Matthew 21:3

3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

Matthew 21:3 in Other Translations

3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.

3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord needs them,' and he will send them at once."

3 If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will immediately let you take them.”

3 If anyone asks what you're doing, say, 'The Master needs them!' He will send them with you."

3 If anyone says anything to you, you should say that the Lord needs them, and immediately he will send them."

Matthew 21:3 Meaning and Commentary

Matthew 21:3

And if any man say ought unto you
As, what business have you with the ass and colt? why do you loose them? as certain persons, the owners of them did, as Mark and Luke relate;

ye shall say, the Lord hath need of them:
he that is our Lord, and your Lord, and the Lord of these creatures, and of all things else, wants them for his present service;

and straightway he will send them:
which is either a continuation of what the disciples should say to any that should ask them the reason of their loosing the ass and colt, in order to make them easy: that the Lord who had need of them, as soon as he had done with them, would send them back to their proper owners, safe and well: or they are spoken for the encouragement of the disciples to go, and not be disheartened, though they should be thus examined; for immediately upon saying, that the Lord stood in need of them, and had an use for them at that time, the owner thereof, without any more words, would immediately send them along with them; which latter rather seems to be the sense of the clause; and which is confirmed by Mark: a very clear proof is this of the omniscience of Christ. He knew, that there were an ass, and a colt, in such a village, fastened to such a door, just at the entrance into the town: he knew the owners of it would examine the disciples about loosing and taking them away, and prepares them to give an answer; and he knew that the minds of these owners would be immediately wrought upon, and inclined to let them go directly and quietly.

Matthew 21:3 In-Context

1 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples,

2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me.

3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”

4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

5 “Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ ”