Attributed commentary excerpt
John Gill's Exposition on Matthew 21:8
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Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.
And a very great multitude, etc.] Which consisted partly of the great multitude which followed Christ from Jericho, and partly of the much people that were come up to the feast of the passover from divers parts, and met him from Jerusalem; (see <431212>John 12:12,13). These, many of them, for it cannot be thought to be done by them all, spread their garments in the way; either in the middle of the road, instead of carpets, to ride upon; the Persic version adds, “that he might pass over them”: this they did, in honour to him as a king. So when Jehu declared to the princes of Israel, that he was anointed king of Israel, they hastened, and took every man his garment, and put it under him, (<120913>2 Kings 9:13) that is, to tread upon; though the Jewish writers f1087 say, it was done that he might be higher than them all, suitable to the dignity of a king: and it is reported f1088 of Cato Uticensis, the emperor, that his soldiers strewed their garments for him to walk upon: or these garments were spread by the way side. Dr. Lightfoot conjectures, that little tents might be raised by them along the road, upon which they spread their garments to make a show, in imitation of the feast of tabernacles, to which there is a very great resemblance in many things which occur in this account; when they used to spread linen cloth, garments, and fruits, over their booths, for decoration and ornament; as appears from their traditions about these things: “ˆyds hyl[ sryp, “if a man spreads a linen cloth over it”, (his booth,) because of the sun, or under it, because of the falling of leaves, etc. or spreads it over a canopy, it is not right; but he may spread it over the bedposts f1089.” That is, for ornament, as the commentators observe f1090. Again, “dgb hyl[ çrp, if a man spreads a garment over it, (his booth,) or if he spreads it under it, because of what falls it is not right; but if he spreads it so as that it is, htwanl, “for ornament”, it is right; and so if he covers it according to the tradition of it, and encompasses it with various kinds of fruits, and precious things, and vessels which hang upon it, whether on its walls, or on its covering, so they be for ornament, it is right f1091.” In like manner, the multitude might hang their garments, to make the show the greater, either on such booths, or on the houses and trees, that were upon the road, as they went along. Others cut down branches from the trees; from the olive trees, as the Persic version expresses it, which grew in great plenty hereabout; and also from the palm trees, the branches of which, with the boughs of other trees, were what the Jews used to carry in their hands on the feast of tabernacles; (see <032340>Leviticus 23:40) and the Evangelist John expressly says, that the people which met Christ from Jerusalem at this time, did take branches of palm trees in their hands, (<431213>John 12:13). And though this was not the time of the feast of tabernacles, but of the passover, yet it was common with the Jews to signify their joy upon any occasion, by such ways and methods they used at that least: so upon the cleansing of the tower of Jerusalem, by Simon Maccabeus, the Jews entered into it with thanksgiving, and branches of palm trees: “And entered into it the three and twentieth day of the second month in the hundred seventy and first year, with thanksgiving, and branches of palm trees, and with harps, and cymbals, and with viols, and hymns, and songs: because there was destroyed…
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