saying to them, “Go into the village that is opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me.
ExplanationCommentary
Verse 2. Go ye into the village; in Latin, Castellum, but in Greek, εις την Κωμην, which is, before you, contra vos, as Virgil says, Italiam contra. Æneid i. Some authors think it was Bethphage. A.—An ass tied, [1] and a colt with her. This colt, which never yet had been rid upon, represented the people of the Gentiles, to whom God had not given a written law, as he had done to the Jews. Here was manifestly fulfilled the prophecy of Zachary. Calmet. 9. It was now the first day of the week, in which Christ suffered; he was pleased to enter into Jerusalem in a kind of triumph, the people making acclamations to him, as to their king and Messias.4, supra, to fulfil the prophecy of Zarcharias, who had given this mark of the Messias. Hence Saint John (Chrys. hom. lxvi) challenges the Jews to shew him any other king of theirs, who had entered Jerusalem riding on an ass. Other reasons were, to give a faint specimen of his real kingly dignity before he suffered; to be publicly acknowledged for the Messias; to confirm the faith of his disciples; and to leave his enemies no excuse for their incredulity. On this, as on all other occasions, magnificence is admirably blended with humility, in our Saviour’s actions. Even in this his triumph, we cannot help admiring his humility, in riding upon an ass. Jans.—The glorious reception he met with from the people, was perfectly voluntary on their parts, the genuine effusions of their hearts, and as such, infinitely superior to the vain and often forced parade bestowed upon earthly princes; and is commemorated in the blessing and distributing of palms in the Catholic Church, on Palm-Sunday, all over the Christian world.