Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version “It is written,” he said to them, “’My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’” New Living Translation He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!” English Standard Version He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.” Berean Standard Bible And He declared to them, “It is written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer.’ But you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’” Berean Literal Bible And He says to them, “It has been written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer.’ But you⁺ are making it ‘a den of robbers.’” King James Bible And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. New King James Version And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ” New American Standard Bible And He said to them, “It is written: ‘MY HOUSE WILL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER’; but you are making it a DEN OF ROBBERS.” NASB 1995 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER’ but you are making it a ROBBERS’ DEN.” NASB 1977 And He said to them, “It is written, ‘MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER’; but you are making it a ROBBERS’ DEN.” Legacy Standard Bible And He said to them, “It is written, ‘MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER’; but you are making it a ROBBERS’ DEN.” Amplified Bible Jesus said to them, “It is written [in Scripture], ‘MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER’; but you are making it a ROBBERS’ DEN.” Berean Annotated Bible And He declared to them, “It is written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer <Isa 56:7>.’ But you⁺ are making it ‘a den of robbers <Jer 7:11>.’ Christian Standard Bible He said to them, “It is written, my house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of thieves! ” Holman Christian Standard Bible And He said to them, “It is written, My house will be called a house of prayer. But you are making it a den of thieves!” American Standard Version and he saith unto them, It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer: but ye make it a den of robbers. Contemporary English Version He told them, "The Scriptures say, 'My house should be called a place of worship.' But you have turned it into a place where robbers hide." English Revised Version and he saith unto them, It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer: but ye make it a den of robbers. GOD'S WORD® Translation He told them, "Scripture says, 'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you're turning it into a gathering place for thieves!" Good News Translation and said to them, "It is written in the Scriptures that God said, 'My Temple will be called a house of prayer.' But you are making it a hideout for thieves!" International Standard Version He told them, "It is written, 'My house is to be called a house of prayer,' but you are turning it into a hideout for bandits!" NET Bible And he said to them, "It is written, 'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you are turning it into a den of robbers!" New Heart English Bible He said to them, "It is written, 'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you have made it a den of robbers." Webster's Bible Translation And said to them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves. Weymouth New Testament "It is written," He said, "'My House shall be called the House of Prayer', but you are making it a robbers' cave." Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleAnd He declared to them, “It is written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer.’ But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’” World English Bible He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers!” Literal Translations Literal Standard Versionand He says to them, “It has been written: My house will be called a house of prayer; but you made it a den of robbers.” Berean Literal Bible And He says to them, “It has been written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer.’ But you⁺ are making it ‘a den of robbers.’” Young's Literal Translation and he saith to them, 'It hath been written, My house a house of prayer shall be called, but ye did make it a den of robbers.' Smith's Literal Translation And he says to them, It was written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; and ye have made it a den of robbers. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAnd he saith to them: It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but you have made it a den of thieves. Catholic Public Domain Version And he said to them: “It is written: ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer. But you have made it into a den of robbers.’ ” New American Bible And he said to them, “It is written: ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a den of thieves.” New Revised Standard Version He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a den of robbers.” Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleAnd he said to them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but you have made it a bandits’ cave. Aramaic Bible in Plain English And he said to them, “It is written: 'My house will be called the House of prayer, but you have made it a den of robbers.' “ NT Translations Anderson New Testamentand said to them: It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer; but you have made it a den of robbers. Godbey New Testament and He says to them, Haweis New Testament and said unto them, It is written, “My house shall be called a house of prayer,” but ye have made it a den of robbers. Mace New Testament and said to them, it is written, " my house shall be the house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves." Weymouth New Testament "It is written," He said, "'My House shall be called the House of Prayer', but you are making it a robbers' cave." Worrell New Testament And He saith to them, Worsley New Testament and said to them, Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Jesus Cleanses the Temple12Then Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling doves. 13And He declared to them, “It is written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer.’ But you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’” 14The blind and the lame came to Him at the temple, and He healed them.… Cross References And He declared to them, John 2:16 To those selling doves He said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn My Father’s house into a marketplace!” Mark 11:17 Then Jesus began to teach them, and He declared, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’” Luke 19:46 He declared to them, “It is written: ‘My house will be a house of prayer.’ But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’” “It is written: Matthew 4:4 But Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4:7 Jesus replied, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Matthew 4:10 “Away from Me, Satan!” Jesus told him. “For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’” ‘My house will be called a house of prayer.’ Isaiah 56:7 I will bring them to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on My altar, for My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations.” 1 Kings 8:29-30 May Your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, toward the place of which You said, ‘My Name shall be there,’ so that You may hear the prayer that Your servant prays toward this place. / Hear the plea of Your servant and of Your people Israel when they pray toward this place. May You hear from heaven, Your dwelling place. May You hear and forgive. 2 Chronicles 6:18-21 But will God indeed dwell with man upon the earth? The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain You, much less this temple I have built. / Yet regard the prayer and plea of Your servant, O LORD my God, so that You may hear the cry and the prayer that Your servant is praying before You. / May Your eyes be open toward this temple day and night, toward the place where You said You would put Your Name, so that You may hear the prayer that Your servant prays toward this place. … But you are making it Isaiah 1:12-17 When you come to appear before Me, who has required this of you—this trampling of My courts? / Bring your worthless offerings no more; your incense is detestable to Me. New Moons, Sabbaths, and convocations—I cannot endure iniquity in a solemn assembly. / I hate your New Moons and your appointed feasts. They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them. … Jeremiah 7:9-11 Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal, and follow other gods that you have not known, / and then come and stand before Me in this house, which bears My Name, and say, ‘We are delivered, so we can continue with all these abominations’? / Has this house, which bears My Name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Yes, I too have seen it, declares the LORD. Ezekiel 22:26 Her priests do violence to My law and profane My holy things. They make no distinction between the holy and the common, and they fail to distinguish between the clean and the unclean. They disregard My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. ‘a den of robbers.’” Jeremiah 7:11 Has this house, which bears My Name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Yes, I too have seen it, declares the LORD. Jeremiah 7:12-15 But go now to the place in Shiloh where I first made a dwelling for My Name, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of My people Israel. / And now, because you have done all these things, declares the LORD, and because I have spoken to you again and again but you would not listen, and I have called to you but you would not answer, / therefore what I did to Shiloh I will now do to the house that bears My Name, the house in which you trust, the place that I gave to you and your fathers. … Jeremiah 26:6 then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city an object of cursing among all the nations of the earth.’” Isaiah 56:7 I will bring them to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on My altar, for My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations.” Treasury of Scripture And said to them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but you have made it a den of thieves. It is. Matthew 2:5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, John 15:25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause. My. Psalm 93:5 Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine house, O LORD, for ever. Isaiah 56:7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people. ye. Jeremiah 7:11 Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD. Mark 