Matthew 7:27

7:27 The rain fell, the flood came, and the winds beat against that house, and it collapsed; it was utterly destroyed!” 1 

Matthew 10:13

10:13 And if the house is worthy, let your peace come on it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 2 

Matthew 21:13

21:13 And he said to them, “It is written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ 3  but you are turning it into a den 4  of robbers!” 5 

1 tn Grk “and great was its fall.”

2 sn The response to these messengers determines how God’s blessing is bestowed – if the messengers are not welcomed, their blessing will return to them. Jesus shows just how important their mission is by this remark.

3 sn A quotation from Isa 56:7.

4 tn Or “a hideout” (see L&N 1.57).

5 sn A quotation from Jer 7:11. The meaning of Jesus’ statement about making the temple courts a den of robbers probably operates here at two levels. Not only were the religious leaders robbing the people financially, but because of this they had also robbed them spiritually by stealing from them the opportunity to come to know God genuinely. It is possible that these merchants had recently been moved to this location for convenience.