Section 11:15–19
Jesus expelled the buyers and sellers from the temple courtyard
Jesus and his disciples arrived in the city of Jerusalem again. Jesus went back to the temple, where he had looked around at everything the day before. This time he showed his disapproval of the people there who were buying, selling, and exchanging people’s money. He overturned their tables and commanded other people to stop carrying things through the temple area. He quoted Scripture to show that what they were doing was wrong.
The Jewish leaders did not like what Jesus did. They were afraid of the influence he had on the crowds of people. They looked for a way to kill Jesus.
It is good to translate this section before you decide on a heading for it.
Here are some other possible headings for this section:
Jesus Goes to the Temple (Good News Bible)
-or-
Jesus Cleanses the Temple (English Standard Version)
There are parallel passages for this section in Matthew 21:10–17 and Luke 19:45–48. See also John 2:13–22.
Paragraph 11:15–17
When Jesus arrived in Jerusalem, it was the time of the year when the Jews celebrated a festival called the Passover. Many people came to Jerusalem at Passover time to offer sacrifices to God.
11:15a
When they arrived in Jerusalem: The Greek clause that the Berean Standard Bible translates as When they arrived in Jerusalem is literally “And they came to Jerusalem” (as in the Revised Standard Version). The previous section tells about what happened as Jesus and his disciples were walking from Bethany to Jerusalem. This section begins with their arrival in Jerusalem.
Here are some other ways to translate these introductory words:
On reaching Jerusalem (New International Version)
-or-
When Jesus and his disciples arrived in Jerusalem
Jesus entered the temple courts: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as temple courts is literally “temple,” as in most English versions. The temple consisted of the temple building and the walls and courtyards that surrounded it. People did not meet inside the temple building because only the priests could go there.
In this context some English versions have made this clear by translating the Greek word as “temple area” (New International Version) or temple courts (Berean Standard Bible). You may want to do this also if your word or phrase for “temple” would make readers think that Jesus entered the temple building.
The temple area at the time of Jesus
Some ways to translate the term temple courts are:
• Use a descriptive phrase. For example:
courtyard of the house of God
-or-
area around the house of sacrifice
-or-
courtyard of the holy/sacred house
• If your language has a word for “temple,” consider using it here. But you may need to modify it by saying:
courtyard of the temple of the Lord/Jews
-or-
big/great temple courtyard
There are more translation examples in the note on “temple” in 11:11a. See how you translated the word there.
See also the word temple, Meaning 1, in the Glossary for more information about the temple and how to translate it.
11:15b–c
and began to drive out: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as began to drive out means that Jesus began to force some people to leave. For example, the Contemporary English Version says:
began chasing out
those who were buying and selling there: The phrase those who were buying and selling there refers to people who were in the temple courts buying and selling items for sacrifice. Merchants had begun to use the outer temple courtyard as a place to sell the things that people needed in order to make sacrifices.
It is implied that Jesus drove out these people and their customers because they should not have been buying and selling inside the temple courtyard. You may need to make this clear. For example:
he forced certain people to leave because they were buying and selling there
You should make it clear in your translation that those who were buying (the customers) and those who were…selling (the merchants) were different groups of people. In some languages, it may be more natural to mention those who were…selling before those who were buying.
those who were buying: In some languages, it may be more natural to say what the people bought. For example:
those who were buying things
-or-
those who were buying things to sacrifice
-or-
those who were buying animals to sacrifice/offer to God
those who were…selling: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as those who were…selling is literally “the ones selling.” This refers to merchants who sold things in the temple area. They sold animals, wine, oil, and salt and other things that people needed for sacrifices.
The courtyard was the only part of the temple that Gentiles (non-Jews) were allowed to enter to worship God. The merchants were making this place like a marketplace so that it was difficult for people to pray and worship there. Many commentators also believe that the merchants charged too much for the things that they sold.
You may prefer to add a footnote with this information. See the General Comment below.
General Comment on 11:15b–c
If your readers would find it confusing that people bought and sold things in the temple, it may be helpful to use a footnote. For example:
If someone needed to buy an animal to offer as a sacrifice to God in the temple, these merchants would sell it to him. They also sold other things that people needed for the sacrifices, such as wine, oil, and salt. Jesus did not want them to buy and sell things in the temple. He wanted the temple courts to be a place where people could pray.
11:15d–e
He overturned the tables…and the seats: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as overturned means “turned upside down” or “knocked down.” Jesus turned the tables and benches upside down to show that these things did not belong in the temple courtyard.
the tables of the money changers: The phrase the tables of the money changers refers to small tables where these merchants piled their coins.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
the tables at which people exchanged coins
-or-
the tables where people traded coins
the money changers: The money changers were merchants who exchanged Roman and Greek coins for Jewish coins. The Roman and Greek coins had images on them. These images were offensive to Jews. So the Jewish leaders did not permit people to use these coins to pay the temple tax or buy animals for sacrifice. They were required to use Jewish coins. (The people who came to Jerusalem paid a temple tax once a year. The temple tax was due just before Passover. This provided money to maintain the temple and the temple area. Many also needed to buy an animal or something to give the priest to offer as a sacrifice. But some coins had images on them of gods or of people whom other people worshipped as gods. The Jewish religious leaders would not allow people to use those kinds of coins as part of worship in the temple area. So these businessmen would take these coins with the images and exchange them for Judean coins that the Jewish religious leaders would accept. These businessmen made a profit doing this.) It may be helpful to have a footnote in your translation that explains this.
the seats of those selling doves: The phrase the seats of those selling doves refers to the places where the merchants who sold doves sat. They sold doves to people who could not afford to bring a larger animal, such as a sheep or a goat, for a sacrifice.
seats: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as seats also means “chairs” (as in the NET Bible) or “benches” (as in the New International Version).
doves: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates here as doves describes a family of birds that are called either “dove” or “pigeon” in English. (See the note at 1:10c.) These birds were used for sacrifices by people who could not afford more expensive animals such as sheep or cows.
Paragraph 11:18
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