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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Mar_11:15-18
15Then they came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began to drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who were selling doves; 16and He would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple. 17And He began to teach and say to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'? But you have made it a robbers' den." 18The chief priests and the scribes heard this, and began seeking how to destroy Him; for they were afraid of Him, for the whole crowd was astonished at His teaching.
Mar_11:15 "entered the temple" This refers specifically to the court of the Gentiles where the merchants had their booths (those booths were owned by the family of the High Priests). John's Gospel records an earlier cleansing (cf. Joh_2:13 ff). Jesus was not always the mild-mannered man we think!
This act challenged the Sadducees' authority as the pilgrims' acts and words at the triumphant entry challenged the Pharisees. These acts doomed Jesus to death (cf. Mar_11:18).
▣ "began to drive out those who were buying and selling" This may be an allusion to Zec_14:21, "there will no longer be a Canaanite (i.e., merchant) in the house of the Lord of hosts on that day."
▣ "those who were buying and selling" These merchants represented the High Priest's family, who had purchased both the priesthood and the concession rights from Rome (i.e., at least from a.d. 30 on. I think Jesus was crucified in a.d. 34).
▣ "the money changers" The temple tax was ½ shekel (cf. Exo_30:13). In Jesus' day the only shekel was a Tyrian shekel. The pilgrims were charged 1/24 of a shekel to exchange their currency.
▣ "those who were selling doves" A dove was the sacrifice for the poor, lepers, and women. The normal price was tripled at these booths. Even when the pilgrims brought their own sacrificial animals from home, the priest would regularly find some fault in them and demand that they purchase another animal.
Mar_11:16 "would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple" This phrase is unique to Mark. The Court of the Gentiles had become a shortcut between the city and the Mount of Olives. It had lost its distinctive religious purpose as a place for the nations to come to YHWH.
Mar_11:17 "'my house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'" This is a quote from Isa_56:7. It shows the universal love of God. Matthew, writing to Jews, leaves off this last phrase.
▣ "'it a robbers' den'" This is a quote from Jeremiah's famous temple sermon that dealt with faithless ritual and religious superstition (cf. Jer_7:11). In the name of religion, larger profits were being made at the expense of a place of quietness and prayer for the Gentiles. The term "robbers" can mean "insurrectionists."
Mar_11:18 "The chief priests and the scribes" Wealthy families controlled the office of High Priest. This was no longer a family position related to Aaron, but an office sold by the Romans to the highest bidder.
▣ "scribes" This category of leaders began with Ezra. In Jesus' day most of them were Pharisees. They interpreted the practical aspects of the Law for the common person, especially from the Oral Tradition (i.e., Talmud). This group is similar in function to the modern rabbi. See Special Topic at Mar_2:6.
▣ "began seeking how to destroy Him" This is an imperfect tense. It could mean "began" (cf. NASB, TEV), but it could also imply that they sought over and over again from this point on to kill Jesus (cf. NRSV).
All the verbs in Mar_11:18 are imperfects, referring to actions started and continued through this last week of Jesus' life. Recurrent patterns begin to emerge. The Triumphal Entry and the cleansing of the temple sealed Jesus' doom, as He knew it would.