Matthew 21:7
And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.
Original Language Analysis
ἤγαγον
And brought
G71
ἤγαγον
And brought
Strong's:
G71
Word #:
1 of 17
properly, to lead; by implication, to bring, drive, (reflexively) go, (specially) pass (time), or (figuratively) induce
τὴν
G3588
τὴν
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
2 of 17
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
καὶ
and
G2532
καὶ
and
Strong's:
G2532
Word #:
4 of 17
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
τὸν
G3588
τὸν
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
5 of 17
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
καὶ
and
G2532
καὶ
and
Strong's:
G2532
Word #:
7 of 17
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
ἐπάνω
him thereon
G1883
ἐπάνω
him thereon
Strong's:
G1883
Word #:
9 of 17
up above, i.e., over or on (of place, amount, rank, etc.)
αὐτῶν
them
G846
αὐτῶν
them
Strong's:
G846
Word #:
10 of 17
the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative g1438) of the third person, and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons
τὰ
G3588
τὰ
Strong's:
G3588
Word #:
11 of 17
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in english idiom)
αὐτῶν
them
G846
αὐτῶν
them
Strong's:
G846
Word #:
13 of 17
the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative g1438) of the third person, and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons
καὶ
and
G2532
καὶ
and
Strong's:
G2532
Word #:
14 of 17
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
Historical Context
Colts were considered unrideable until trained. No king had ridden an animal before (Num 19:2, Deut 21:3). By riding the unbroken colt, Jesus demonstrated both His creative power (calming the animal) and His qualification as King-Priest (riding what was ceremonially pure).
Questions for Reflection
- How does Jesus's control over the unbroken colt illustrate His sovereignty over untamed areas of your life?
- What 'garments'—possessions, comforts, reputation—might God ask you to lay down for Christ's purposes?
Related Resources
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Analysis & Commentary
Brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes—The disciples improvised a makeshift saddle (ἱμάτια, himatia—outer garments) for the unbroken colt. They set him thereon uses an ambiguous pronoun: Jesus rode the colt (as Mark/Luke specify), while garments covered both animals.
Matthew alone mentions both mother and colt, perhaps hyper-literalizing Zechariah's Hebrew parallelism ('on an ass, on a colt the foal of an ass'). This detail emphasizes Jesus's gentle authority—mounting an unbroken colt that would normally be untamed, yet it bore Him peacefully into Jerusalem.