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The Gospels · New Testament

Mark 11

Mark 11: a colt, a fig tree, and the tables overthrown

General context

Near Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany by the mount of Olives, Jesus sends two disciples for a colt on which no man has sat, telling them what to say if questioned. They find it tied by a door where two ways met, answer the bystanders as instructed, and bring it. Garments are cast on the colt and spread in the way, others strew branches, and the crowds before and behind cry Hosanna and bless the coming kingdom of their father David. He enters Jerusalem and the temple, looks round upon all things, and goes out to Bethany with the twelve because evening has come. Next morning, hungry, he sees a fig tree in leaf, finds nothing but leaves, and speaks against it while the disciples listen; the narrator notes the time of figs was not yet. In the temple he casts out those who sell and buy, overthrows the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of the dove sellers, will not let anyone carry a vessel through, and teaches that the house is to be called a house of prayer for all nations but has been made a den of thieves. The scribes and chief priests seek how to destroy him, fearing him because the people are astonished. In the morning the tree is dried up from the roots; Peter points it out, and Jesus speaks of faith in God, a mountain cast into the sea, praying and believing, and forgiving when they stand praying. Back in the temple the chief priests, scribes and elders ask by what authority he acts; he answers with a question about John's baptism, they reason about the risk of either answer, say they cannot tell, and he refuses to tell them.

Cited passages: Mark 11:1, Mark 11:2, Mark 11:3, Mark 11:4, Mark 11:5, Mark 11:6, Mark 11:7, Mark 11:8, Mark 11:9, Mark 11:10, Mark 11:11, Mark 11:12, Mark 11:13, Mark 11:14, Mark 11:15, Mark 11:16, Mark 11:17, Mark 11:18, Mark 11:19, Mark 11:20, Mark 11:21, Mark 11:22, Mark 11:23, Mark 11:24, Mark 11:25, Mark 11:26, Mark 11:27, Mark 11:28, Mark 11:29, Mark 11:30, Mark 11:31, Mark 11:32, Mark 11:33

Mark 11 (KJV)

1And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount of Olives, he sendeth forth two of his disciples,

2And 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.

3And 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.

4And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without in a place where two ways met; and they loose him.

5And certain of them that stood there said unto them, What do ye, loosing the colt?

6And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded: and they let them go.

7And they brought the colt to Jesus, and cast their garments on him; and he sat upon him.

8And many spread their garments in the way: and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way.

9And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord:

10Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.

11And 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.

12And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry:

13And 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.

14And Jesus answered and said unto it, No man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever. And his disciples heard it.

15And 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;

16And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.

17And 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.

18And 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.

19And when even was come, he went out of the city.

20And in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.

21And Peter calling to remembrance saith unto him, Master, behold, the fig tree which thou cursedst is withered away.

22And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.

23For 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.

24Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

25And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

26But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

27And 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,

28And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things?

29And 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.

30The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer me.

31And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him?

32But if we shall say, Of men; they feared the people: for all men counted John, that he was a prophet indeed.

33And 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.

This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.

Historical context

The narrator supplies the reason the tree bore nothing, that the time of figs was not yet, and states that the disciples heard what Jesus said to it. The chapter covers at least three days, marked only by the eventide of the first, the morrow, and the morning after that; no dates or years appear. The quotation about the house of prayer is introduced by Jesus as something written, without naming a book, and the printed verses carry no heading. The acclamation about the kingdom of our father David is the crowd's own speech, not a title supplied by the narrator. The places named are Bethphage, Bethany, the mount of Olives, Jerusalem and the temple. The reason given for the priests' restraint is their fear of the people.

Cited passages: Mark 11:1, Mark 11:11, Mark 11:12, Mark 11:13, Mark 11:14, Mark 11:17, Mark 11:18, Mark 11:19, Mark 11:20, Mark 11:9, Mark 11:10, Mark 11:32

Literary context

The fig tree is split in two and wrapped around the temple scene, so the cursing, the overthrown tables and the withered roots are read together, and Peter's remark is what joins them. Authority is the chapter's question. The crowd hails a coming kingdom, the priests look for a way to destroy him, and the last exchange answers a question with a question and ends in a refusal on both sides. The phrase these things is repeated four times in that exchange, and it closes with both sides refusing to answer. Mark also keeps the small practical details, the colt tied where two ways met, the looking round at everything in the temple before leaving at evening.

Cited passages: Mark 11:4, Mark 11:8, Mark 11:9, Mark 11:11, Mark 11:13, Mark 11:14, Mark 11:15, Mark 11:18, Mark 11:20, Mark 11:21, Mark 11:22, Mark 11:28, Mark 11:29, Mark 11:31, Mark 11:32, Mark 11:33

Key moments

  1. Two sent for a colt (Mark 11:2). He tells two disciples where to find a colt on which no man has sat.
  2. Hosanna in the way (Mark 11:9). Those before and behind cry out blessing on him that comes in the name of the Lord.
  3. Looking round the temple (Mark 11:11). He enters, looks round upon all things, and leaves for Bethany at evening.
  4. Nothing but leaves (Mark 11:14). He speaks against the barren fig tree, and the disciples hear it.
  5. Tables overthrown (Mark 11:15). He casts out buyers and sellers and overturns the moneychangers’ tables.
  6. The tree withered (Mark 11:21). Peter points out that the cursed tree has dried up from the roots.
  7. Neither will I tell you (Mark 11:33). After they say they cannot tell, he refuses to name his authority.

For reflection

The priests refuse to answer about John's baptism because of what either answer would cost them, and get no answer in return. What does the chapter show about questions asked in order to trap rather than to learn?

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