John Calvin Commentary Mark 11:11

"And he entered into Jerusalem, into the temple; and when he had looked round about upon all things, it being now eventide, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve." — Mark 11:11 (ASV)

There is a difference between Matthew and Mark in their narrative of the withering of the fig tree. Matthew says that it was on the day after Christ made a public appearance as King, while Mark appears to place it on the following day.⁹ But the solution is easy, for they agree in this respect: Christ, on the day after He made His solemn entrance into the city, cursed the tree. Mark only states what Matthew had omitted—that the occurrence was observed by the disciples on the following day. So then, though Mark has stated the order of time more distinctly, he makes no contradiction.

He appears to differ more openly from both Matthew and Luke in the narrative of chastising the traders.¹⁰ For while both of them declare that Christ, as soon as He entered into the city and temple, drove out those who sold and bought, Mark simply says that He looked around on all things but postponed the driving of them out until another day.¹¹

But I reconcile them in this way: Mark, not having spoken about the purifying of the temple, inserts it afterwards, though not in its proper place. He relates that on the first day, Christ came into the temple and there looked around on all things.¹²

Now why did He look so earnestly, unless it was for the purpose of correcting something that was wrong? For, having been formerly accustomed to paying frequent visits to the temple, it was not the novelty of the sight that affected Him.

Now, as Mark ought to have immediately added that those who sold and bought in the temple were driven out of it, he says that Christ went out of the city. However, having omitted what was worth relating, he inserts it afterwards.

But perhaps some will be more inclined to believe that, in this narrative also, Mark observed the order of time, which the other two Evangelists had disregarded. For though they appear to indicate an uninterrupted succession of events, yet as they do not name a particular day, there would be no impropriety in dividing what we find connected in their writings.

For my own part, however, I prefer the conjecture which I stated first, for it is probable that Christ made this demonstration of His power before a large multitude.

But anyone who considers how little care the Evangelists gave to pointing out dates will not stumble at this diversity in the narrative.

⁹ “Que le jour ensuyvant les disciples prindrent garde à ce qui estoit advenu à l’arbre;”— “that, on the following day, the disciples took notice of what had happened the tree.”;”— “that, on the following day, the disciples took notice of what had happened the tree.”

¹⁰ “En l’histoire des marchans chassez hors du temple;” — “in the narrative of the merchants driven out of the temple.”;” — “in the narrative of the merchants driven out of the temple.”

¹¹ “Et puis il remet à l’autre jour ensuyvant ceste reformation du temple;” — “and then he throws back to the other following day that reformation of the temple.”;” — “and then he throws back to the other following day that reformation of the temple.”

¹² “Et là regarda tout autour ce qui s’y faisoit;” — “and there looked all around at what was done in it.”;” — “and there looked all around at what was done in it.”