Matthew Poole and continuators on Matthew 21:14

14 And the blind, and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.

This piece of the History, is related by two of the other Evangelists, but with great difference. Luke before this▪ mentioneth a Discourse upon the way, upon our Saviour's first sight of the City, and his Prophecy of the Destruction of it; but no other Evangelist mentioning it, I shall pass it over, till I come to his History. Mark hath this part of the History thus. Ch. 11.11. And Iesus entred into Ierusalem, [illegible: 1 word] the Temple, and when he had looked round about upon all things, and the Even-tide was come, he went out to Bethany with the twelve. And on the morrow, when they were come from Bethany, he was hungry,—(Then he relates, our Saviours cursing the barren Fig-Tree, which I leave till I come to it in Order, v. 15. And they come to Ierusalem, and Iesus went into the Temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the Temple; and overthrew the Tables of the Money-Changers, and the Seats of them that sold Doves: And would not suffer that any Man should carry a Vessel through the Temple. And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, my House shall be called of all Nations the House of Prayer, but you have made it a Den of Thieves: And when the Even was come he went out of the City, v. 19. Luke saith, Ch. 19.45. And he went into the Temple, and began to cast out those that sold therein, and those that bought, saying to them, It is written, My House is the House of Prayer, but you have made it a Den of Thieves.—And he taught daily in the Temple. It is pla[illegible: 1 letter]n by all the Evangelists▪ that our Saviour coming to Ierusalem, five days before the Passover, went every night to Bethany, about two miles off▪ and returned in the Morning to the Temple, where Luke saith that he taught daily. The first day, it should seem by Mark, that he only came into the Temple, lookt round about upon all things, and with the twelve went out to lodge at Bethany. By his going into the Temple, we must understand only the outward Court, for the Priests and Levits only might enter into the Inner-Court, and the Holy Place; and the High Priest, only might enter into the Holiest of all. Tho Mark mentions not his driving out the Buyers and Sellers the first day, but reciteth it as if it had been done the second day of his coming, yet the best Interpreters think that it was done the first day, as Matthew and Luke seem to hint; nor is any thing more usual, than for the Evangelists to set down things out of the Order of time, in which they were done. Some learned Authors in the Hebrew Learning tell us, That in the outward Court, was a daily Market of such things as the Iews used for Sacrifices, Wine, Salt, Oyl, Oxen, and Sheep: But it being but three or four days before the Passover, the Market was much greater, because of the great multitude of Lambs, then to be used. By the Law, Exod. 30.12.15. every one also was to bring an half Shekel. For this purpose there were Tables of Money Changers; Men that were furnished with half Shekels to change with the People, that every one might have his half Shekel, and those that so changed, allowed some little Profit to those that changed their Money, which gain was called, [non-Latin text not transcribed]; thence the Changers were called [non-Latin text not transcribed], Mony Changers. Those that sold Doves were there, to furnish the Women that came up to their Purification with their [illegible: 1 word] according to the Law, Lev. 12.6. This was the reaso[illegible: 1 letter] [illegible: 1 word] that great Market, which our Lord found in the [illegible: 1 span] of the Temple, and it is not likely that our Lord shou[illegible: 2 letters] [illegible: 1 word] these abuses the first day, and take no notice of them, [illegible: 1 span] the next day and correct them, which makes Interpreter [illegible: 1 word], Mark in this Relation post-poned this part of the Histo[illegible: 2 letters] [illegible: 1 word] arise two Questions. 1. Whether it was unlawful fo[illegible: 1 letter] [illegible: 1 word] to sell these things in that part of the Temple. 2. [illegible: 1 span], By what Authority did our Saviour do this? To [illegible: 1 word] it must be said, That had it not been unlawful, our [illegible: 1 word] would not have reproved them, for turning his Fathers [illegible: 1 word] and the House of Prayer, into a place of Merchandise. Nor would he have driven them out in such a Zeal, overturning the Tables, &c. which he had done also once before▪ Ioh. 2.15. The Temple was built by Gods direction, not only dedicated by Men, but Gods Acceptation of it was testified: It appeareth by Ioh. 2.19. it was a Type of Christs Body. We know there were special Promises made to those that did pray toward it, 1 Kin. 9.3. God saith, he had hallowed it, that is, separated it from common use to his Service amongst other things for an house of Prayer, Isa. 56.7. Now tho we read of no other things sold there, but what were useful for Sacrifices, yet this was a Civil use, and a Profanation of that Holy Place, because there were Market-places in Ierusalem, in which these things might have been done. It had been against Decency, if the Temple had not been hallowed in this manner, if such things had been done in the Synagogues, being places set apart, and commonly used for Gods Worship; but to use the Temple in this manner, so specially hallowed, was doubtless a great Profanation of that Holy Place. As to the second Question: By what Authority our Lord, being no publick Magistrate, did these thing[illegible: 1 letter] ▪ I am not so posed to determine that, he being the Eternal Son [illegible: 1 word] God, and now in the Exercise of his Regal Power, as I am to give an Account how it came to pass, that the Priests, and Scribes, and Pharisees never questioned him for what he did; for if any will say, That we presently shall read of their taking Council against him: I reply, But we read of nothing relating to this laid to his Charge. Nor do we read of their Questioning him, when he did the same things before, an Account of which we have in, Ioh. 2. For tho I know some say, that our Saviour did this Iure Zelotarum. That the Iews had a Law, That any might punish even to Death, such as profaned the Worship, or Holy things of God; which they justifie from Deut. 13.9. and the Examples of Phinehas killing Z[illegible: 1 letter]mri and Kosbi, Numb. 25.6. and Mattaniah's killing the Iew, Sacrificing to Idols at Modin, and the Kings Commissioner, of which we read in 2 Maccab. 2.24, 25. yet this doth no way give me any Satisfaction; for as on the one side, I should not have known how to have defended the Act of Phinehas, if God had not by and by justified him, nor do I think that the Law in Deut. 13.9. is to be expounded of private Persons▪ So on the other side, if the Priests and Scribes, and Pharisees, had not known of some Law that justified our Saviour in this Act, I can hardly conceive they would have so quietly put it up, especially considering that probably their Pront was concerned, if they had for Gain Licensed those Traders, to a place within the Compass of the Temple; as is very probable. Being therefore fully satisfied, that our Saviour who was Lord of the Temple, and to whom the Spirit was given without measure, did no more, than he might Lawfully do, I am willingly Ignorant how it came to pass, that he met with no opposition in it, because God hath not pleased in his Word to inform us. It is certain that he did the thing, and that it was a thing fit to be done, and that he, as the Son of God, had Authority to do it; what made them take it so quietly, I cannot tell, nor is it necessary for us to know, nor of any great advantage.