Mark 11:17

11:17 Jesus quoted Isa 56:7 and Jer 7:11 in defense of his action. The first quotation emphasizes the importance of the Temple for Gentiles. God’s house was intended by its very architecture (i.e., the Court of the Gentiles) to assist Gentiles in becoming children of Abraham. Jesus’ act of judgment fell upon the leaders of Israel for hindering the Gentiles’ access to the Temple. They were desecrating the Temple by taking part of the Temple specifically designated as a house of prayer for all nations and turning it into a den of thieves through the profiteering taking place.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Mar 11:17. Ἐδίδασκε, He taught) The addition of teaching makes punishment salutary in its effect.—πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσι, to all nations) Construe with the house of prayer. Comp. the accents, Isa 56:7 [My house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.]

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Mar 11:17 . ἐδίδασκε covers more than what He said just then, pointing to a course of teaching ( cf. Mar 11:18 and Luk 19:47 ). Here again we note that while Mt. speaks of a healing ministry in the temple (Mat 21:14 ) Mk. gives prominence to teaching. Yet Mt. gives a far fuller report of the words spoken by Jesus during the last week. πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσιν , to all the Gentiles, as in Isa 56:7 , omitted in the parallels; very suitable in view of the fact that the traffic went on in the court of the Gentiles. A foreshadowing of Christian universalism. πεποιήκατε , ye have made it and it now is.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Shall openly be so accounted and taken.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 17. And he taught - them] See Clarke on Mt 21:12.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

17. of all nations] Rather, for all nations. See margin. The words are cited from Isa_56:7.

a den of thieves] Literally, a cave of robbers or bandits. See Jer_7:11. The distinction is to be borne in mind between “the robber,” brigand or violent spoiler (Mat_21:13; Mat_26:55; Luk_22:52; Joh_18:40; 2Co_11:26), and the “thief” or secret purloiner (Mat_6:19; Joh_12:6; 1Th_5:2; Rev_3:3; Rev_16:15). Trench’s Synonyms, § 44. What our Lord alludes to is one of “those foul caves which He had so often seen, where brigands wrangled over their ill-gotten gains.” Farrar, Life, II. 205.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And he taught, saying unto them, is it not written,.... In Isa 56:7.

My house shall be called of all nations, the house of prayer? For not only the Jews went up to the temple to pray, see Luk 18:10, but the Gentiles also, who became of the Jewish religion, and had a court built for that purpose; and so the whole temple, from hence, was called an house of prayer: and the meaning is, not only that it should be called so by the Gentiles, but that it should be so to them, and made use of by them as such. Jarchi's note on the clause in Isa 56:7 is, "not for Israel only, but also for the proselytes."

But ye have made it a den of thieves; for no other, in our Lord's esteem, were the buyers and sellers of sheep, oxen, and doves, and the money changers, and the priests that encouraged them, and had a profit out of them: now these had their seats, shops, and tables, within the mountain of the house; and even in that part of it, which was assigned to the Gentiles, the nations of the world, who became proselytes, and came up to Jerusalem to worship there at certain times; See Gill on Mat 21:13.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

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.

Ver. 17. My house shall be called, &c.] He inveighs against the same fault with the same arguments as before, Joh 2:16-17.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Not to the Jews only, but to all nations; not in Jerusalem only, but in every city of the known world. It is no longer a temple of bulls, goats, and rams, but a temple of prayer. (Ven. Bede)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations (pasi toiv eynesin). St. Mark, writing for Gentiles, assures them that the God of the Jews is the God of all the nations; and that the court of the Gentiles, which was then so profaned, was a constituent part of his house of prayer. St. Jerome notes Christ"s action in driving out the profaners of the temple as a great proof of his Divine power, that he alone should have been able to cast out so great a multitude. He says, "A fiery splendor flashed from his eyes, and the majesty of Deity shone in his countenance." The words, "My house shall be called the house of prayer," are a quotation from Isa_56:7; and it is a remarkable coincidence that in Ver. 11 of that chapter the rulers of the people are described as looking "every one for his gain from his quarter." A den of thieves (sphlaion lhstwn); this should be rendered, a den of robbers. The Greek word for "thief" is klepthv , not lhsthv . The two terms are carefully distinguished in St. John, (Joh_10:1) "the same is a thief (klepthv) and a robber (lhsthv)." These priests, wholly intent upon gain, by various fraudulent acts plundered strangers and the poor, who came purchase offerings for the worship of God. Observe that the temple is called the house of God, not because he dwells in it in any corporeal sense, for "he dwelleth not in temples made with hands," but because the temple is the place set apart for the worship of God, in which he specially gives ear to the prayers of his people, and in which he specially promises his spiritual presence. Hence we learn what reverence is due to the houses of God; so that, as the master of a house resents any insult offered to his house as an insult to himself, so Christ reckons any willful dishonor done to his house as a wrong and insult to him.

The Church ideal and actual.

I THE CHURCH IN ITS IDEAL. As viewed under this aspect it has:

1. A twofold character. (Isa_56:7)

(1) A house of prayer. This recognition of a spiritual end to be secured by the institution of the temple is most remarkable, as having taken place in an era of ceremonialism. It is not a priestly but a prophetic point of view, in which details are lost sight of in the inward and eternal. The temple was to be "called a house of prayer" as indicative not of a special but rather of an exclusive purpose; any other being a transgression and an offense. It was to be set apart for the most sacred occupations of the soul intercourse and communion with God. An emphasis was thereby given to the Divine side of life. Men were to seek the presence of God that they might receive his grace and truth. A space was marked off from the business and secularities of life, so that, undisturbed from without, and aided by all the circumstances of devotion, the higher nature might be called forth and educated. Instead of worldly cares and competitions distracting the worshippers, they were to be engrossed for a while with their Father"s business. How important is this witness of the Church to the claims of the unseen and eternal! It is the sphere within which the highest exercise of human faculties may take place, and the noblest life may be laid hold of. There may be no immediate demand for what it provides, yet does it minister to the deepest and most lasting human needs.

(2) The spiritual home of mankind. The defect of Judaism was that it was too national and exclusive: all that was to cease. From the earliest times the universality of the Divine grace was declared by the prophets. Even from within a principle of expansion began to discover itself. The presence of the "stranger" within the camp led to the recognition of the "proselytes of the gate," and by-and-by to the institution of the "court of the Gentiles" in the temple itself. The fundamental doctrine of Jehovah itself implied such an intention as ultimate if not immediate, for before him there was no respect of persons, and he was the Father of all. The promises, too, were all couched in terms that precluded a merely local or temporary enjoyment of their blessings. Even as taught in the Old Testament the doctrine of election is declared to be a temporary provision for the benefit of others besides the elect. The chief end of the temple, or the Church which it represented, could not be secured save by the conversion of the world to the knowledge of Jehovah, and the spiritual coming of mankind to Zion. It is therefore the great mission of Christianity, as the spiritual successor of Judaism, to give effect to this. The Church is a witness to the oneness of the race in its origin and destiny, and the great foster-mother of mankind. Through her charity, and not by mechanical necessities or material interests, is the unity of the world to be realized.

2. This twofold intention of the Church is certain to be fulfilled. As we have seen, it is

(1) the Divine purpose: everything God wills will be; and

(2) the genius of Christianity. If Judaism declared a universal brotherhood, Christianity is that brotherhood. It teaches us to say," Our Father," and realizes itself in the communion of saints. The Church is not an end in itself, but is for the world. Christianity is nothing if it is not evangelistic and aggressive.

