Matthew 21:46 kjv
But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.
Matthew 21:46 nkjv
But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.
Matthew 21:46 niv
They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.
Matthew 21:46 esv
And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet.
Matthew 21:46 nlt
They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowds, who considered Jesus to be a prophet.
Matthew 21 46 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Fear of People vs. God's Will | ||
| Mt 14:5 | And when he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet. | Herod feared the crowds concerning John the Baptist. |
| Mk 11:32 | "But if we say, ‘From men’—we fear the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed." | Religious leaders feared crowds regarding John's baptism. |
| Lk 19:47-48 | And He was teaching daily in the temple… for all the people were very attentive to hear Him. | Leaders feared acting against Jesus due to the people. |
| Lk 20:19 | The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on Him that very hour, but they feared the people... | Direct parallel in Luke regarding seizing Jesus. |
| Jn 12:42 | Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him... | Fear of man preventing open belief. |
| Prov 29:25 | The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe. | Contrasts human fear with trust in God. |
| Isa 51:12-13 | "Who are you that you should be afraid of a man who will die... and forget the LORD your Maker?" | Fearing man more than God is forgetting God. |
| Jesus as a Prophet | ||
| Mt 13:57 | But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house." | Jesus' own teaching on how a prophet is received. |
| Mt 16:14 | So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." | Popular perception of Jesus. |
| Lk 7:16 | Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has risen up among us"; and, "God has visited His people." | People identifying Jesus as a prophet. |
| Lk 24:19 | "...concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people..." | Disciples on the road to Emmaus recognize Jesus' prophetic role. |
| Jn 4:19 | The woman said to Him, "Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet." | Samaritan woman's perception of Jesus. |
| Jn 6:14 | Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world." | After feeding the 5,000, people saw Him as "the Prophet." |
| Acts 3:22-23 | For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren... | Peter applying Moses' prophecy to Jesus. |
| Deut 18:15-18 | "The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet from your midst... Like me... Him you shall hear." | Old Testament prophecy of a coming prophet like Moses. |
| Seeking to Seize Jesus / Opposition from Religious Leaders | ||
| Mt 26:4 | And they plotted together to seize Jesus by stealth and kill Him. | Ongoing conspiracy to arrest and kill Jesus. |
| Mt 26:50 | Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him. | Fulfillment of the attempt to seize Jesus later. |
| Jn 7:30 | Then they sought to take Him; but no one laid a hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come. | Similar attempts by leaders to seize Jesus earlier. |
| Jn 7:44 | Now some of them wanted to take Him, but no one laid hands on Him. | More attempts to seize Jesus. |
| Mk 12:12 | And they sought to lay hold of Him, but feared the multitude; for they knew that He had spoken the parable against them... | Mark's parallel, reinforcing the leaders' understanding. |
| Leaders' Blindness / Rejection | ||
| Mt 21:45 | Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them. | Direct preceding verse, showing their understanding. |
| Jn 7:48 | "Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in Him?" | The prevailing unbelief among the authorities. |
| Jn 9:40-41 | And some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, "Are we also blind?" Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now because you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains." | Jesus confronting their spiritual blindness and guilt. |
Matthew 21 verses
Matthew 21 46 Meaning
Matthew 21:46 describes the immediate reaction of the chief priests and Pharisees after Jesus' Parable of the Wicked Tenants. Having understood that the parable was directed against them, exposing their spiritual leadership and predicting their removal from God's favor, they sought to seize Jesus. However, their intention was thwarted by their fear of the crowds, who esteemed Jesus as a prophet sent from God, highlighting the conflict between human approval and divine truth.
Matthew 21 46 Context
Matthew 21:46 concludes a critical series of confrontations between Jesus and the Jewish religious leaders in Jerusalem, particularly in the temple courts. It follows Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem (21:1-11), His cleansing of the temple (21:12-17), and a challenge to His authority by the chief priests and elders (21:23-27). In response, Jesus told three parables that exposed their hypocrisy and warned of their impending judgment: the Parable of the Two Sons (21:28-32), the Parable of the Wicked Tenants (21:33-44), and implicitly, the Parable of the Wedding Feast (Mt 22:1-14). Matthew 21:45 explicitly states that the chief priests and Pharisees understood the Parable of the Wicked Tenants was directed at them, marking a heightened level of animosity. The immediate historical context is the final week of Jesus' earthly ministry, often called Passion Week, where the tension between Jesus and the religious establishment reaches its peak before His crucifixion. The polemic against the leaders is clear: they recognized truth when it challenged them but valued their position and popular opinion more than God's will.
