“Who is this?”
The full verse · Matthew 21:10 · KJV
when was , the was , , ?
Asked by
People of Jerusalem: the people of the city, all stirred when Jesus rode into Jerusalem with the shouting multitudes (Matthew 21:10)
Asked to
Crowd: the multitudes that went before Jesus and followed Him crying "Hosanna," who answered the city's question (Matthew 21:9, 11)
The Scene
Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a colt while a very great multitude spreads garments and branches in the way and cries, "Hosanna to the Son of David" (Matthew 21:7-9).
Why It Was Asked
The purpose behind the questionThe whole city was shaken by what it saw and wanted to know who could draw such a welcome. Barnes explains: "There was great excitement." The sight of the multitude, their shouts, and the procession through the city "excited much attention and inquiry." Not everyone was stirred the same way. Matthew Henry suggests that some "perhaps were moved with joy, who waited for the Consolation of Israel; others, of the Pharisees, were moved with envy." Either way, the city's question is the right one: who is this man?
The Response
What Scripture recordsThe multitude answered: "This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee" (Matthew 21:11). They gave His name, His calling, and the town He came from. Gill says the common people meant "that prophet Moses spoke of" (Deuteronomy 18:15). The rest of the chapter keeps answering the question: in the temple Jesus heals the blind and the lame, and children cry, "Hosanna to the Son of David" (Matthew 21:14-15).
Historical Context
The world behind the wordsThe word "moved" is eseisthe, from seio, which Thayer defines as "to shake, agitate, cause to tremble." Matthew uses the same verb when "the earth did quake" at Jesus' death (Matthew 27:51). The city was not just curious; it was shaken.
The crowd's title "of Nazareth" may surprise readers who know Jesus was born in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1). Matthew explains that His family settled in Nazareth (Matthew 2:23), and Gill notes He was known by that town because He was brought up and lived there. The cry "Hosanna" and "Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord" come from Psalm 118:25-26, which Barnes cites for Matthew 21:9.
The Bigger Picture
Where this fits in God's storyMatthew has been building to this question. Jesus enters Jerusalem in the way the prophet foretold: "Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek" (Matthew 21:5). The King comes, and the capital does not know Him.
The crowd's answer was true as far as it went. Jesus was a prophet, and Gill links their words to the Prophet Moses promised (Deuteronomy 18:15). But the same multitudes had just hailed Him as "the Son of David" (Matthew 21:9), and the chapter goes on to show Him cleansing the temple and receiving praise from children (Matthew 21:12-16). God does not leave the question "Who is this?" unanswered. He answers it through what Jesus does.
Look Closer
Who answered the city's question about Jesus?
Carry the question into prayer and conversation.
Lord Jesus, a whole city asked who You are; what do You want me to see about You that I have not yet seen?
A prayer to carry into the day.
- The city was stirred but had to ask others who Jesus was. How much of what you know about Him has come secondhand, and how much from walking with Him yourself?
- If a friend asked you, "Who is this Jesus?", what would you tell them from your own experience?
For you, a small group, a friend, or the dinner table.
When Jesus causes a stir, the question "Who is this?" is worth asking for yourself. The city of Jerusalem was shaken, but being stirred is not the same as knowing Him. Let the excitement around Jesus lead you to look closely at Him.
The multitude answered with what they knew, and what they knew was true. Their answer was a start, not the whole answer. Keep learning. The rest of Matthew 21 shows Jesus healing, receiving praise, and speaking with authority, and each part fills out the answer to who He is.
Built from the biblical text and checked against trusted commentaries and lexicons. References & Sources
Keep questioning
“Hearest thou what these say? Have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?”
“Why do ye this?”
“Why loose ye the colt?”
“Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing?”