Charles Ellicott Commentary Matthew 21:2

"saying unto them, Go into the village that is over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose [them], and bring [them] unto me." — Matthew 21:2 (ASV)

Go into the village opposite you — This may have been either Bethany or, on the assumption that it was nearer Jerusalem, Bethphage itself.

An ass tied, and a colt with her — St. Mark and St. Luke name the colt only. St. John speaks of a “young” or “small” ass, using the diminutive of the usual name (ὀνάριον). The colt was one on which man had never sat (Mark 11:2; Luke 19:30). The command clearly implies a deliberate fulfillment of the prophecy cited in Matthew 21:4-5. They were to claim the right to use the animals as for the service of a King, not to hire or ask permission.