II THE CHURCH IN ITS CORRUPTION. In the mean time what God intended has been frustrated by the worldliness of men. The consequence has been:

1. A complete contradiction to its original purpose. Even in Jeremiah"s day the epithet, "a den of thieves," could be applied to it; (Jer_7:11) so soon does spiritual decay run to its term! That which was meant to be a universal good became a universal curse. The abuse of sacred things is ever the most mischievous of all abuses. Instead of Divine charity, human selfishness: the wrangling and violence of robbers where the peace of God was to be looked for. The contrast is utter, but the transition is easy and natural. The very extension of Judaism, outstripping as it did the expansion of affection in its members, sufficed to ensure its corruption. Worshippers came from distant places to offer sacrifice, and being unable to bring animals with them for the purpose, they sought for them on the spot. Gradually, therefore, the courts of the temple were invaded by cattle-dealers and their herds. Another inconvenience was felt in the difficulty of exchanging foreign money for the sacred coin which could alone be accepted in the treasury. Here the money-changer stepped in. The whole process was gradual and easily explained; but the result was none the less an evil, which required to be sternly corrected. Nor can Christians plead innocence of this sin. "The history of Christian Churches," says Plumptre, "has not been altogether without parallels that may help us to understand how such a desecration came to be permitted. Those who remember the state of the great cathedral of London, as painted in the literature of Elizabeth and James, when mules and horses, laden with market produce, were led through St. Paul"s as a matter of every-day occurrence, and bargains were struck there, and burglaries planned, and servants hired, and profligate assignations made and kept, will feel that even Christian and Protestant England has hardly the right to cast a stone at the priests and people of Jerusalem." It is a great deal, however, when it is recognized that this is not the purpose for which the sanctuary has been hallowed, and the lesson of the past is surely that of a constant watchfulness against insidious abuses, and above all of the need of a deeper and more continuous consecration of the worshippers themselves.

2. Divine anger and rejection. The wrath of the Lord of the temple was typical for all time. As the temple, so the Church or the soul which defiles itself will be visited by penal consequences. Sacred names and ceremonies will not consecrate vile ends. There is nothing more abhorrent to God than the travesty of religion, the seeking of gain under the mask of Godliness. M.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Isaiah lvi, 7; Jer. vii, 11.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

General Information:

God had said earlier in his word, through the prophet Isaiah, that his temple would be a house of prayer for all the nations.

Is it not written, 'My house will be called ... the nations'?

Jesus is rebuking the Jewish leaders for their misuse of the temple. This can be written as a statement. AT: "It is written in the scriptures that God said, 'I want my house to be called a house where people from all nations may pray.'" (See: Rhetorical Question)

But you have made it a den of robbers

Jesus compares the people to robbers and the temple to a robbers' den. AT: "But you are like robbers who have made my house into a robbers' den" (See: Metaphor)

a den of robbers

"a cave where robbers hide"

they looked for a way

"they were seeking a way"

When evening came

"In the evening"

they left the city

"Jesus and his disciples left the city"

translationWords

written

house

pray

nation

chief priests

scribe

fear

amazed

teach

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

17. ἐδίδασκεν. Mt. once more (see on Mar 6:34, Mar 10:1) mentions healing where Mk and Lk. mention teaching; but Mt. records more of Christ’s latest teaching than they do. Cf. Act 3:2. Although Jesus had allowed Himself to be proclaimed as the Messiah, yet He goes back to His old work of teaching (and healing). He shows that His mission is still, not to reign, but to serve (Mar 10:45); He went on teaching and saying to them.

Οὐ γέγραπται; He again appeals to what “stands written,” for which they professed such reverence, while they habitually ignored it (Mar 2:25, Mar 7:6-7, Mar 10:6-7, Mar 12:10; Mat 21:16). The quotation follows the LXX. of Isa 56:7.

πᾶσιν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν. For all the nations. Not only Mt., but Lk. also, omit these words, which looks as if Lk. had not Mk before him at this point. The words have special significance, for it was the Court of the Gentiles that Christ was restoring to its proper purpose as a “house of prayer.” Cf. 1Ki 8:41-42; Joh 12:20. See on Mar 13:10, Mar 14:9.

ὑμεῖς δέ. All are held responsible, all who took part in, or countenanced, the traffic. Renan, Vie, pp. 215, 344.

