Mark 11:11

And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(11) And now the eventide was come.—On the apparent discrepancy between St. Mark’s narrative and that of St. Matthew and St. Luke, see Note on Matthew 21:12. The minuteness and precision of St. Mark’s report are in themselves, primâ facie, an evidence in its favour. The word “eventide” is somewhat indefinite, but it included the two or three hours before sunset, as well as after. The procession, if it started in the morning, had probably been delayed by frequent halts, and its movement through such a dense crowd must have been but slow.

Benson Commentary

Mark 11:11. And Jesus went into the temple — Having entered the city by the eastern gate, he alighted from the colt, and went directly to the temple, but did not drive the buyers and sellers out this first day; for Mark here tells us expressly, that by the time he got thither, and had looked round about on all things, even-tide was come; from which we may infer, that the market in the temple was over. It seems he stayed in the temple but a little while. Having made his public appearance in the metropolis, and received the title of Messiah openly from the multitude, and surveyed the temple, he left the city without doing any thing, to the great discouragement of the throng that had come in with him, expecting that he was immediately to have laid hold on the reins of government.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

11:1-11 Christ's coming into Jerusalem thus remarkably, shows that he was not afraid of the power and malice of his enemies. This would encourage his disciples who were full of fear. Also, that he was not disquieted at the thoughts of his approaching sufferings. But all marked his humiliation; and these matters teach us not to mind high things, but to condescend to those of low estate. How ill it becomes Christians to take state, when Christ was so far from claiming it! They welcomed his person; Blessed is he that cometh, the He that should come, so often promised, so long expected; he comes in the name of the Lord. Let him have our best affections; he is a blessed Saviour, and brings blessings to us, and blessed be He that sent him. Praises be to our God, who is in the highest heavens, over all, God blessed for ever.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See this passage explained in the notes at Matthew 21:18-22.

Mark 11:11

Into the temple - Not into the edifice properly called "the temple," but into the "courts" which surrounded the principal edifice. Our Saviour, not being of the tribe of Levi, was not permitted to enter into the holy or most holy place; and when, therefore, it is said that he went into the "temple," it is always to be understood of the "courts" surrounding the temple. See the notes at Matthew 21:12.

And when he had looked round about upon all things - Having seen or examined everything. He saw the abominations and abuses which he afterward corrected. It may be a matter of wonder that he did not "at once" correct them, instead of waiting to another day; but it may be observed that God is slow to anger; that he does not "at once" smite the guilty, but waits patiently before he rebukes and chastises.

The eventide - The evening; the time after three o'clock p. m. It is very probable that this was before sunset. The religious services of the temple closed at the offering of the evening sacrifice, at three o'clock, and Jesus probably soon left the city.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

Mr 11:11-26. The Barren Fig Tree Cursed with Lessons from It—Second Cleansing of the Temple, on the Second and Third Days of the Week. ( = Mt 21:12-22; Lu 19:45-48).

11. And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon—surveyed.

all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out into Bethany with the twelve—Thus briefly does our Evangelist dispose of this His first day in Jerusalem, after the triumphal entry. Nor do the Third and Fourth Gospels give us more light. But from Matthew (Mt 21:10, 11, 14-16) we learn some additional and precious particulars, for which see on [1476]Lu 19:45-48. It was not now safe for the Lord to sleep in the city, nor, from the day of His Triumphal Entry, did He pass one night in it, save the last fatal one.

The Barren Fig Tree Cursed (Mr 11:12-14).

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Ver. 11-19. See Poole on "Matthew 21:12", and following verses to Matthew 21:17, where having so largely spoken to this part of the history, considering also what Mark and Luke hath to complete the history, few words will be needful about it here. Though Mark seems to relate it so, as if the first day Christ came into the temple, looked about it, and did no more till he came back from Bethany (whither he went that night) the next day, yet the other evangelists’ relation of it would make one think otherwise, besides that interpreters think it not probable that our Saviour the first night should only look about, and patiently see and suffer those abuses; most do therefore think that our Saviour the first day did cast out those that sold and bought in the temple. In the notes upon Matthew we have given an account of the market in the court of the Gentiles, which was the outward court of the temple, where, through the covetousness of the priests, some say there were constant shops. In the temple there were, the most holy place, into which the priests only entered, and the holy place, into which entered all the circumcised, whether native Jews or proselytes: these two places they accounted holy. But there was also a court which they called the court of the Gentiles, of which they had no such esteem, but allowed the keeping of shops and markets in it, especially before the passover. Concerning our Saviour’s driving out these buyers and sellers, See Poole on "Matthew 21:12". See Poole on "Matthew 21:13". In those notes also I have fully opened the history concerning our Saviour’s cursing the barren fig tree, and given what account interpreters do give of the difficulty arising from Mark 11:13, as to which I have nothing to add here, save this only, offering it to learned persons to consider, whether the sense of these words, ou gar hn cairov sucwn, be any more than, for there were no figs. He found nothing but leaves, for there were no figs, as if it had been ou gar hsan suca. So as cairov there should neither signify the common time when figs use to be ripe, nor yet signify the seasonableness of the year for figs, but particularly relate to that tree, which at that time had no figs. But enough hath been before said as to that text.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And Jesus entered into Jerusalem,.... this public manner, riding upon an ass, with the multitude attending hin, some going before, and others after, crying, "Hosanna" to him:

