Mark 11:16
in Mark 11And He would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and he would not suffer that any man should carry a vessel through the temple.
KJV
And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.
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This verse in Mark 11
Commentary
13 notes on this verse(ubi sup.) He speaks of those vessels which were carried there for the purpose of merchandise.
This site's exposition
began to drive out those who were buying and selling there
on Mark 11:15-17
The trade filled the Court of the Gentiles, the space set aside for the nations to pray. His words join Isaiah's house of prayer for all the nations to Jeremiah's den of robbers.
This site's exposition
carry merchandise through the temple courts
Matthew Henry records a Jewish rule that no one should carry a load through the temple courts or use them as a road. Jesus held the temple to its own rule. Clarke notes that the word Mark uses could name anything used for buying and selling there.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church3 voices
And He would not allow anyone to carry vessels through the temple. He speaks of those vessels which were brought in for the sake of trading. Moreover, far be it that the Lord would cast out from the temple the vessels dedicated to God, or …
He calls moneychangers, changers of a particular sort of money, for the word means a small brass coin. There follows, and the seats of them that sold doves. But if a man by sinning gives up to the devil the grace and purity of baptism, he has sold his Dove, and for this reason is cast out of the temple. There follows, And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. Further, He calls the temple, a den of thieves, on account of the money gained there; for thieves always troop together for gain. Since then they sold those animals which were offered in sacrifice for the sake of gain, He called them thieves. Which also turns to the greater condemnation of the Jews, because though the Lord did this so many times, nevertheless they did not correct their conduct.
John also narrates the expulsion of the money changers by Jesus, but he speaks of this at the beginning of the Gospel, whereas this one (Mark) speaks of it toward the end. Therefore one must think that this (latter) expulsion was the second, which serves …
The Reformation1 voice
There is a wide difference, indeed, between prayer and fastings Prayer holds the first rank among the antics of piety: but fasting is a doubtful operation, and does not, like alms, belong to the class of those actions which God requires and approves.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
The Jews owned that it was one of the instances of honour due to the temple, not to make the mountain of the house, or the court of the Gentiles, a road, or common passage, or to come into it with any bundle. He gave a good reason for this; because it was written, My house shall be called of all nations, The house of prayer,
5 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And would not suffer that any man,....
His discourse with his disciples concerning the power of faith and the efficacy of prayer, on occasion of the withering of the fig-tree he cursed,
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
Should carry any vessel - Among the Jews the word כלי keli, vessel, had a vast latitude of meaning; it signified arms, Jer 21:4; Eze 9:1; clothes, Deu 22:5, and instruments of music, Psa 71:22. It is likely that the evangelist uses the Greek word σκευος in the same sense, and by it points out any of the things which were bought and sold in the temple.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
proposed
We see in the beginning of this passage, one of the many proofs that our Lord Jesus Christ was really man . We read that "He was hungry." He had a nature and bodily constitution, like our own in all things, sin only excepted. He could weep, and rejoice, and suffer pain. He could be weary and need rest. He could be thirsty, and need drink. He could be hungry, and need food. Expressions like this should teach us the condescension of Christ. How wonderful they are when we reflect upon them!
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
proposed
We see in the beginning of this passage, one of the many proofs that our Lord Jesus Christ was really man . We read that "He was hungry." He had a nature and bodily constitution, like our own in all things, sin only excepted. He could weep, and rejoice, and suffer pain. He could be weary and need rest. He could be thirsty, and need drink. He could be hungry, and need food. Expressions like this should teach us the condescension of Christ. How wonderful they are when we reflect upon them! He who is the eternal God — He who made the world and all that it contains — He from whose hand the fruits of the earth, the fish of the sea, the fowls of the air, the beasts of the field, all had their beginning — He, even He was pleased to suffer hunger, when He came into the world to save sinners. This is a great mystery. Kindness and love like this pass man's understanding. No wonder that Paul speaks of the "unsearchable riches of Christ." (Ephes. 3:8.) Expressions like this should teach us Christ's power to sympathize with His believing people on earth. He knows their sorrows by experience. He can be touched with the feeling of their infirmities. He has had experience of a body and its daily needs. He has allowed Himself the severe sufferings that the body of man is liable to. He has tasted pain, and weakness, and weariness, and hunger, and thirst. When we tell Him of these things in our prayers, He knows what we mean, and is no stranger to our troubles. Surely this is just the Savior and Friend that poor aching, groaning, human nature requires! We learn, in the second place, from these verses, the great danger of unfruitfulness and formality in religion . This is a lesson which our Lord teaches in a remarkable typical action.
The words behind it
10 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| οὐκ | ouk | not | G3756 → | 1664 times |
| ἤφιεν | ephien | He was permiting | G863 → | 143 times |
| ἵνα | ina | that | G2443 → | 668 times |
| τις | tis | anyone | G5100 → | 528 times |
| διενέγκῃ | dienegke | may carry | G1308 → | |
| σκεῦος | skeuos | a vessel | G4632 → | |
| διὰ | dia | through | G1223 → | 664 times |
| τοῦ | tou | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἱεροῦ. | hi'erou | temple. | G2411 → | 70 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
οὐκnot
oukG3756 →1664 times
ἤφιενHe was permiting
ephienG863 →143 times
ἵναthat
inaG2443 →668 times
τιςanyone
tisG5100 →528 times
διενέγκῃmay carry
dienegkeG1308 →
σκεῦοςa vessel
skeuosG4632 →
διὰthrough
diaG1223 →664 times
τοῦthe
touG3588 →19766 times
ἱεροῦ.temple.
hi'erouG2411 →70 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
About Mark
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Gospels; Bede, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Bede, On the Gospel of Mark; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); John Calvin, Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists; John Calvin, Commentaries; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Theophylact of Ohrid, Catena Aurea by Aquinas and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Mark.