- Hebrew poetry uses parallelism, which is common in an oral tradition, since the imagery has a better chance of sticking in your consciousness. The quotation from the ‘prophet’ here uses that technique. Strangely, Matthew, coming from a Jewish background, doesn’t recognize that the same thing is being said twice. So, he gives us the odd image of Jesus riding both the ass and the colt, sort of like a circus trick.
- This particular quotation is really a pastiche of two passages, one from Isaiah 62 and the other from Zechariah 9.
- The Temple in Jesus’ time had three courtyards - one for men, one for women and one for Gentiles. The Temple authorities got a ‘cut’ from the merchants, who set up shop in the Court of the Gentiles. However, it made it impossible for non-Jews to worship there. This is what Jesus objected to.
- The story of the cursing of the fig tree makes more sense in its original place in Mark. (Here it just looks like Jesus had a tantrum.) Read Mark 11:12-25 and see how this story is a commentary on what is happening at the Temple.
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