The Meaning of Matthew 21:8 Explained

Matthew 21:8

KJV: And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.

YLT: and the very great multitude spread their own garments in the way, and others were cutting branches from the trees, and were strewing in the way,

Darby: But a very great crowd strewed their own garments on the way, and others kept cutting down branches from the trees and strewing them on the way.

ASV: And the most part of the multitude spread their garments in the way; and others cut branches from the trees, and spread them in the way.

What is the context of Matthew 21:8?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And  a very great  multitude  spread  their  garments  in  the way;  others  cut down  branches  from  the trees,  and  strawed  [them] in  the way. 

What does Matthew 21:8 Mean?

Verse Meaning

The large company of pilgrims from mainly Galilee were acknowledging Jesus as a King by spreading their garments on the road before Him (cf. 2 Kings 9:13). Likewise throwing small branches before Him symbolized the same thing (cf. 1 Maccabees 13:51; 2 Maccabees 10:7). [1]
"A Galilean was essentially a foreigner in Jerusalem, and Jesus" entourage, being made up of Galileans, would normally stand out as distinctive among the Jerusalem crowd." [2]

Context Summary

Matthew 21:8-17 - The Lord Of The Temple
It was only a crowd of poor people who escorted Jesus on Palm Sunday to the Holy City; but they sent their hosannas upward to the highest, and their shouts of acclamation and praise are ever ringing down the ages. Let us take them up and pass them on. Hosanna means Save now, Psalms 118:25, which formed part of the Great Hallel, or Passover Psalms. Thus, one day, His Church, and probably the literal Israel of the future, will hail Him with transports of joy. See Zechariah 2:10. Where Jesus comes, He cleanses. At His word the heart that was filled with the din of worldly care becomes the home of prayer, and children-the emblems of humility, simplicity, and faith-gather. While the needy and the childlike are attracted by our Lord's gentleness, wrongdoers are driven out before the "terror of the Lord." [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 21

1  Jesus rides into Jerusalem upon a donkey
12  drives the buyers and sellers out of the temple;
17  curses the fig tree;
23  puts to silence the priests and elders,
28  and rebukes them by the parable of the two sons,
33  and the husbandmen who slew such as were sent to them

Greek Commentary for Matthew 21:8

The most part of the multitude [ο πλειστος οχλος]
See note on Matthew 11:20 for this same idiom, article with superlative, a true superlative (Robertson, Grammar, p. 670). [source]
In the way [εν τηι οδωι]
This the most of the crowd did. The disciples put their garments on the asses. Note change of tenses (constative aorist εστρωσαν — estrōsan descriptive imperfects εκοπτον και εστρωννυον — ekopton kai estrōnnuon showing the growing enthusiasm of the crowd). When the colt had passed over their garments, they would pick the garments up and spread them again before. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Matthew 21:8

Matthew 24:32 Branch [κλάδος]
From κλάω , to break. Hence a young slip or shoot, such as is broken off for grafting. Such were the “branches” which were cut down and strewed in the Lord's path by the multitudes (Matthew 21:8). [source]
Mark 11:8 Branches [στιβαδας]
A litter of leaves and rushes from the fields. Textus Receptus spells this word στοιβαδας — stoibadas Matthew 21:8 has κλαδους — kladous from κλαω — klaō to break, branches broken or cut from trees. John 12:13 uses the branches of the palm trees That is to say, some of the crowd did one of these things, some another. See notes on Matthew 21:4-9 for discussion of other details. The deliberate conduct of Jesus on this occasion could have but one meaning. It was the public proclamation of himself as the Messiah, now at last for his “hour” has come. The excited crowds in front (hoi proagontes) and behind (hoi akolouthountes) fully realize the significance of it all. Hence their unrestrained enthusiasm. They expect Jesus, of course, now to set up his rule in opposition to that of Caesar, to drive Rome out of Palestine, to conquer the world for the Jews. [source]
John 12:13 Took [ελαβον]
Second aorist active indicative of λαμβανω — lambanō The branches of the palm trees Ποινιχ — Phoinix is an old word for palm tree (Revelation 7:9 for the branches) and in Acts 27:12 the name of a city. αιον — Baion is apparently a word of Egyptian origin, palm branches, here only in N.T., but in the papyri and 1Macc 13:51. Here we have “the palm branches of the palm trees.” The use in 1Macc 13:51 (cf. 2Macc 10:7) is in the account of Simon‘s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Bernard notes that to carry palms was a mark of triumphant homage to a victor or a king (Revelation 7:9). Palm trees grew on the Mount of Olives (Mark 11:8) on the road from Bethany to Jerusalem. The crowds (one in front and one behind, Mark 11:9; Matthew 21:9; John 2:18) cut the branches as they came (Matthew 21:8). To meet him Literally, for a meeting It was a scene of growing excitement. And cried out Imperfect active of κραυγαζω — kraugazō old and rare verb (from κραυγη — kraugē) as in Matthew 12:19; John 19:15. Hosannah Transliteration of the Hebrew word meaning “Save now.” The lxx renders it by Σωσον δη — Sōson dē (Save now). Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord Perfect passive participle of ευλογεω — eulogeō Quotation from Psalm 118:25., written, some think, for the dedication of the second temple, or, as others think, for the feast of tabernacles after the return (Ezra 3:1.). It was sung in the processional recitation then as a welcome to the worshippers. Here the words are addressed to the Messiah as is made plain by the addition of the words, “even the king of Israel” Jesus is here hailed by the multitudes as the long-looked for Messiah of Jewish hope and he allows them so to greet him (Luke 19:38-40), a thing that he prevented a year before in Galilee (John 6:14.). It is probable that “in the name of the Lord” should be taken with “blessed” as in Deuteronomy 21:5; 2 Samuel 6:18; 1 Kings 22:16; 2 Kings 2:24. The Messiah was recognized by Martha as the Coming One (John 11:27) and is so described by the Baptist (Matthew 11:3). Mark (Mark 11:10) adds “the kingdom that cometh” while Luke (John 19:38) has “the king that cometh.” “It was this public acclamation of Jesus as King of Israel or King of the Jews which was the foundation of the charge made against him before Pilate (John 18:33)” (Bernard). [source]

What do the individual words in Matthew 21:8 mean?

The now very great crowd spread their the cloaks on the road others were cutting down branches from the trees and were spreading [them]
δὲ πλεῖστος ὄχλος ἔστρωσαν ἑαυτῶν τὰ ἱμάτια ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ ἄλλοι ἔκοπτον κλάδους ἀπὸ τῶν δένδρων καὶ ἐστρώννυον

δὲ  now 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
πλεῖστος  very  great 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular, Superlative
Root: πολύς  
Sense: most.
ὄχλος  crowd 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: ὄχλος  
Sense: a crowd.
ἔστρωσαν  spread 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: στρώννυμι 
Sense: to spread.
ἱμάτια  cloaks 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Neuter Plural
Root: ἱμάτιον  
Sense: a garment (of any sort).
ὁδῷ  road 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: ὁδός 
Sense: properly.
ἄλλοι  others 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: ἄλλος  
Sense: another, other.
ἔκοπτον  were  cutting  down 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: κόπτω  
Sense: to cut, strike, smite.
κλάδους  branches 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Plural
Root: κλάδος  
Sense: a young tender shoot, broken off for grafting.
δένδρων  trees 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Neuter Plural
Root: δένδρον  
Sense: a tree.
ἐστρώννυον  were  spreading  [them] 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: στρώννυμι 
Sense: to spread.

What are the major concepts related to Matthew 21:8?

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