Mark 11:3
in Mark 11If anyone asks, ‘Why are you doing this?’ tell him, ‘The Lord needs it and will return it shortly.’”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And if any one say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye, The Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him back hither.
KJV
And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye that the Lord hath need of him; and straightway he will send him hither.
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This verse in Mark 11
Commentary
10 notes on this verse(Cat. in Marc. Oxon.) Not indeed that He was compelled by necessity to ride on a colt from the mount of Olives to Jerusalem, for He had gone over Judæa and all Galilee on foot, but this action of His is typical. It goes on: And many spread their garments in the way: that is, under the feet of the colt; and others cut down branches off the trees, and strawed them in the way. This, however, was rather done to honour Him, and as a Sacrament, than of necessity.
This site's exposition
Jesus sent out two of His disciples
on Mark 11:1-3
Jesus sent out two of His disciples with exact instructions, and the scene answers Zechariah 9:9 before any crowd gathers. His reply, The Lord needs it, lays claim to the colt in the name of the Lord.
This site's exposition
will return it shortly
Clarke reads the words will return it shortly as a promise from Jesus, so the colt was given for a time. Gill notes that anyone standing there would ask why they were untying it. Jesus gave the answer before the question came.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church2 voices
Now consider how many things the Lord foretold to His disciples, that they should find a colt; wherefore it goes on, And as soon as ye be entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon never man sat, loose him, and bring him; and that they should be impeded in taking it, wherefore there follows, And if any man say unto you, Why do ye this? say ye, The Lord hath need of him; and that on saying this, they should be allowed to take him; wherefore there follows, And straightway he will send him hither; and as the Lord had said, so it was fulfilled. Thus it goes on: And they went their way, and found the colt tied by the door without, in a place where two ways meet; and they loose him.
Jesus often came to Jerusalem at other times as well, but never with such glory as now. Before, on account of the envy of the Jews, He concealed Himself, but now, since the time of suffering determined by Him Himself had come, He goes openly, …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
8 ); for to him it is owing, and to his mediation, that we have any remaining benefit by the grant God made to man, of a sovereignty in this lower world, Gen. i. And perhaps Christ, in riding the ass's colt, would give a shadow of his power over the spirit of man, who is born as the wild ass's colt, Job xi. The colt was brought from a place where two ways met (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-citation-number
And if any man say unto you,.... As very likely they would, and it would be strange if they should not say something to them, especially the owners of it: why do ye this? Why do ye untie the ass, and attempt to carry it away, when it is none of your own, and it belongs to another man?
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
And straightway he will send him hither - From the text, I think it is exceedingly plain, that our Lord did not beg, but borrow, the colt; therefore the latter clause of this verse should be understood as the promise of returning him. Is not the proper translation the following? And if any one say to you, Why do ye this? Say, the Lord hath need of him, and will speedily send him back hither - και ευθεως αυτον αποστελλει ὡδε. Some eminent critics take the same view of the passage.
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
The event described in these verses, is a singular exception in the history of our Lord's earthly ministry. Generally speaking, we see Jesus withdrawing Himself from public notice — often passing His time in the remote parts of Galilee — not infrequently abiding in the wilderness — and so fulfilling the prophecy, that He should "not cry, nor strive, nor let His voice be heard in the streets." Here, and here only, our Lord appears to drop His private character, and of His own choice to call public attention to Himself.