11:17 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. Luke 19:46 Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves. Jump to Previous Cave Den Hole House Making Prayer Robbers Thieves Writings WrittenJump to Next Cave Den Hole House Making Prayer Robbers Thieves Writings WrittenMatthew 21 1. Jesus rides into Jerusalem upon a donkey12. drives the buyers and sellers out of the temple; 17. curses the fig tree; 23. puts to silence the priests and elders, 28. and rebukes them by the parable of the two sons, 33. and the husbandmen who slew such as were sent to them. And He declared to them This phrase indicates Jesus' authoritative stance as He addresses those in the temple. His declaration is not merely a suggestion but a pronouncement with divine authority. Jesus often spoke with authority, as seen in Matthew 7:29, where it is noted that He taught as one having authority, unlike the scribes. It is written ‘My house will be called a house of prayer.’ But you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’” Persons / Places / Events 1. Jesus ChristThe central figure in this passage, Jesus is asserting His authority and fulfilling His role as the Messiah by cleansing the temple. 2. The Temple in Jerusalem The sacred place where Jews gathered to worship God. It was meant to be a place of prayer and communion with God. 3. Money Changers and Merchants Individuals conducting business in the temple courts, turning a place of worship into a marketplace. 4. The Chief Priests and Scribes Religious leaders who were responsible for maintaining the sanctity of the temple but were complicit in its misuse. 5. The Crowd Witnesses to Jesus' actions and teachings, representing the general populace who were affected by the temple's corruption. Teaching Points The Sanctity of WorshipThe temple was meant to be a sacred space dedicated to prayer and worship. We must ensure that our places of worship remain focused on God and not on worldly pursuits. Righteous Anger Jesus' actions demonstrate that there is a place for righteous anger when God's holiness is compromised. We should be zealous for God's honor and integrity. Personal Reflection Just as Jesus cleansed the temple, we should examine our own lives and remove anything that hinders our relationship with God. Community Accountability The religious leaders failed in their duty to maintain the temple's sanctity. As a community, we must hold each other accountable to uphold God's standards. Prayer as a Priority Jesus emphasizes the importance of prayer. We should prioritize prayer in our personal lives and communal worship. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1. What is the meaning of Matthew 21:13?2. How can we ensure our church is a "house of prayer" today? 3. Why does Jesus emphasize prayer over commerce in Matthew 21:13? 4. What Old Testament scriptures connect to Jesus' actions in Matthew 21:13? 5. How can we personally avoid making God's house a "den of robbers"? 6. What steps can we take to prioritize prayer in our daily lives? 7. Why did Jesus call the temple a "den of robbers" in Matthew 21:13? 8. How does Matthew 21:13 reflect Jesus' view on religious practices? 9. What historical context led to Jesus' actions in Matthew 21:13? 10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Matthew 21? 11. What did Jesus do to the money changers? 12. What is the International House of Prayer? 13. Jeremiah 7:4: How can this passage imply the temple offers no protection despite other texts suggesting God’s presence there protects His people? 14. Could the cleansing of the temple (John 2:13-17) have happened twice, or does it conflict with the Synoptic accounts? What Does Matthew 21:13 Mean And He declared to them• Jesus has just entered Jerusalem amid Hosanna shouts and gone straight to the temple courts (Matthew 21:1-12). • His deliberate action—overturning tables and driving out merchants—reveals righteous zeal, not impulsive anger (cf. Mark 11:15-17). • By “declaring,” He publicly confronts sin, showing His divine authority over the temple (John 2:14-16). It is written • Jesus anchors His rebuke in Scripture, underscoring its final authority (Matthew 4:4; Psalm 119:89). • Quoting the Word silences debate and reminds listeners that God’s standards never change (Isaiah 40:8). My house will be called a house of prayer • Jesus cites Isaiah 56:7, where God welcomes “all nations” to pray in His house. • The temple’s core purpose is communion with God—intercession, worship, repentance (1 Kings 8:27-30; Luke 18:1). • By calling it “My house,” Jesus affirms His identity as Messiah and Son, the rightful Lord of the temple (Malachi 3:1). But you are making it a den of robbers • Jesus blends Isaiah 56:7 with Jeremiah 7:11—“Has this house… become a den of robbers in your eyes?” • The merchants and money-changers turned worship space into a profiteering hub, exploiting pilgrims through unfair exchange rates and inflated animal prices (Amos 8:4-6). • A “den” is where thieves retreat to feel safe; Jesus exposes their hypocrisy—using religious cover to hide greed (1 Timothy 6:10; Matthew 23:14). • His cleansing warns every generation that religiosity without righteousness invites judgment (Malachi 3:2-3; 1 Peter 4:17). summary Matthew 21:13 shows Jesus asserting His lordship over worship, restoring the temple’s true purpose as a place of prayer for all people. By rooting His rebuke in Scripture, He upholds the unchanging authority of God’s Word and exposes the danger of turning holy spaces—or our own hearts—into shelters for sin. His call remains: honor God’s house, seek Him in sincere prayer, and guard against any practice that exploits or distracts from genuine worship. (13) It is written.