Charles Spurgeon Commentary Matthew 21:12-13

"And Jesus entered into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of he money-changers, and the seats of them that sold the doves; 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." — Matthew 21:12-13 (ASV)

Jesus went into the temple of God again, as He did at the beginning of His ministry. Then the reforming Prophet indicated what was needed, and now the King proceeds to carry it out. A temple dedicated to God must not become a place of merchandise and robbery. Jesus cast out all those who sold and bought in the temple. The sellers were the more permanently obstructive, the more constantly offensive, so they were driven out first, but as there would have been no sellers if there had not been buyers, they must be cast out also.

Those who kept the tables of the moneychangers might have pleaded that they were there for public convenience, since they supplied shekels and other money for the sanctuary instead of Roman coin. The seats of those who sold doves seemed licensed, since they dealt in young pigeons and turtledoves for the sacrifices. But these traders were not serving God in this, but making profit for themselves, and therefore our Lord overthrew all their arrangements and cleared the holy place.

What an awe must have surrounded this one Man, that the whole tribe of traffickers should flee before Him while they endured the overturning of their tables and their seats! Neither the temple guard nor the Roman soldiers appear to have interfered in any way. When Jesus takes to Himself power, opposition ceases. What a prophecy this incident provides of how, in His Second Advent, He will purge His floor with the fan in His hand!

Our Lord, while He drives out the profaners of the temple, vindicates His holy violence by saying, It is written. Whether He was contending with the arch-enemy or with wicked men, He used only one weapon, the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. In this, as in everything else, let us follow His example. Isaiah had penned those words (Isaiah 56:7), Mine house shall be called a house of prayer for all people. This prophecy had a special relation to the Court of the Gentiles, which was being so grossly desecrated by these dealers.

Our Savior likened His Father’s house, when occupied by these buyers and sellers, to those caves in the mountains where robbers were used to lurk in His day, Ye have made it a den of thieves. The words spoken by the King were strong, but not more so than the case before Him required. It is a king’s business to break up the hiding-places of bandits, and Jesus did so. He could not bear to see His Father’s house of prayer made into a haunt of robbers.