Matthew 21
King James Version · 46 verses · 1,115 cross-references linking it to 370 other chapters
Explore Matthew 21 in the interactive map- 1And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,24 cross-references: Zechariah 14:4, Mark 11:1–10, John 8:1, Matthew 24:3, Matthew 26:30
- 2Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.8 cross-references: Luke 19:30–32, Mark 11:2–3, John 2:5–8, Mark 14:13–16, Matthew 26:18
- 3And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.19 cross-references: 2 Corinthians 8:1–2, Acts 17:25, John 3:35, 2 Corinthians 8:9, Psalms 50:10–11
- 4All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,12 cross-references: Zechariah 9:9, John 12:15, Matthew 1:22, Matthew 26:56, John 19:36–37
- 5Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.57 cross-references: Zechariah 9:9–10, Isaiah 62:11, Isaiah 12:6, Genesis 49:10, Isaiah 9:6–7
- 6And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,10 cross-references: Exodus 39:43, Exodus 40:16, Genesis 12:4, 1 Samuel 15:11, Genesis 6:22
- 7And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.6 cross-references: 2 Kings 9:13, Mark 11:4–8, Luke 19:32–35
- 8And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.7 cross-references: John 12:13, 2 Kings 9:13, Leviticus 23:40
- 9And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.45 cross-references: Psalms 118:24–26, Luke 2:14, John 12:13–15, Matthew 23:39, Luke 19:37–38
- 10And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?19 cross-references: Acts 9:5, Luke 7:49, Song of Solomon 3:6, John 12:16–19, Luke 9:9
- 11And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.33 cross-references: John 6:14, Luke 7:16, John 7:40, Matthew 2:23, John 9:17
- 12And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,31 cross-references: John 2:14–17, Luke 19:45–47, Mark 11:15–18, Leviticus 1:14, Leviticus 5:7
- 13And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.20 cross-references: Jeremiah 7:11, Isaiah 56:7, Luke 19:46, Mark 11:17, Psalms 93:5
- 14And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.14 cross-references: Isaiah 35:5, Matthew 9:35, Acts 10:38, Matthew 11:4–5, Acts 3:1–9
- 15And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased,34 cross-references: Matthew 21:9, Luke 19:39–40, Matthew 27:1, John 7:42, John 12:19
- 16And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?20 cross-references: Psalms 8:2, Matthew 11:25, Luke 19:39–40, Matthew 19:4, Matthew 12:3
- 17And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.24 cross-references: John 11:18, Mark 11:11, Luke 24:50, John 11:1, Mark 11:19
- 18Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.11 cross-references: Matthew 4:2, Hebrews 4:15, Matthew 12:1, Mark 11:20–24, Mark 11:12–14
- 19And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.34 cross-references: Luke 3:9, John 15:6, Titus 1:16, Mark 11:14, Jude 1:12
- 20And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!4 cross-references: Isaiah 40:6–8, Mark 11:20–21, James 1:10–11
- 21Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.28 cross-references: James 1:6, Matthew 17:20, Mark 11:22–23, Luke 17:6–7, 1 Corinthians 13:2
- 22And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.28 cross-references: Matthew 7:7, 1 John 5:14–15, Mark 11:24, 1 John 3:22, James 5:16
- 23And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?40 cross-references: Acts 4:7, 1 Chronicles 24:1–19, Mark 11:27–33, Luke 19:47 – Luke 20:8, Exodus 2:14
- 24And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things.7 cross-references: Luke 6:9, Matthew 10:16, Colossians 4:6, Proverbs 26:4–5
- 25The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?31 cross-references: 1 John 3:20, Mark 1:1–11, Luke 20:5, John 3:18, Matthew 3:1–12
- 26But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.23 cross-references: Mark 6:20, Matthew 21:46, Matthew 14:5, Matthew 11:9, John 5:35
- 27And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.21 cross-references: Romans 1:18–22, 2 Thessalonians 2:9–10, Isaiah 29:10–12, Isaiah 42:19–20, Romans 1:28
- 28But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.36 cross-references: 1 Corinthians 15:58, Matthew 20:1, 1 Corinthians 10:15, Mark 13:34, Matthew 21:33
- 29He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.24 cross-references: Ezekiel 18:28–32, Luke 15:17–18, 2 Chronicles 33:10–19, 1 Corinthians 6:11, Jonah 3:2
- 30And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.6 cross-references: Titus 1:16, Ezekiel 33:31, Matthew 23:3, Romans 2:17–25
- 31Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.53 cross-references: Luke 7:29, Luke 7:37–50, Matthew 7:21, 1 Timothy 1:13–16, Matthew 20:16
- 32For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.30 cross-references: Matthew 21:25, Luke 7:29–30, Zechariah 7:11–12, Luke 7:37–50, 2 Peter 2:21
