Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Matthew 21:11

"And the multitudes said, This is the prophet, Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee." — Matthew 21:11 (ASV)

Jesus probably entered Jerusalem through the north entrance to the outer court of the temple. As the city was stirred earlier (2:3), so here: news of Jesus’ presence was inevitably disturbing. “Who is this?” does not mean that Jesus was virtually unknown in Jerusalem, but “Who really is this about whom there is so much excitement?” The answer of the crowds accurately reflects the historical setting: many of his contemporaries saw him as a prophet (cf. 16:14; 21:46) “from Nazareth in Galilee”—his hometown and primary field of ministry respectively. The phrase probably also connotes surprise that a prophet should come from so unlikely a place (cf. Jn 1:45-46).