Matthäus 21:16

16 und sprachen zu ihm: Hörst du auch, was diese sagen? Jesus sprach zu ihnen: Ja! Habt ihr nie gelesen: "Aus dem Munde der Unmündigen und Säuglinge hast du Lob zugerichtet"?

Matthäus 21:16 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 21:16

And said unto him, hearest thou what these say?
&c.] Suggesting, that if he did, he ought to reprove them, or else he would be a very vain, as well as a weak man, to take such things to himself, which did not belong to him, and that from such poor, little, silly creatures, so void of knowledge and understanding:

and Jesus said unto them, yea:
signifying he did hear, and well approved of what they said, and was ready to vindicate it; and did, by putting the following question to them,

have ye never read;
that passage of Scripture in ( Psalms 8:2 )

out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?
in the original text it is, "thou hast ordained", or "founded strength"; and which is rendered by the Septuagint, as it is by Matthew here; and glory and strength are mentioned together, as being to be given to God, ( Psalms 29:1 ) and so "strength" and "praise" by the Targumist in ( Isaiah 13:3 ) by which is meant strong glory, or glory and praise expressed with a strong voice, or in a very vehement manner, as it was by these babes and sucklings; and this owing to God's disposing them hereunto, putting it into their mouths, and strengthening them to declare it in a very strong and powerful manner; so that his strength was made perfect in their weakness, and his praise the more glorious. In the Psalm it is added, "because of thine enemies, that thou might still the enemy, and the avenger": by whom are meant the high priests, the Scribes and Pharisees, the mortal enemies of Christ, who were full of enmity against him, and wanted to revenge themselves on him for spoiling their market at this time; but were stilled by the "Hosannas" of the children, and Christ's defence of them. The Jews themselves seem to be conscious, that these words relate to the Messiah; for they say ^F12, that

``babes and sucklings, (apqwt Nybhy) , shall give strength to the king Messiah''

manifestly referring to this passage.

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FOOTNOTES:

F12 Zohar in Exod. fol. 4. 2.

Matthäus 21:16 In-Context

14 Und es gingen zu ihm Blinde und Lahme im Tempel, und er heilte sie.

15 Da aber die Hohenpriester und Schriftgelehrten sahen die Wunder, die er tat, und die Kinder, die im Tempel schrieen und sagten: Hosianna dem Sohn Davids! wurden sie entrüstet

16 und sprachen zu ihm: Hörst du auch, was diese sagen? Jesus sprach zu ihnen: Ja! Habt ihr nie gelesen: "Aus dem Munde der Unmündigen und Säuglinge hast du Lob zugerichtet"?

17 Und er ließ sie da und ging zur Stadt hinaus gen Bethanien und blieb daselbst.

18 Als er aber des Morgens wieder in die Stadt ging, hungerte ihn;