among the Gentiles. This acted against YHWH's Temple being a house of prayer for them; in fact, keeping
salvation from the Gentiles.
As Paul similarly wrote of some of his fellow Jews:
(23) ―Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?
(24) For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.‘ (Rom 2:23-24)
The Money changers
It is a tax imposed by the Romans. The tax-gatherers were termed ―publicans‖ (Matt 5:46-47, 9:10-11, 19
and 21:31-32) who had their stations at the gates of cities and in the public highways at the place called the
―receipt of custom" (Mark 2:14). This is where they collected the money that was to be paid on certain goods
(Matt 17:25). These publicans were tempted to exact more from the people than was lawful; and as a result
of their extortions, they were objects of great hatred. The Pharisees would have no interactions with them
(Matt 5:46-47).
Every adult Jew annually paid a tax or tribute of half a shekel for the Temple. It had to be paid in Jewish coin
(Matt 22:17-19; Mark 12:14-15). Money-changers were necessary to enable the Jews who came up to
Jerusalem at the feasts to exchange their foreign coin for Jewish money; but as it was forbidden by the law
to carry on such a traffic for emolument (Negative Law 100 Deut 23:19: Offer not on Altar "hire of harlot" or
"price of dog"), Y‘shua drove them from the Temple (Matt 21:12; Mark 11:15).
The Messenger of the CovenantFrom the Hebrew Scriptures:―Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek,
shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall
come, saith the LORD of hosts.‖ (Mal 3:1)
From the Rabbinic writings:
―The LORD is the King Messiah; He is also the Angel of the Covenant.‖ (Rabbi David Kimchi)
―The LORD is both the Divine majesty and the Angel of the Covenant, for the sentence is doubled.‖ (Rabbi
Aben Ezra)
―The LORD may be explained of King Messiah‖ (Mashimiah Jeshua fol. 76)
―What is to be the manner of Messiah‘s coming, and where will be the place of his first appearance? He will
make his first appearance in the land of Israel, as it is written, ̳The Lord whom ye seek will come suddenly to
His Temple‘.‖ (Rabbi Moses ben Maimon)
From the New Covenant:―For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy
way before thee.‖ (Matt 11:10)
―(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.‖ (Matt 21:12-
13)
21:16-18 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?―(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. (18) Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he
hungered.‖ (Matt 21:16-18)
Y‘shua quotes Psalm 8, which is highly Messianic in its nature; thus, offering the people a "hint" as to who
He was:
(1) ―O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the
heavens.
(2) Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that
thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.