A commentator
J.C. Ryle1816–1900
Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition) (1857)
proposed
The event described in these verses, is a singular exception in the history of our Lord's earthly ministry. Generally speaking, we see Jesus withdrawing Himself from public notice — often passing His time in the remote parts of Galilee — not infrequently abiding in the wilderness — and so fulfilling the prophecy, that He should "not cry, nor strive, nor let His voice be heard in the streets." Here, and here only, our Lord appears to drop His private character, and of His own choice to call public attention to Himself. He deliberately makes a public entry into Jerusalem, at the head of His disciples. He voluntarily rides into the holy city, surrounded by a vast multitude, crying, Hosanna, like king David returning to his palace in triumph. (2 Sam. 19:40.) All this too was done at a time when myriads of Jews were gathered out of every land to Jerusalem, to keep the Passover. We may well believe that the holy city rang with the tidings of our Lord's arrival. It is probable there was not a house in Jerusalem in which the entry of the prophet of Nazareth was not known and talked of that night. These things should always be remembered in reading this portion of our Lord's history. It is not for nothing that this entry into Jerusalem is four times related in the New Testament. It is evident that it is a scene in the earthly life of Jesus, which Christians are intended to study with special attention. Let us study it in that spirit, and see what practical lessons we may learn from the passage for our own souls. Let us observe, in the first place, how public our Lord purposely made the last act of His life. He came to Jerusalem to die, and He desired that all Jerusalem should know it. When He taught the deep things of the Spirit, He often spoke to none but His apostles. When He delivered His parables, He often addressed none but a multitude of poor and ignorant Galileans.
The words behind it
20 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 |
| ἐάν | ean | if | G1437 → | 352 times |
| τις | tis | anyone | G5100 → | 528 times |
| ὑμῖν | humin | to you | G4771 → | 2973 times |
| εἴπῃ· | eipe | may say; | G2036 → | 925 times |
| τί | ti | Why | G5101 → | 563 times |
| ποιεῖτε | poieite | are you doing | G4160 → | 569 times |
| τοῦτο; | touto | this?’ | G3778 → | 1381 times |
| εἴπατε | eipate | do say | G2036 → | 925 times |
| ὁ | ho | the | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| κύριος | kurios | Lord | G2962 → | 711 times |
| αὐτοῦ | autou | of it | G846 → | 5565 times |
| χρείαν | chreian | need | G5532 → | 49 times |
| ἔχει, | echei | has, | G2192 → | 707 times |
| καὶ | kai | and | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| εὐθὺς | euthus | soon | G2112 → | 87 times |
| αὐτὸν | auton | it | G846 → | 5565 times |
| ἀποστέλλει | apostellei | He sends | G649 → | 132 times |
| πάλιν | palin | back | G3825 → | 139 times |
| ὧδε. | hode | here. | G5602 → | 61 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
ἐάνif
eanG1437 →352 times
τιςanyone
tisG5100 →528 times
ὑμῖνto you
huminG4771 →2973 times
εἴπῃ·may say;
eipeG2036 →925 times
τίWhy
tiG5101 →563 times
ποιεῖτεare you doing
poieiteG4160 →569 times
τοῦτο;this?’
toutoG3778 →1381 times
εἴπατεdo say
eipateG2036 →925 times
ὁthe
hoG3588 →19766 times
κύριοςLord
kuriosG2962 →711 times
αὐτοῦof it
autouG846 →5565 times
χρείανneed
chreianG5532 →49 times
ἔχει,has,
echeiG2192 →707 times
καὶand
kaiG2532 →9120 times
εὐθὺςsoon
euthusG2112 →87 times
αὐτὸνit
autonG846 →5565 times
ἀποστέλλειHe sends
apostelleiG649 →132 times
πάλινback
palinG3825 →139 times
ὧδε.here.
hodeG5602 →61 times
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
2 Corinthians 8:9For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.
it leads to
- Romans 8:32
He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, freely give us all things?
- Philippians 2:6–8
Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
- Matthew 20:28
just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
- Romans 5:8
But God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
- 2 Corinthians 6:10
sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
- Romans 8:32
Through
Acts 17:25Nor is He served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.
it leads to
- Psalms 50:8–13
I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices, and your burnt offerings are ever before Me.
- Isaiah 42:5
This is what God the LORD says—He who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and its offspring, who gives breath to the people on it and life to…
- Psalms 50:8–13
Through
Acts 10:36He has sent this message to the people of Israel, proclaiming the gospel of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
it leads to
- Matthew 28:18
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.
- Matthew 28:18
Where this verse is studied
About Mark
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; J.C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels: Mark (lightly modernized text, Grace Gems edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Pseudo-Chrysostom, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Theophylact of Ohrid, Catena Aurea by Aquinas and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Mark.