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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Mar_11:1-10
1 As they approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples, 2and said to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, on which no one yet has ever sat; untie it and bring it here. 3If anyone says to you, 'Why are you doing this?' you say, 'The Lord has need of it'; and immediately he will send it back here." 4They went away and found a colt tied at the door, outside in the street; and they untied it. 5Some of the bystanders were saying to them, "What are you doing, untying the colt?" 6They spoke to them just as Jesus had told them, and they gave them permission. 7They brought the colt to Jesus and put their coats on it; and He sat on it. 8And many spread their coats in the road, and others spread leafy branches which they had cut from the fields. 9Those who went in front and those who followed were shouting: "Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; 10Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David; Hosanna in the highest!"
Mar_11:1 "Bethphage" The name means "house of figs" or "place of unripe figs." It was located on the ridge overlooking Jerusalem called the Mount of Olives. In rabbinical literature it is a suburb of Jerusalem. It was close to the major road from Jericho, which the pilgrims used.
▣ "Bethany" The name means "house of dates." Joh_11:18 says it is two miles southeast of Jerusalem on the road to Jericho and it was the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. During the three major annual feast days (cf. Leviticus 23) everyone around Jerusalem shared their homes with pilgrims. Jesus stayed here when He was in Jerusalem (cf. Mar_11:11; Mat_21:17).
▣ "near the Mount of Olives" These two small villages were located on the same ridge (about 2.5 miles long) that is known as "the Mount of Olives."
▣ "He sent two of His disciples" Possibly Peter was one of them and recalled this event to John Mark.
Mar_11:2 "immediately" See note at Mar_1:10.
▣ "colt" This incident is prophetic fulfillment (cf. Gen_49:11; Zec_9:9). Donkeys were the common mounts of Jewish kings (this is also mentioned in the Mari Tablets and the Sumerian Gilgamesh Epic). This young donkey would fulfill the kingly prophecies (only the king rode on his donkey, this young donkey had never been ridden), but would also communicate that He came in peace. At the Second Coming the Lord will appear on a white charger as King of Kings and Judge of the universe (cf. Rev_19:11-16). The rabbis recognized these Messianic prophesies and said if Israel was worthy, even for one day, that the Messiah would come on the clouds of glory, but if not, He would still come one day on a donkey.
▣ "'no one yet has ever sat'" The royal donkey was ridden by no one but the king. An example of this powerful symbol is seen when Solomon rides David's donkey (cf. 1Ki_1:33).
Mar_11:3 "if" This is a third class conditional sentence, which speaks of potential action.
▣ "'The Lord has need of it'" It is often hard to determine in the Gospel accounts whether Jesus is using His prophetic insight or has personally prearranged some events (cf. Mar_14:12-16).
This is a rare use in Mark of kurios as a title applied to Jesus (cf. Mar_7:28; Mar_11:3). Since the word can mean "master" or "owner," it may refer to the owner of the colt. However, the context implies it refers to Jesus. The theological significance would be that this is the OT way of referring to YHWH (cf. Mar_11:9) by the name Adon, which means "owner," "master," "lord," or "husband" in Hebrew.
▣ "and immediately he will send it back here" It is uncertain whether this is a comment by the disciples about the colt or part of Jesus' message. There are several Greek manuscript variants because of the ambiguity of the phrase.
Mar_11:5 "Some of the bystanders" The parallel in Luk_19:33 has "owners."
Mar_11:7 "put their coats on it" The coats functioned as a cushion or riding blanket. Their colors may have given a festive or parade look (i.e., royal procession).
Mar_11:8 "many spread their coats in the road" Who does the "many" refer to? If to the disciples, then this is a gesture of Jesus' kingship (cf. 2Ki_9:13). If to the townspeople of Jerusalem one is surprised that they did this every year because of the damage caused by a donkey walking on clothing on a hard road. Possibly they had heard of Jesus and recognized His uniqueness.
▣ "others spread leafy branches" Joh_12:13 states that they were palm branches which grew on the Mount of Olives (cf. Josephus). Apparently they were a sign of victory or triumph (cf. Rev_7:9). This ritual was performed each year by the residents of Jerusalem at the feasts of Tabernacles and Passover for the bands of pilgrims approaching the city. This year the significance of the approaching King was fulfilled.
Although this symbolic act was regularly done during the Feast of Tabernacles (cf. Lev_23:13-20), those branches were much larger than these. The branches used here were smaller and are comparable to the modern custom of spreading rose petals before a bride as she walks down the aisle. These three acts—(1) the coats on the animals, (2) the coats spread in the road, and (3) the branches spread in the road—show that they were honoring Jesus as the coming royal (cf. Psalms 2), Davidic (cf. 2 Samuel 7) Messiah.
Mar_11:9 "Those. . .shouting" Apparently the liturgy of Mar_11:9-10 was part of the annual festivals. They had significant nationalistic implications (i.e., this may have been an Aramaic idiom for "royal power to"). However, since they were repeated every year, the Romans were not threatened by them. This year they uniquely found fulfillment in Jesus of Nazareth. What had been liturgy was now revelation!
▣ "'Hosanna'" The Hebrew idiom means "welcome Him." It was part of the Hallel Psa_118:25, which was quoted every year as the pilgrims came to Jerusalem. It literally meant "save now" (cf. 2Sa_14:4; 2Ki_6:16), but had become a standard greeting.
▣ "'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the lord'" This is a quote from Psa_118:26. This was one of the Hallel Psalms (113-118) quoted at the Feast of Passover. Psalms 118 had powerful Messianic implications (cf. Mar_11:22). The parallel in Luk_19:38 has "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord." This annual ritual liturgy has become fulfilled prophecy!
Mar_11:10 "'the coming kingdom of our father David'" This has nationalistic implications (cf. 2 Samuel 7; Hos_3:5). One wonders whether this was a regular litany every year or was added to specifically refer to Jesus. This may have been a reference to Zec_9:9. Mat_21:5 states this prophecy directly. The parallel in Luk_19:39 shows the intense anger of the Pharisees when these phrases were directly attributed to Jesus.
▣ "'Hosanna in the highest'" This idiom could mean (1) praise to God in heaven or (2) may the God in heaven save Him (i.e., Jesus).