and into the temple; which he rode up directly to; the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Persic, and Ethiopic versions, leave out the copulative "and"; his great concern being there; and having dismounted, and dismissed the colt, and sent it by proper persons to the owner of it, he went into the temple, into the court of the Gentiles; where he found and overturned the tables of the money changers, and the seats of them that sold doves, and healed the lame and the blind:

and when he had looked round about upon all things; that is, in the temple, as the Lord and proprietor of it; and made a thorough visitation of it, and search into it, and corrected what was amiss in it:

and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve; having spent great part of the day in reforming abuses in the temple, in healing diseases, and disputing with the chief priests and Scribes: the evening being come, he did not think fit, for some reasons, to stay in the city; but went out to Bethany, which was near two miles off, and lodged there; See Gill on Matthew 21:17.

Geneva Study Bible

And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple: and when he had looked round about upon all things, and now the eventide was come, he went out unto Bethany with the twelve.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Expositor's Greek Testament

Mark 11:11. εἰσῆλθεν, etc.: the procession now drops out of view and attention is fixed on the movements of Jesus. He enters Jerusalem, and especially the temple, and surveys all (περιβλεψάμενος πάντα) with keenly observant eye, on the outlook, like St. Paul at Athens, not for the picturesque, but for the moral and religious element. He noted the traffic going on within the sacred precincts, though He postponed action till the morrow. Holtzmann (H. C.) thinks that the περιβλεψάμενος πάντα implies that Jesus was a stranger to Jerusalem. But, as Weiss remarks (in Meyer), Mk. cannot have meant to suggest that, even if Jesus had never visited Jerusalem since the beginning of the public ministry.

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

11. And Jesus entered] At a particular turn in the road the whole of the magnificent city, as if rising from an abyss, burst into view. Then it was that the procession paused, and our Lord wept over the devoted capital (Luke 19:41-44), and afterwards resumed His route towards Jerusalem, crossing the bridge over the Kedron, and passing through the gate now St Stephen’s into Bezetha, the new town, through narrow streets, “hung with flags and banners for the feast, and crowded on the raised sides, and on every roof, and at every window, with eager faces.”

the temple] Jerusalem was stirred to its very centre (Matthew 21:10). Who is this? inquired many, and were told by His exultant northern followers and disciples that it was “the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.” They doubtless expected that He would, as He passed on towards the Temple, display some unmistakable “sign,” and claim the sceptre, and ascend the throne. But they were doomed to disappointment.

when he had looked round about upon all things] “The actual procession would not proceed farther than the foot of Mount Moriah, beyond which they might not advance in travelling array, or with dusty feet.” Before they reached the Shushan gate they dispersed, and Jesus entered the courts of the Temple, surveyed the scene of disorder and desecration which they presented, with prolonged and calm and searching glance, and when.

the eventide was come] or rather, it being now late, returned with the Twelve to the seclusion of Bethany, and the great Palm Sunday was over.

Bengel's Gnomen

Mark 11:11. Περιβλεψάμενος, having looked round about) His visitation. [Which, on the following day, He followed up with a most weighty reproof. For if His expulsion of the money-changers had been repeated on each of the two days, Mark would use the verb ἤρξατο with less propriety in Mark 11:15. In like manner, Luke assigns the plucking of the ears of corn and the healing of the withered hand to two distinct Sabbaths, though in Matthew and Mark that distinctness of the Sabbaths is less plainly marked. So Matthew sets forth at the same time, and together, all that happened in the case of the fig-tree; Mark divides the incidents respecting it between two days: so Matthew and Mark join the transfiguration with the account of the lunatic boy; Luke (ch. Luke 9:37) represents the lunatic as healed on the following day after the Saviour’s transfiguration.—Harm., p. 447, 448.]—πάντα, all things) What holy meditations He had respecting the sacrifices, and the types about to be so soon fulfilled in Himself.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 11. - This visit to the temple is not mentioned by St. Matthew. It is an important addition to his narrative. The moment of our Lord's triumphant entry into Jerusalem was not the moment for the display of his indignation against the profaners of the temple. He was then surrounded by an enthusiastic and admiring multitude; so he contented himself on this occasion with looking round about upon all things (περιβλεψάμενος πάντα). His keen and searching eye saw at a glance all that was going on, and penetrated everything. But without any comment or action at that time, he went out unto Bethany (it was now eventide) with the twelve. No doubt the disciples, and especially Peter, saw what was involved in this visit of inspection, which prepared them for what took place on the morrow. Mark 11:11

Vincent's Word Studies

When he had looked round

Peculiar to Mark. As the master of the house, inspecting. "A look serious, sorrowful, judicial" (Meyer). Compare Mark 3:5, Mark 3:34.