Matthew 21:1-7

The Triumphal Entry

21:1 Now ¹  when they approached Jerusalem ²  and came to Bethphage, ³  at the Mount of Olives, ⁴  Jesus sent two disciples, 21:2 telling them, “Go to the village ahead of you. ⁵  Right away you will find a donkey tied there, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 21:3 If anyone says anything to you, you are to say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ ⁶  and he will send them at once.” 21:4 This ⁷  took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: ⁸ 

21:5 “Tell the people of Zion, ⁹ 

‘Look, your king is coming to you,

unassuming and seated on a donkey,

and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” ¹⁰ 

21:6 So ¹¹  the disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 21:7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks ¹²  on them, and he sat on them.

Mark 11:1-7

The Triumphal Entry

11:1 Now ¹³  as they approached Jerusalem, ¹⁴  near Bethphage ¹⁵  and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, ¹⁶  Jesus ¹⁷  sent two of his disciples 11:2 and said to them, “Go to the village ahead of you. ¹⁸  As soon as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there that has never been ridden. ¹⁹  Untie it and bring it here. 11:3 If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it ²⁰  and will send it back here soon.’” 11:4 So ²¹  they went and found a colt tied at a door, outside in the street, and untied it. 11:5 Some people standing there said to them, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” 11:6 They replied as Jesus had told them, and the bystanders ²²  let them go. 11:7 Then ²³  they brought the colt to Jesus, threw their cloaks ²⁴  on it, and he sat on it. ²⁵ 

Luke 19:29-35

19:29 Now ²⁶  when he approached Bethphage ²⁷  and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, ²⁸  he sent two of the disciples, 19:30 telling them, ²⁹  “Go to the village ahead of you. ³⁰  When ³¹  you enter it, you will find a colt tied there that has never been ridden. ³²  Untie it and bring it here. 19:31 If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs ³³  it.’” 19:32 So those who were sent ahead found ³⁴  it exactly ³⁵  as he had told them. 19:33 As ³⁶  they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, ³⁷  “Why are you untying that colt?” 19:34 They replied, “The Lord needs it.” 19:35 Then ³⁸  they brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks ³⁹  on the colt, ⁴⁰  and had Jesus get on ⁴¹  it.

[21:1]  ¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[21:1]  ² map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[21:1]  ³ sn The exact location of the village of Bethphage is not known. Most put it on the southeast side of the Mount of Olives and northwest of Bethany, about 1.5 miles (3 km) east of Jerusalem.

[21:1]  ⁴ sn “Mountain” in English generally denotes a higher elevation than it often does in reference to places in Palestine. The Mount of Olives is really a ridge running north to south about 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) long, east of Jerusalem across the Kidron Valley. Its central elevation is about 30 meters (100 ft) higher than Jerusalem. It was named for the large number of olive trees which grew on it.

[21:2]  ⁵ tn Grk “the village lying before you” (BDAG 530 s.v. κατέναντι 2.b).

[21:3]  ⁶ sn The custom called angaria allowed the impressment of animals for service to a significant figure.

[21:4]  ⁷ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[21:4]  ⁸ tn Grk “what was spoken by the prophet, saying.” The present participle λέγοντος (legontos) is redundant and has not been translated.

[21:5]  ⁹ tn Grk “Tell the daughter of Zion” (the phrase “daughter of Zion” is an idiom for the inhabitants of Jerusalem: “people of Zion”). The idiom “daughter of Zion” has been translated as “people of Zion” because the original idiom, while firmly embedded in the Christian tradition, is not understandable to most modern English readers.

[21:5]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “the foal of an animal under the yoke,” i.e., a hard-working animal. This is a quotation from Zech 9:9.

[21:6]  ¹¹ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of Jesus’ instructions in vv. 2-3.

[21:7]  ¹² tn Grk “garments”; but this refers in context to their outer cloaks. The action is like 2 Kgs 9:13.

[11:1]  ¹³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[11:1]  ¹⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[11:1]  ¹⁵ sn The exact location of the village of Bethphage is not known. Most put it on the southeast side of the Mount of Olives and northwest of Bethany, about 1.5 miles (3 km) east of Jerusalem.

[11:1]  ¹⁶ sn “Mountain” in English generally denotes a higher elevation than it often does in reference to places in Palestine. The Mount of Olives is really a ridge running north to south about 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) long, east of Jerusalem across the Kidron Valley. Its central elevation is about 30 meters (100 ft) higher than Jerusalem. It was named for the large number of olive trees which grew on it.

[11:1]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:2]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “the village lying before you” (BDAG 530 s.v. κατέναντι 2.b).

[11:2]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “a colt tied there on which no one of men has ever sat.”

[11:3]  ²⁰ sn The custom called angaria allowed the impressment of animals for service to a significant figure.

[11:4]  ²¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.

[11:6]  ²² tn Grk “they”; the referent (the people mentioned in v. 5) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:7]  ²³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[11:7]  ²⁴ tn Grk “garments”; but this refers in context to their outer cloaks. The action is like 2 Kgs 9:13.

[11:7]  ²⁵ sn See Zech 9:9, a prophecy fulfilled here (cf. Matt 21:5; John 12:15.

[19:29]  ²⁶ tn Grk “And it happened that when.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated. Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[19:29]  ²⁷ sn The exact location of the village of Bethphage is not known. Most locate it on the southeast side of the Mount of Olives and northwest of Bethany, about 1.5 miles (3 km) east of Jerusalem.

[19:29]  ²⁸ tn Grk “at the mountain called ‘of Olives.’” This form of reference is awkward in contemporary English, so the more familiar “Mount of Olives” has been used in the translation.

[19:30]  ²⁹ tn Grk “saying.”

[19:30]  ³⁰ tn Grk “the village lying before [you]” (BDAG 530 s.v. κατέναντι 2.a).

[19:30]  ³¹ tn Grk “in which entering.” This is a continuation of the previous sentence in Greek, but because of the length and complexity of the construction a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[19:30]  ³² tn Grk “a colt tied there on which no one of men has ever sat.”

[19:31]  ³³ sn The custom called angaria allowed the impressment of animals for service to a significant figure.

[19:32]  ³⁴ tn Grk “sent ahead and went and found.”

[19:32]  ³⁵ sn Exactly as he had told them. Nothing in Luke 19-23 catches Jesus by surprise. Often he directs the action.

[19:33]  ³⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[19:33]  ³⁷ tn Grk “said to them.”

[19:35]  ³⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[19:35]  ³⁹ tn Grk “garments”; but this refers in context to their outer cloaks. The action is like 2 Kgs 9:13.

[19:35]  ⁴⁰ sn See Zech 9:9.

[19:35]  ⁴¹ tn Although ἐπεβίβασαν (epebibasan) is frequently translated “set [Jesus] on it” or “put [Jesus] on it,” when used of a riding animal the verb can mean “to cause to mount” (L&N 15.98); thus here “had Jesus get on it.” The degree of assistance is not specified.