John 12:15
in John 12“Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion. See, your King is coming, seated on the colt of a donkey.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Fear not, daughter of Zion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass’s colt.
KJV
Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass’s colt.
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This verse in John 12
Commentary
16 notes on this verseZechariah gave this prophecy after the return from Babylon toward the conclusion of prophecy. But there is no record of a Jewish king since that time, such as the prophecy predicts, except our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, in whom this prediction was fulfilled.… But what was his riding on a donkey meant to show but the lowly and humble manner that marked his first coming?
This site's exposition
the great crowd that had come to the feast
on John 12:12-15
The crowd carried palm branches out of the city and shouted Hosanna, the Hebrew cry save now. Blessed is He who comes is Psalm 118:26, sung by pilgrims going to the feast, and Jesus answered it by sitting on a young donkey. Zechariah 9:9 had already given the picture.
This site's exposition
Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion
Do not be afraid stands where the prophet says rejoice. Chrysostom explains the comfort to the Daughter of Zion, for most of her kings had been unjust, and her King now comes gentle. Eusebius holds that Jesus alone fits the prophecy.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers5 voices
(Tr. li. 5) John relates the matter briefly, the other Evangelists are more full. The ass, we read in them, was the foal of an ass on which no man had sat: i. e. the Gentile world, who had not received our Lord. The other ass, which was brought, (not the foal, for there were two,) is the believing Jew. (Tr. li) This act of our Lord's is pointed to in the Prophets, though the malignant rulers of the Jews did not see in it any fulfilment of prophecy: As it is written, Fear not, daughter of Sion, behold thy King cometh sitting on an ass's colt. Yea, in that nation though reprobate, though blind, there remained still the daughter of Sion; even Jerusalem. To her it is said, Fear not, acknowledge Him whom thou praisest, and tremble not when He suffers. That blood it is which shall wipe away thy sins, and redeem thy life.
Jesus, then, "found a young ass, and sat thereon; as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Zion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt." Among that people, then, was the daughter of Zion to be found; for Zion is the same as Jerusalem. Among that very people, I say, reprobate and blind as they were, was the daughter of Zion, to whom it was said, "Fear not, daughter of Zion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt." This daughter of Zion, who was thus divinely addressed, was amongst those sheep that were hearing the Shepherd's voice, and in that multitude which was celebrating the Lord's coming with such religious zeal, and accompanying Him in such warlike array. To her was it said, "Fear not:" acknowledge Him whom thou art now extolling, and give not way to fear when He comes to suffering; for by the shedding of His blood is thy guilt to be blotted out, and thy life restored. But by the ass's colt, on which no man had ever sat (for so it is found recorded in the other evangelists), we are to understand the Gentile nations which had not received the law of the Lord; by the ass, on the other hand (for both animals were brought to the Lord), that people of His which came of the nation of Israel, and was already so far subdued as to recognize its Master's crib.
And this He did, figuring one prophecy and fulfilling another; and the same act was the beginning of the one and the end of the other. For the, "Rejoice, for thy King cometh unto thee meek," belonged to Him as fulfilling a prophecy, but the sitting upon an ass was the act of one prefiguring a future event, that He was about to have the impure race of the Gentiles subject to Him.
But how say the others, that He sent disciples, and said, "Loose the ass and the colt," while John saith nothing of the kind, but that "having found a young ass, He sat upon it"? Because it is likely that both circumstances took place, and that He after the ass was loosed, while the disciples were bringing it, found the colt, and sat upon it.
"Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion"? Because all their kings had for the most part been an unjust and covetous kind of men, and had given them over to their enemies, and had perverted the people, and made them subject to their foes; "Be of good courage," It saith, "this is not such an one, but meek and gentle"; as is shown by the ass, for He entered not with an army in His train, but having an ass alone.
8 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church3 voices
In this circumstance He was also fulfilling the prophecy of Zechariah, who said: "Fear not, daughter of Zion! Behold, your King comes to you, sitting on a young donkey" (Zech. 9:9). Since the kings of Jerusalem were, for the most part, unjust and greedy, the …
Fear not, daughter of Sion, that is, the Church: he says less and means more, that is, rejoice: in the ninth chapter of Zechariah: "Rejoice greatly, daughter of Sion; shout for joy, daughter of Jerusalem." And the reason for rejoicing is given: Behold, your king …
When the Evangelist says, as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Zion! he cites the prophesy which was written in Zechariah (9:9). First, he reassures them; secondly, he promises a kingly majesty; and thirdly, he adds the benefit which the king will bring. He …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
It was foretold that Zion's king should come, should come thus, sitting on an ass's colt; even this minute circumstance was foretold, and Christ took care it should be punctually fulfilled. Note, (1.) Christ is Zion's king; the holy hill of Zion was of old destined to be the metropolis or royal city of the Messiah.
These things his disciples understood not at first - The design of God's providential dispensations is seldom understood at first. We ought therefore to believe, though we understand not, and to give ourselves up to the Divine disposal. The great work of faith is, to embrace those things which we knew not now, but shall know hereafter.
