And it came to pass when he was come nigh
The other evangelists, Matthew and Mark, add "unto Jerusalem"; but this Luke designs afterwards, ( Luke 19:37 ) and therefore here means, as is expressed, that he was come nigh
to Bethphage and Bethany;
two tracts of land which reached from Mount Olivet to Jerusalem; so that when he was there, he was nigh unto the city:
at the mount, called [the Mount] of Olives;
or "Elaion", as the Ethiopic version, which retains the Greek word for it; and which has its name from the great number of olive trees that grew upon it:
he sent two of his disciples;
their names are not mentioned by any of the evangelists, but it is very probable they were Peter and John; of the places here mentioned; (See Gill on Matthew 21:1).