--The words which our Lord quotes are a free combination of two prophetic utterances: one from Isaiah's vision of the future glory of the Temple, as visited both by Jew and Gentile (Isaiah 56:7); one from Jeremiah's condemnation of evils like in nature, if not in form, to those against which our Lord protested (Jeremiah 7:11).A den of thieves.--The pictorial vividness of the words must not be passed over. Palestine was then swarming with bands of outlaw brigands, who, as David of old in Adullam (1Samuel 22:1), haunted the lime-stone caverns of Judaea. The wranglings of such a company over the booty they had carried off were reproduced in the Temple, and mingled with the Hallelujahs of the Levites and the Hosannas of the crowds. We ask, as we read the narrative, how it was that the work of expulsion was done so effectively, and with so little resistance. The answer is found (1) in the personal greatness and intensity of will that showed itself in our Lord's look and word and tone; (2) in the presence of the crowd that had followed Him from the Mount of Olives, and had probably filled the courts of the Temple; and (3) in the secret consciousness of the offenders that they were desecrating the Temple, and that the Prophet of Nazareth, in His zeal for His Father's house, was the witness of a divine truth. Verse 13. - It is written. Jesus confirms his action by the word of Scripture. He combines in one severe sentence a passage from Isaiah 56:7 ("Mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all peoples"), and one from Jeremiah 7:11 ("Is this house, which is called by my Name, become a den of robbers in your eyes?"). He brings out in strong contrast the high design and use of the house of God (an allusion specially appropriate at the coming festival), and the vile and profane purposes to which the greed and impiety of men had subjected it. Ye have made it; Revised Version, ye make it; and so many modern editors on good manuscript authority. These base traffickers had turned the hallowed courts into a cavern where robbers stored their ill-gotten plunder. It may also be said that to make the place of prayer for all the nations a market for boasts was a robbery of the rights of the Gentiles (Lange). And Christ here vindicated the sanctity of the house of God: the Lord, according to the prophecy of Malachi (Malachi 3:1-3), had suddenly come to his temple to refine and purify, to show that none can profane what is dedicated to the service of God without most certain loss and punishment.Parallel Commentaries ... Greek Andκαὶ (kai) Conjunction Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely. He declared λέγει (legei) Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular Strong's 3004: (a) I say, speak; I mean, mention, tell, (b) I call, name, especially in the pass., (c) I tell, command. to them, αὐτοῖς (autois) Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons. “It is written: Γέγραπται (Gegraptai) Verb - Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular Strong's 1125: A primary verb; to 'grave', especially to write; figuratively, to describe. ‘My μου (mou) Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I. house οἶκός (oikos) Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular Strong's 3624: A dwelling; by implication, a family. will be called κληθήσεται (klēthēsetai) Verb - Future Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular Strong's 2564: (a) I call, summon, invite, (b) I call, name. Akin to the base of keleuo; to 'call'. a house οἶκος (oikos) Noun - Nominative Masculine Singular Strong's 3624: A dwelling; by implication, a family. of prayer.’ προσευχῆς (proseuchēs) Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular Strong's 4335: From proseuchomai; prayer; by implication, an oratory. But δὲ (de) Conjunction Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc. you ὑμεῖς (hymeis) Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 2nd Person Plural Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou. are making ποιεῖτε (poieite) Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural Strong's 4160: (a) I make, manufacture, construct, (b) I do, act, cause. Apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do. it αὐτὸν (auton) Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singular Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons. ‘a den Σπήλαιον (Spēlaion) Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular Strong's 4693: A cave, den, hideout. Neuter of a presumed derivative of speos; a cavern; by implication, a hiding-place or resort. of robbers.’” λῃστῶν (lēstōn) Noun - Genitive Masculine Plural Strong's 3027: A robber, brigand, bandit. From leizomai; a brigand. Links Matthew 21:13 NIVMatthew 21:13 NLT Matthew 21:13 ESV Matthew 21:13 NASB Matthew 21:13 KJV Matthew 21:13 BibleApps.com Matthew 21:13 Biblia Paralela Matthew 21:13 Chinese Bible Matthew 21:13 French Bible Matthew 21:13 Catholic Bible NT Gospels: Matthew 21:13 He said to them It is written (Matt. Mat Mt) |
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