Matthew 21:5

New Living Translation

"Tell the people of Jerusalem, ‘Look, your King is coming to you. He is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey's colt.'"

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Tell Daughter Zion,“See, your King is coming to you,gentle, and mounted on a donkey,and on a colt,the foal of a donkey.”

King James Version (1611)
Tell yee the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy king commeth vnto thee, meeke, and sitting vpon an Asse, and a colt, the foale of an Asse.

King James Version
Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.

English Standard Version
"Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.'"

New American Standard Bible
"SAY TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION, 'BEHOLD YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU, HUMBLE, AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY, EVEN ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF A DONKEY.'"

New Century Version
"Tell the people of Jerusalem, ‘Your king is coming to you. He is gentle and riding on a donkey, on the colt of a donkey.'" Isaiah 62:11; Zechariah 9:9

Amplified Bible
"TELL THE DAUGHTER OF ZION (the people of Jerusalem), 'BEHOLD, YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU, GENTLE AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY, EVEN ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF A BEAST OF BURDEN.'"

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"SAY TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION, 'BEHOLD YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU, GENTLE, AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY, EVEN ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF A BEAST OF BURDEN.'"

Legacy Standard Bible
"Say to the daughter of Zion,‘Behold your King is coming to you,Lowly, and mounted on a donkey,And on a colt, the foal of a pack animal.'"

Berean Standard Bible
"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.'"

Contemporary English Version
"Announce to the people of Jerusalem: ‘Your king is coming to you! He is humble and rides on a donkey. He comes on the colt of a donkey.'"

Complete Jewish Bible
"Say to the daughter of Tziyon, ‘Look! Your King is coming to you, riding humbly on a donkey, and on a colt, the offspring of a beast of burden!'

Darby Translation
Say to the daughter of Zion, Behold thy King cometh to thee, meek, and mounted upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.

Easy-to-Read Version
"Tell the people of Zion, ‘Now your king is coming to you. He is humble and riding on a donkey. He is riding on a young donkey, born from a work animal.'"

Geneva Bible (1587)
Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Beholde, thy King commeth vnto thee, meeke and sitting vpon an asse, and a colte, the foale of an asse vsed to the yoke.

George Lamsa Translation
Tell the daughter of Zion, Behold your king is coming to you, meek, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt, the foal of an ass.

Good News Translation
"Tell the city of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you! He is humble and rides on a donkey and on a colt, the foal of a donkey."

Lexham English Bible
"Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a pack animal.'"

Literal Translation
"Tell the daughter of Zion, Behold, your King comes to you, meek and mounted on an ass, even a colt, the son of an ass." Isa. 62:11; Zech. 9:9

American Standard Version
Tell ye the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, Meek, and riding upon an ass, And upon a colt the foal of an ass.

Bible in Basic English
Say to the daughter of Zion, See, your King comes to you, gentle and seated on an ass, and on a young ass.

Hebrew Names Version
"Tell the daughter of Tziyon, Behold, your King comes to you, Humble, and riding on a donkey, On a colt, the foal of a donkey."

International Standard Version
"Tell the daughter[fn] of Zion,Isaiah 62:11; Zechariah 9:9; John 12:15;">[xr] 'Look, your king is coming to you!Isaiah 62:11">[fn] He is humble and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt of a donkey.'"Zechariah 9:9">[fn]

Etheridge Translation
Tell you the daughter of Tsheum, Behold, thy king cometh to thee, lowly, and riding on an ass, and on a colt the foal of an ass.

Murdock Translation
Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy king cometh to thee, meek, and riding on an ass, and on a colt the foal of an ass.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Tell ye the daughter of Sion: behold, thy kyng commeth vnto thee meke, and syttyng vpon an Asse, & a colt, the foale of [the Asse] vsed to the yoke.

English Revised Version
Tell ye the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, Meek, and riding upon an ass, And upon a colt the foal of an ass.

World English Bible
"Tell the daughter of Zion, Behold, your King comes to you, Humble, and riding on a donkey, On a colt, the foal of a donkey."

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold thy king cometh to thee, meek and sitting on an ass, even a colt, the fole of an ass.

Weymouth's New Testament
"Tell the Daughter of Zion, `See, thy King is coming to thee, gentle, and yet mounted on an ass, even on a colt the foal of a beast of burden.'"

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
thi kyng cometh to thee, meke, sittynge on an asse, and a fole of an asse vnder yok.

Update Bible Version
Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your King comes to you, Meek, and riding on a donkey, And on a colt the son of a donkey.