Matthew 21 46 Word analysis
But (δὲ, de): A transitional particle, indicating a contrast or a new development. Here, it contrasts their understanding with their inability to act immediately.
when they sought (ἐζήτουν, ezētoun): From zēteō (ζητέω), meaning "to seek, to look for, to demand." The imperfect tense indicates a continuous or repeated attempt, or an effort they began to make but did not complete. It implies their persistent desire to arrest Jesus.
to lay hands on Him (κρατῆσαι αὐτόν, kratēsai auton): From krateō (κρατέω), meaning "to seize, grasp, take hold of forcefully." It's a strong term indicating intent to arrest or apprehend Jesus, implying physical restraint.
they feared (ἐφοβήθησαν, ephobēthēsan): From phobeō (φοβέω), "to fear, be afraid." The aorist tense denotes a decisive act of fear that stopped their immediate action. Their fear was sudden and definitive.
the multitudes (τοὺς ὄχλους, tous ochlous): Ochlos (ὄχλος) refers to a large crowd, the common people. This signifies their concern for public opinion and potential unrest, not moral conviction.
because (ὅτι, hoti): Introduces the reason for their fear.
they took Him for a prophet (ὡς προφήτην αὐτὸν εἶχον, hōs prophētēn auton eichon): From echō (ἔχω), meaning "to have, hold, possess," and here, "to consider, regard as." The imperfect tense eichon shows this was their continuous or settled conviction, widely held among the people. Prophētēs (προφήτης) means "one who speaks for God," conveying divine messages and revealing God's will. This title was given to honored figures in Jewish history and carried significant popular respect.
When they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes: This phrase highlights the dilemma of the religious authorities. They understood Jesus' parables were aimed at them and desired to eliminate Him, but they were hindered by external circumstances—specifically, the widespread popular support Jesus commanded. Their motivation was power and control, and their restraint was purely pragmatic, not spiritual.
They took Him for a prophet: This phrase is crucial. The crowds correctly perceived Jesus as a prophet, someone who spoke God's truth directly. While this understanding was incomplete (He was more than a prophet), it ensured popular protection for Him. The religious leaders, by contrast, failed to see Jesus for who He truly was, demonstrating their spiritual blindness and their concern for their own position above divine revelation. This fear of the people reveals their moral bankruptcy and lack of true piety; they feared man more than God.
Matthew 21 46 Bonus section
The fear of the religious leaders illustrates the profound spiritual blindness and moral cowardice that permeated much of the Sanhedrin's leadership. They prioritized maintaining their socio-political standing and avoiding confrontation with the populace over engaging with or even considering the divine truth presented by Jesus. This serves as a critical example of the "fear of man" (Prov 29:25) leading to spiritual compromise and outright opposition to God's will. Their desire to silence Jesus was rooted in a deep-seated antagonism that perceived Him as a threat to their established religious order and power, rather than as the promised Messiah. The fact that the crowds viewed Jesus as "a prophet" underscores their hunger for divine truth and revelation, a hunger that the official religious structures of the day largely failed to satisfy.
Matthew 21 46 Commentary
Matthew 21:46 stands as a stark indictment of the spiritual leadership of Israel. The chief priests and Pharisees, having rightly discerned that Jesus' parables of judgment were aimed directly at their stewardship of God's vineyard, desired to eliminate Him. This reveals their hardness of heart and their choice of self-preservation over repentance. Their initial reaction, to "lay hands on Him," was a desperate attempt to quash the prophetic voice that exposed their corruption. However, they were restrained, not by divine intervention, nor by a change of heart, but by pragmatic fear. Their primary concern was not offending God but avoiding civil unrest and maintaining their popular standing, or at least avoiding negative repercussions from the crowd. The "multitudes," conversely, perceived Jesus, albeit partially, as "a prophet." This popular regard for Jesus, though often fickle, temporarily shielded Him from the authorities' malice, showing God's timing and sovereign protection until His appointed hour. The verse therefore encapsulates the escalating conflict, the leaders' hypocrisy, and the unique position Jesus held among the common people, which contrasted sharply with the elite's rejection.