. A fig tree seen for fruit and found with leaves only is a picture the prophets use: ‘nor figs on the fig tree, and the leaf shall fade’ (Jer 8:13), ‘my soul desired the firstripe fruit’ (Mic 7:1), and the owner ‘seeking fruit’ in Luke 13:6–9.

Verse 15

the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves — Kollybistes, a changer of coin, is used only here, in Matt 21:12 and in John 2:15. Doves were the offering of those who could not bring a lamb (Lev 5:7; Luke 2:24). John 2:13–16 records a similar act at an earlier Passover.

Verse 17

My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer — Isa 56:7 reads ‘for all people’, after promising the ‘sons of the stranger’ a place in it (56:6); of the three Gospels only Mark keeps ‘of all nations’. ‘Thieves’ is lestes, a brigand, as of Barabbas (John 18:40) and the two crucified with him (Mark 15:27). Jeremiah’s words are ‘a den of robbers’ (Jer 7:11).

Verse 18

sought how they might destroy him — ‘Destroy’ is apollymi, as in the plot of 3:6. The scribes and chief priests ‘feared him’ for the people’s sake (12:12). ‘Astonished at his doctrine’ repeats 1:22, ‘astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority’; ekplesso is also the word of 7:37.

Verse 22

Have faith in God — The answer to Peter’s remark that the cursed fig tree ‘is withered away’ (v.21). The object of faith is named, the God of whom Jesus said ‘all things are possible to him that believeth’ (9:23). Jehoshaphat’s charge is the same in kind: ‘Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established’ (2 Chr 20:20).

Verse 23

shall not doubt in his heart — ‘Doubt’ is diakrino, to be divided within, rendered ‘wavering’ in James 1:6 and used of Abraham, who ‘staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief’ (Rom 4:20). The saying about ‘this mountain’ appears with the mustard seed in Matt 17:20 and as ‘remove mountains’ in 1 Cor 13:2.

Verse 25

forgive, if ye have ought against any — Aphiemi, to let go, is the verb for the forgiveness asked and for the forgiveness given. The saying agrees with Matt 6:14–15 and with the petition ‘forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors’ (Matt 6:12). Standing was the usual posture of prayer (1 Sam 1:26; Luke 18:11).

Verse 28

By what authority doest thou these things? — ‘Authority’ is exousia, the word of 1:22, ‘as one that had authority’, and of 1:27. It is asked by ‘the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders’ (v.27), the three groups named in 8:31 and 14:53. The things in question are the entry and the temple (vv.9–17).

Verse 30

The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? — ‘Baptism’ (baptisma) stands for John’s whole work, ‘the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins’ (1:4). The reasoning in vv.31–32 shows why they cannot answer: ‘all men counted John, that he was a prophet indeed’. ‘From heaven’ is the phrase of the sign demanded in 8:11.