Webster's Bible Translation
Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh to thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.

New English Translation
" Tell the people of Zion, ‘ Look, your king is coming to you, unassuming and seated on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey .'"

New King James Version
"Tell the daughter of Zion,'Behold, your King is coming to you,Lowly, and sitting on a donkey,A colt, the foal of a donkey.' " Zechariah 9:9 ">[fn]

New Life Bible
"Say to the people in Jerusalem, ‘See! Your King is coming to you. He is gentle. He is riding on a young donkey.'"

New Revised Standard
"Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Tell ye the daughter of Zion, Lo! thy King, is coming unto thee, meek and mounted upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of a toiling ass.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Tell ye the daughter of Sion: Behold thy king cometh to thee, meek and sitting upon an ass and a colt, the foal of her that is used to the yoke.

Revised Standard Version
"Tell the daughter of Zion, Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on an ass, and on a colt, the foal of an ass."

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Tell ye the doughter of Sion: beholde thy kynge cometh vnto the meke and sittinge vpon an asse and a colte the fole of an asse vsed to the yooke.

Young's Literal Translation
`Tell ye the daughter of Zion, Lo, thy king doth come to thee, meek, and mounted on an ass, and a colt, a foal of a beast of burden.'

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Tell the doughter of Sion: beholde, thy kynge commeth vnto ye meke, syttinge vpon an Asse and a foale of ye Asse vsed to the yocke.

Mace New Testament (1729)
saying, " tell ye the daughter of Sion, behold, thy king cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting on an ass, even a colt, the fole of an ass."

Simplified Cowboy Version
"Say to the daughter of Jerusalem, 'Look! Your king comes to you, gentle and ridin' on a donkey, not just any donkey, but the colt of a donkey.'"

Contextual Overview

¹ As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. ² "Go into the village over there," he said. "As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me. ³ If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, ‘The Lord needs them,' and he will immediately let you take them." ⁴ This took place to fulfill the prophecy that said, ⁵ "Tell the people of Jerusalem, ‘Look, your King is coming to you. He is humble, riding on a donkey— riding on a donkey's colt.'" ⁶ The two disciples did as Jesus commanded. ⁷ They brought the donkey and the colt to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it. ⁸ Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹ Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting, "Praise God for the Son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord ! Praise God in highest heaven!" ¹⁰ The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered. "Who is this?" they asked.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the daughter: Psalms 9:14, Isaiah 12:6, Isaiah 40:9, Isaiah 62:11, Zephaniah 3:14, Zephaniah 3:15, Mark 11:4-11

thy King: Matthew 2:2, Matthew 2:6, Genesis 49:10, Numbers 24:19, Psalms 2:6-12, Psalms 45:1-17, Psalms 72:1-20, Psalms 110:1-4, Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah 9:7, Jeremiah 23:5, Jeremiah 23:6, Ezekiel 34:24, Ezekiel 37:24, Daniel 2:44, Daniel 2:45, Daniel 7:13, Daniel 7:14, Micah 5:2, Zechariah 6:12, Zechariah 6:13, John 1:49, John 19:15-22

meek: Matthew 11:29, Matthew 12:19, Matthew 12:20, 2 Corinthians 10:1, Philippians 2:3-5

sitting: Deuteronomy 17:16, Judges 5:10, Judges 12:14, 2 Samuel 16:2, 1 Kings 1:33, 1 Kings 10:26, Hosea 1:7, Micah 5:10, Micah 5:11, Zechariah 9:10

Reciprocal: Numbers 12:3 - very Psalms 138:5 - they shall Psalms 149:2 - let the Isaiah 3:16 - the daughters Isaiah 33:22 - the Lord is our king Isaiah 37:22 - the daughter Jeremiah 4:31 - the voice Jeremiah 30:21 - governor Zechariah 9:9 - behold Matthew 5:5 - the meek Matthew 11:3 - he that Matthew 13:35 - it Matthew 25:34 - the King Mark 11:7 - the colt Mark 15:12 - whom James 3:13 - with meekness 1 Peter 3:4 - a meek Revelation 19:12 - on his

Cross-References

Genesis 17:1
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, "I am El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty.' Serve me faithfully and live a blameless life.

Genesis 17:17
Then Abraham bowed down to the ground, but he laughed to himself in disbelief. "How could I become a father at the age of 100?" he thought. "And how can Sarah have a baby when she is ninety years old?"