πεποιήκατε. More accurate, as covering both past and present, than ἐποιήσατε (Lk.) or ποιεῖτε (Mt.).

σπήλαιος λῃστῶν. A robbers’ den. A.V. often obscures the not unimportant difference between the mean, purloining κλέπτης and the violent λῃστής, who is more of a “brigand” or “bandit” than a “thief.” See on Joh 10:1; Joh 18:40. These words come from Jer 7:11, where the Prophet is exhorting the Jews to avert judgments by repentance, as Christ does here. The reference may be to the extortionate charges; διὰ τὸ ὁμοίως τοῖς λῃσταῖς φιλοκερδεῖν (Euthym.); or λῃστής may be used of any kind of flagrant offender. In any case, as Origen says, these traffickers were doing in the house of prayer τὰ ἐναντία τῇ εὐχῇ.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

17.] πᾶσιν τοῖς ἔθν., omitted in Matt. and Luke, but contained in the prophecy:—‘mentioned by Mark as writing for Gentile Christians.’—Meyer, but qu.?

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

17. καὶ ἐδίδασκε, καὶ ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς—and he taught and said to them.

καὶ ἔλεγεν, instead of λέγων, saying, Tisch. Treg. WH. RV. אBCL Δ 6, 13, 69, 346, one ms. Lat. Vet. Memph. Pesh.

οἶκος προσευχῆς1 πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσιν—a house of prayer for all nations. The quotation is from Isa 56:7, a passage which predicts the admission of strangers who worship God, as well as Jews, to the privileges of the Temple. The rebuke is specific therefore, denouncing not only the misuse of the Temple, but of that part which made it the seat of a universal worship. It was the Court of the Gentiles which they had thought just good enough for these debased uses. σπήλαιον ληστῶν—a cave of robbers, not thieves. These words are quoted from Jer 7:11. The context in Jer. shows that the name is given there not because of the desecrating uses to which the Temple was put, but because of the character of those who used it. Their use of the Temple was legitimate, but they themselves defiled it by their character and conduct outside. Here, on the contrary, it is their illegitimate use of the Temple which is condemned. The use of this term robbers by our Lord adds an unexpected element to the denunciation of their practice. Evidently trade as such desecrates the Temple, making its precincts and sacrifices the place and occasion of personal gain. It is the incongruous and unhallowed mixture of God and mammon that Jesus elsewhere condemns. But when he calls it robbery, it is evident he means more than the condemnation of trade in itself in the Temple precincts. And yet, we have no reason to suppose that there was anything extraordinary in this traffic. Jesus would need only to see the opposition of all actual trade in principle to the Golden Rule, to condemn it in this strong language, when it invaded the courts of the Temple. It is the principle of trade to pursue personal advantage alone, and leave the other man to pursue his interests, in other words, competition, which makes trade robbery.

πεποιήκατε, instead of ἐποιήσατε, Tisch. Treg. WH. RV. BL Δ.

This was an exercise of Messianic authority on the part of Jesus; but it did not transcend his rule of purely spiritual kingship, since the power that he used was simply that of his personal ascendency. It was an impressive example of the authority of truth and goodness. Men are easily overawed by the indignations of righteousness. We should expect such an access of authority in the action and speech of Jesus after the announcement of his Messianic claim, but the element of force, which is the idea of government, is left out.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Of all nations. Which rendering implies, shall be called by all nations. But render with Rev., a house of prayer for all the nations (pasin toiv eqnesin).

Thieves [ληστων] . Rev., correctly, robbers. See on Mt 21:13; Mt 26:55; Joh 10:1, 8. From lhiv or leia, booty. In classical usage mostly of cattle. The robber, conducting his operations on a large and systematic scale, and with the aid of bands, is thus to be distinguished from the klepthv, or thief who purloins or pilfers whatever comes to hand. A den would be appropriate to a band of robbers, not to thieves. Thus the traveler to Jericho, in Christ 's parable (Luk 10:30), fell among robbers, not thieves

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.