- 33Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:47 cross-references: Isaiah 5:1–4, Mark 12:1–12, Luke 20:9–19, Jeremiah 2:21, Song of Solomon 8:11–12
- 34And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.27 cross-references: Luke 20:10–19, Zechariah 1:3–6, Isaiah 5:4, Mark 12:2–5, 2 Kings 17:13–23
- 35And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.44 cross-references: 2 Chronicles 36:15–16, Hebrews 11:36–37, Nehemiah 9:26, Acts 7:52, Matthew 5:12
- 36Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.2 cross-references: Matthew 22:4
- 37But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.15 cross-references: Zephaniah 3:7, Mark 12:6, Matthew 3:17, Hebrews 1:1–2, John 3:16
- 38But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.34 cross-references: Luke 20:14, Genesis 37:18–20, Hebrews 1:2, Mark 12:7–8, Acts 4:27–28
- 39And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.16 cross-references: Acts 2:23, Matthew 26:57, Luke 22:52–54, James 5:6, Acts 7:52
- 40When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?7 cross-references: Mark 12:9, Hebrews 10:29, Luke 20:15–16
- 41They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.52 cross-references: Acts 18:6, Matthew 21:43, Isaiah 5:5–7, Acts 28:28, Romans 9:1–11
- 42Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?39 cross-references: Psalms 118:22–23, Isaiah 28:16, Acts 4:11, 1 Peter 2:4–8, Ephesians 2:20
- 43Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.34 cross-references: Matthew 21:41, Matthew 8:11–12, 1 Peter 2:9, Luke 17:20–21, John 3:3
- 44And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.32 cross-references: Isaiah 8:14–15, 1 Peter 2:8, Daniel 2:34–35, Daniel 2:44–45, Romans 9:33
- 45And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.10 cross-references: Luke 20:19, Luke 11:45, Matthew 12:12
- 46But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.21 cross-references: Matthew 21:11, Matthew 21:26, Isaiah 29:1, John 7:40–41, 2 Samuel 12:7–13
Explained connections
- Cleansing the temple
The Synoptics place Jesus' cleansing of the temple in his final week; John places it at the start of his ministry. Some see two events, others one event placed thematically.
- The rejected stone becomes the cornerstone
Psalm 118 celebrates a stone the builders discarded becoming the head of the corner. Jesus quotes it after his parable of the wicked tenants, casting Israel's leaders as the builders who reject him and God as the one who vindicates him.
- "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord"
Psalm 118 was sung by pilgrims at the festivals and part of the Passover Hallel. The Palm Sunday crowds shout its words, with 'Hosanna' ('save, please') from the verse before, hailing Jesus as the coming Son of David.
- Tell the daughter of Zion
Isaiah announces to the daughter of Zion that her salvation is coming. Matthew opens his triumphal-entry quotation with this phrase before switching to Zechariah 9:9 — a typical blend of two prophecies.
- Your king comes riding on a donkey
Zechariah announces Zion's king coming righteous and humble, riding a donkey's colt. Jesus deliberately arranges to ride into Jerusalem this way, a public claim to be the peaceful king of prophecy.
- Out of the mouths of babes
Psalm 8 says God ordains praise from infants. When the chief priests object to children shouting 'Hosanna' in the temple, Jesus quotes the psalm, implying the praise is fitting — and implicitly directed at God.
- The vineyard
Isaiah's song tells of a carefully planted vineyard that yields only wild grapes: Israel. Jesus' parable begins with the same details — hedge, winepress, tower — so his hearers knew the vineyard was Israel and its tenants were their leaders.
- The donkey's colt tied to the vine
Jacob's blessing on Judah pictures the coming ruler binding his donkey's colt to the vine. Jesus sends disciples to fetch a tied donkey and colt for his royal entry; some interpreters, ancient and modern, hear an echo.
Chapters most linked to Matthew 21
- Mark 1148 links
- Luke 1930 links
- Luke 2029 links
- Mark 1219 links
- Matthew 2618 links
- John 1216 links
- Matthew 1115 links
- Luke 715 links
- Matthew 2215 links
- John 114 links
- Matthew 1212 links
- Luke 2212 links
- Matthew 2312 links
- Matthew 311 links
- Luke 1311 links
- John 711 links
People in Matthew 21
Jesus Christ, God, John the Baptist, David
Places in Matthew 21
Jerusalem, Bethphage, Mount of Olives, Zion, Nazareth, Galilee, Bethany
Hard questions about Matthew 21
- Did Jesus ride into Jerusalem on one animal or two?
- Did Jesus clear the temple on the day he entered Jerusalem, and before or after he cursed the fig tree?
- Did the fig tree Jesus cursed wither at once, or was it found withered the next morning?
- Did Jesus clear the temple at the start of his ministry or in his last week?