Romans 4:19
And Abraham's faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah's womb.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Tell ye the daughter of Zion,.... These words seem to be taken out of Isaiah 62:11 where it is said, "say ye to the daughter of Zion, behold thy salvation cometh", or "thy Saviour cometh"; meaning, without doubt, the Messiah: by the daughter of Zion is meant, not the city of Jerusalem, but the inhabitants thereof, the Jewish synagogue; or as the Targum renders it, כנישתא דציון, "the congregation of Zion", the people of the Jews; particularly the elect of God among them, those that embraced the true Messiah, and believed in him:

behold, thy king cometh unto thee: this, and what follow, are cited from Zechariah 9:9 and to be understood of the king Messiah, who, in a little time after this prophecy was given out, was to come to Zion, and redeem Jacob from all his iniquities, and was now come. One of the Jewish commentators says x, that interpreters are divided about the sense of this prophecy; but observes, that there are some that say this is the Messiah: and another y of them affirms, that it is impossible to explain it of any other than the king Messiah; and that it can be understood of no other, I have elsewhere z shown. "Meek"; in the prophecy of Zechariah it is, עני, "poor", as the Messiah Jesus was, in a temporal sense; but the word, both by the Septuagint, and our evangelist, is rendered

meek; as it is by the Targum, Jarchi, and Kimchi, who all explain it by ענותן, "lowly, humble, or meek": and a character it is, that well agrees with Jesus, who, in the whole of his deportment, both in life and in death, was a pattern of meekness and lowliness of mind: and

sitting upon an ass, and a colt, the foal of an ass. This is applied to the Messiah by the Jews, both ancient a and modern v, who consider this as an instance and evidence of his humility: they suppose, this ass to be a very uncommon one, having an hundred spots on it; and say, that it was the foal of that which was created on the eve of the sabbath w; and is the same that Abraham and Moses rode upon: and they own, as before observed, that Jesus of Nazareth rode on one to Jerusalem, as is here related. Their ancient governors, patriarchs, princes, and judges, used to ride on asses, before the introduction and multiplication of horses in Solomon's time, forbidden by the law of God: wherefore, though this might seem mean and despicable at this present time, yet was suitable enough to Christ's character as a king, and as the son of David, and king of Israel; strictly observing the law given to the kings of Israel, and riding in such manner as they formerly did.

x Aben Ezra in Zech. ix. 9. y Jarchi in ib. z Prophecies of the Messiah literally fulfilled in Jesus, c. 9. p. 151, &c. a T. Bab. Sanhedrim, fol. 98. 1. & 99. 1. Bereshit Rabba, fol. 66. 2. & 85. 3. Midrash Kohelet, fol. 63. 2. Zohar in Gen. fol. 127. 3. & in Num. fol. 83. 4. & in Deut. fol. 117. 1. & 118. 3. Raya Mehimna in Zohar. in Lev. fol. 38. 3. & in Num. fol. 97. 2. v Jarchi in Isa. xxvi 6. Baal Hatturim in Exod. fol. 88. 2. Abarbimel, Mashmia Jeshua, fol. 15. 4. w Pirke Eliezer, c. 31. Caphtor, fol. 81. 2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

All this was done ... - The prophecy here quoted is found in Zechariah 9:9. It was always, by the Jews, applied to the Messiah.

Daughter of Zion - That is, “Jerusalem.” “Zion” was one of the hills on which the city of Jerusalem was built. On this stood the city of David and some strong fortresses. The names “daughter and virgin” were given to it often, in accordance with the Oriental figurative manner of expression. See the notes at Isaiah 1:8. Compare Amos 5:2; Psalms 45:13; Psalms 137:8; Isaiah 47:1. It was given to them as an expression of their beauty or comeliness.

Meek - See the notes at Matthew 5:5. The expression here rather denotes “peaceful, not warlike;” not with pomp, and state, and the ensigns of ambition. He came in the manner in which kings were accustomed to ride, but with none of their pride and ambitious feeling.

Sitting upon an ass ... - He rode on the colt (Mark and Luke). This expression in Matthew is one which is common with all writers. See Genesis 19:29; Judges 12:7.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Matthew 21:5. Tell ye the daughter of Sion — The quotation is taken from Zechariah 9:9, but not in the precise words of the prophet.

This entry into Jerusalem has been termed the triumph of Christ. It was indeed the triumph of humility over pride and worldly grandeur; of poverty over affluence; and of meekness and gentleness over rage and malice.

He is coming now meek, full of kindness and compassion to those who were plotting his destruction! He comes to deliver up himself into their hands; their king comes to be murdered by his subjects, and to make his death a ransom price for their souls!