Jesus Cleanses the Temple a Second Time
Matthew 21:12–17
12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.
15 And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased,
16 And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?
17 And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.
Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote:
“Near the beginning of His public ministry, at the time of the Passover, Jesus had gained general attention by driving from the temple those who made merchandise in His Father’s house [see John 2:13–17]. Now, during the last week of His mortal ministry, quoting what He Himself as the Lord Jehovah had said through Isaiah, ‘Mine house shall be called an house of prayer’ [see Isaiah 56:7], He again exercised His divine prerogative to cleanse that which was both His and His Father’s.
“Then, having with physical force driven the wicked from the holy sanctuary, He remained to heal, teach, and receive again from believing disciples a renewal of the same acclaim, hosannas, and vocal acceptance of His divine Sonship, as He previously accepted while entering Jerusalem in triumph.”
(Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. [1965–73], 1:584–85.)
