John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 2. Saying unto them, go into the village over against you , etc.] Munsters Hebrew Gospel reads, before you; not Jerusalem, as some have thought, for that would never be called a village; though the Ethiopic version reads it, the city; but rather Bethany, which was near to Bethphage, and is mentioned with it; though the Jews say f1079 , the name of the village was Nob, and was near to Jerusalem, and own, that Christ had an ass from hence, on which he rode to Jerusalem, and applied to himself the prophecy in ( Zechariah 9:9). And it is very likely this was the village; for Nob was very near to Jerusalem; it was over against it, within sight of it, and from thence might be taken a view of the whole city, according to the Jews; who say f1080 , that Sennacherib stood in Nob, a city of the priests, over against the walls of Jerusalem, and saw the whole city, and it was little in his eyes; and he said; is not this the city of Jerusalem, etc. and straightway , or, as in Mark, as soon as ye be entered into it; and in Luke, at your entering, at the towns end, at one of the first houses in it, at the door thereof, ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her . The other evangelists only make mention of the colt, or young ass; but, no doubt, both were spoken of by Christ, and both were found by the disciples, the ass, and the colt by her, and both were brought away by them; and on both of them, very probably, Christ rode; first on one, and then on the other, as the prophecy hereby fulfilled seems to require, and as the sequel of the account shows.
The ancient allegorical sense of the ass and colt is not to be despised: that the ass may signify the Jews, who had been used to bear the burdensome rites and ceremonies of the law; and the colt, the wild and untamed Gentiles, and the coming of Christ, first to the one, and then to the other: loose them, and bring them unto me , both ass and colt. So the Arabic version reads it, loose both, and bring them, both to me.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-11 - This coming of Christ was described by the prophet Zechariah, Zec 9:9 When Christ would appear in his glory, it is in his meekness, not in his majesty, in mercy to work salvation. As meekness and outwar poverty were fully seen in Zion's King, and marked his triumpha entrance to Jerusalem, how wrong covetousness, ambition, and the prid of life must be in Zion's citizens! They brought the ass, but Jesus di not use it without the owner's consent. The trappings were such as cam to hand. We must not think the clothes on our backs too dear to par with for the service of Christ. The chief priests and the elder afterwards joined with the multitude that abused him upon the cross but none of them joined the multitude that did him honour. Those tha take Christ for their King, must lay their all under his feet. Hosann signifies, Save now, we beseech thee! Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord! But of how little value is the applause of the people! The changing multitude join the cry of the day, whether it be Hosanna, or Crucify him. Multitudes often seem to approve the gospel but few become consistent disciples. When Jesus was come into Jerusale all the city was moved; some perhaps were moved with joy, who waite for the Consolation of Israel; others, of the Pharisees, were move with envy. So various are the motions in the minds of men upon the approach of Christ's kingdom.
Greek Textus Receptus
λεγων 3004 5723 V-PAP-NSM αυτοις 846 P-DPM πορευθητε 4198 5680 V-AOS-2P εις 1519 PREP την 3588 T-ASF κωμην 2968 N-ASF την 3588 T-ASF απεναντι 561 ADV υμων 5216 P-2GP και 2532 CONJ ευθεως 2112 ADV ευρησετε 2147 5692 V-FAI-2P ονον 3688 N-ASF δεδεμενην 1210 5772 V-RPP-ASF και 2532 CONJ πωλον 4454 N-ASM μετ 3326 PREP αυτης 846 P-GSF λυσαντες 3089 5660 V-AAP-NPM αγαγετε 71 5628 V-2AAM-2P μοι 3427 P-1DS
Vincent's NT Word Studies
2. A colt with her. The Lord does not separate the colt from its dam.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
21:2 {Into the village that is over against you} (eis ten kwmen ten katenanti h-mwn). Another use of eis. If it means "into" as translated, it could be Bethany right across the valley and this is probably the idea. {And a colt with her} (kai p"lon met' autes). The young of any animal. Here to come with the mother and the more readily so.