Fear not, daughter of Zion,.... But rejoice; see Zec 9:9 and See Gill on Mat 21:5.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1869)
A careful reader of the Gospels can hardly fail to observe that our Lord Jesus Christ's conduct, at this stage of His earthly ministry, is very peculiar. It is unlike anything else recorded of Him in the New Testament. Hitherto we have seen Him withdrawing as much as possible from public notice, retiring into the wilderness, and checking those who would have brought Him forward and made Him a king. As a rule He did not court popular attention. He did not "cry or strive, or cause His voice to be heard in the streets." (Matt. 12:19.)
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1869)
proposed
A careful reader of the Gospels can hardly fail to observe that our Lord Jesus Christ's conduct, at this stage of His earthly ministry, is very peculiar. It is unlike anything else recorded of Him in the New Testament. Hitherto we have seen Him withdrawing as much as possible from public notice, retiring into the wilderness, and checking those who would have brought Him forward and made Him a king. As a rule He did not court popular attention. He did not "cry or strive, or cause His voice to be heard in the streets." (Matt. 12:19.) Here, on the contrary, we see Him making a public entry into Jerusalem, attended by an immense crowd of people, and causing even the Pharisees to say, "Behold, the world has gone after Him." The explanation of this apparent inconsistency is not hard to find out. The time had come at last when Christ was to die for the sins of the world. The time had come when the true passover Lamb was to be slain, when the true blood of atonement was to be shed, when Messiah was to be "cut off" according to prophecy, (Dan. 9:26,) when the way into the holiest was to be opened by the true High Priest to all mankind. Knowing all this, our Lord purposely drew attention to Himself. Knowing this, He placed Himself prominently under the notice of the whole Jewish nation. It was only fit and right that this thing should not be "done in a corner." (Acts 26:26.) If ever there was a transaction in our Lord's earthly ministry which was public , it was the Sacrifice which He offered up on the cross of Calvary. He died at the time of year when all the tribes were assembled at Jerusalem for the passover feast. Nor was this all. He died in a week when, by His remarkable public entry into Jerusalem, He had caused the eyes of all Israel to be specially fixed upon Himself. We learn, for one thing, in these verses, how entirely VOLUNTARY the sufferings of Christ were.
The words behind it
13 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| μὴ | me | Not | G3361 → | 1066 times |
| φοβοῦ | phobou | do fear | G5399 → | 95 times |
| θυγάτηρ | thugater | daughter | G2364 → | |
| Σιών· | sion | of Zion; | G4622 → | |
| ἰδοὺ | idou | Behold | G2400 → | 200 times |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| βασιλεύς | basileus | King | G935 → | 114 times |
| σου | sou | of you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| ἔρχεται | erchetai | comes | G2064 → | 628 times |
| καθήμενος | kathemenos | sitting | G2521 → | 91 times |
| ἐπὶ | epi | on | G1909 → | 883 times |
| πῶλον | polon | a colt | G4454 → | |
| ὄνου. | onou | of a donkey. | G3688 → |
μὴNot
meG3361 →1066 times
φοβοῦdo fear
phobouG5399 →95 times
θυγάτηρdaughter
thugaterG2364 →
Σιών·of Zion;
sionG4622 →
ἰδοὺBehold
idouG2400 →200 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
βασιλεύςKing
basileusG935 →114 times
σουof you
souG4771 →2973 times
ἔρχεταιcomes
erchetaiG2064 →628 times
καθήμενοςsitting
kathemenosG2521 →91 times
ἐπὶon
epiG1909 →883 times
πῶλονa colt
polonG4454 →
ὄνου.of a donkey.
onouG3688 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 62:11Behold, the LORD has proclaimed to the ends of the earth, “Say to Daughter Zion: See, your Savior comes! Look, His reward is with Him, and His recompense goes before Him.”
it leads to
- Zechariah 9:9
Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your King comes to you, righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of…
- Matthew 21:5
“Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your King comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
- Revelation 22:12
“Behold, I am coming soon, and My reward is with Me, to give to each one according to what he has done.
- Isaiah 40:9–10
Go up on a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news. Raise your voice loudly, O Jerusalem, herald of good news. Lift it up, do not be afraid! Say to the cities of…
- Romans 10:11–18
It is just as the Scripture says: “Anyone who believes in Him will never be put to shame.”
- Zechariah 9:9
Through
Zechariah 9:9Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O Daughter of Jerusalem! See, your King comes to you, righteous and victorious, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of…
it leads to
- Matthew 21:4–7
This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
- Zephaniah 3:14–15
Sing for joy, O Daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O Daughter of Jerusalem!
- John 12:13–16
They took palm branches and went out to meet Him, shouting: “Hosanna!” “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the King of Israel!”
- Matthew 21:4–7
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies22
About John
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on 14 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Augustine of Hippo, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Augustine of Hippo, Tractates on John 51; Bonaventure, Commentary on John, Chapter 12; Eusebius of Caesarea, PROOF OF THE GOSPEL 9.17; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: John (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of John; John Chrysostom, Homily on the Gospel of John 66; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); John Lightfoot, Horae Hebraicae et Talmudicae on John; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on John and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on John.