SEV Biblia, Chapter 21:8
Y la multitud, que era muy numerosa, tendía sus mantos en el camino; y otros cortaban ramas de los rboles, y las tendían por el camino.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Matthew 21:8
Verse 8. Cut down branches from the trees] Carrying palm and other branches was emblematical of victory and success. See 1 Mac. xiii. 51; 2 Mac. x. 7; and Rev. vii. 9. The rabbins acknowledge that the prophecy in Zechariah refers to the Messiah; so Rab. Tancum, and Yalcut Rubeni has a strange story about the ass. "This ass is the colt of that ass which was created in the twilight of the sixth day. This is the ass which Abraham found when he went to sacrifice his son. This is the ass on which Moses rode when he went to Egypt; and this is the ass on which the Messiah shall ride." Some of the Jews seem to think that the zebra is intended; for according to Bab. Sanhedr. fol. 98, when Shapoor, king of Persia, said to Rabbi Samuel: "You say your Messiah will come upon an ass; I will send him a noble horse." To which the rabbi replied, "You have not a horse with a hundred spots (query, streaks) like his ass." See Lightfoot and Schoettgen.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 8. And a very great multitude , etc.] Which consisted partly of the great multitude which followed Christ from Jericho, and partly of the much people that were come up to the feast of the passover from divers parts, and met him from Jerusalem; (see John 12:12,13). These, many of them, for it cannot be thought to be done by them all, spread their garments in the way ; either in the middle of the road, instead of carpets, to ride upon; the Persic version adds, that he might pass over them: this they did, in honour to him as a king. So when Jehu declared to the princes of Israel, that he was anointed king of Israel, they hastened, and took every man his garment, and put it under him, ( 2 Kings 9:13) that is, to tread upon; though the Jewish writers say, it was done that he might be higher than them all, suitable to the dignity of a king: and it is reported of Cato Uticensis, the emperor, that his soldiers strewed their garments for him to walk upon: or these garments were spread by the way side. Dr. Lightfoot conjectures, that little tents might be raised by them along the road, upon which they spread their garments to make a show, in imitation of the feast of tabernacles, to which there is a very great resemblance in many things which occur in this account; when they used to spread linen cloth, garments, and fruits, over their booths, for decoration and ornament; as appears from their traditions about these things: yds hyl[ sryp , if a man spreads a linen cloth over it, (his booth,) because of the sun, or under it, because of the falling of leaves, etc. or spreads it over a canopy, it is not right; but he may spread it over the bedposts f1089 .
That is, for ornament, as the commentators observe f1090 . Again, dgb hyl[ rp , if a man spreads a garment over it, (his booth,) or if he spreads it under it, because of what falls it is not right; but if he spreads it so as that it is, htwanl , for ornament, it is right; and so if he covers it according to the tradition of it, and encompasses it with various kinds of fruits, and precious things, and vessels which hang upon it, whether on its walls, or on its covering, so they be for ornament, it is right f1091 .
In like manner, the multitude might hang their garments, to make the show the greater, either on such booths, or on the houses and trees, that were upon the road, as they went along. Others cut down branches from the trees ; from the olive trees, as the Persic version expresses it, which grew in great plenty hereabout; and also from the palm trees, the branches of which, with the boughs of other trees, were what the Jews used to carry in their hands on the feast of tabernacles; (see Leviticus 23:40) and the Evangelist John expressly says, that the people which met Christ from Jerusalem at this time, did take branches of palm trees in their hands, ( John 12:13). And though this was not the time of the feast of tabernacles, but of the passover, yet it was common with the Jews to signify their joy upon any occasion, by such ways and methods they used at that least: so upon the cleansing of the tower of Jerusalem, by Simon Maccabeus, the Jews entered into it with thanksgiving, and branches of palm trees: And entered into it the three and twentieth day of the second month in the hundred seventy and first year, with thanksgiving, and branches of palm trees, and with harps, and cymbals, and with viols, and hymns, and songs: because there was destroyed a great enemy out of Israel. (1 Maccabees 13:51) Likewise upon purifying the temple, which had been polluted by Antiochus, they kept eight days with gladness as in the feast of tabernacles, and bare branches and fair boughs, and palms also, as in the Apocrypha: And they kept the eight days with gladness, as in the feast of the tabernacles, remembering that not long afore they had held the feast of the tabernacles, when as they wandered in the mountains and dens like beasts. 7 Therefore they bare branches, and fair boughs, and palms also, and sang psalms unto him that had given them good success in cleansing his place. (2 Maccabees 10) But here it is said, and they strawed them in the way : not in the middle of the road, which would have been an hindrance to riding; but by the way side, upon, the booths, or houses in the road, in honour of him; just as the Jews say, the streets were strewed with myrtles, and the courts with purple, when Mordecai went out of the kings gate.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-11 - This coming of Christ was described by the prophet Zechariah, Zec 9:9 When Christ would appear in his glory, it is in his meekness, not in his majesty, in mercy to work salvation. As meekness and outwar poverty were fully seen in Zion's King, and marked his triumpha entrance to Jerusalem, how wrong covetousness, ambition, and the prid of life must be in Zion's citizens! They brought the ass, but Jesus di not use it without the owner's consent. The trappings were such as cam to hand. We must not think the clothes on our backs too dear to par with for the service of Christ. The chief priests and the elder afterwards joined with the multitude that abused him upon the cross but none of them joined the multitude that did him honour. Those tha take Christ for their King, must lay their all under his feet. Hosann signifies, Save now, we beseech thee! Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord! But of how little value is the applause of the people! The changing multitude join the cry of the day, whether it be Hosanna, or Crucify him. Multitudes often seem to approve the gospel but few become consistent disciples. When Jesus was come into Jerusale all the city was moved; some perhaps were moved with joy, who waite for the Consolation of Israel; others, of the Pharisees, were move with envy. So various are the motions in the minds of men upon the approach of Christ's kingdom.
Greek Textus Receptus
ο 3588 T-NSM δε 1161 CONJ πλειστος 4118 A-NSM οχλος 3793 N-NSM εστρωσαν 4766 5656 V-AAI-3P εαυτων 1438 F-3GPM τα 3588 T-APN ιματια 2440 N-APN εν 1722 PREP τη 3588 T-DSF οδω 3598 N-DSF αλλοι 243 A-NPM δε 1161 CONJ εκοπτον 2875 5707 V-IAI-3P κλαδους 2798 N-APM απο 575 PREP των 3588 T-GPN δενδρων 1186 N-GPN και 2532 CONJ εστρωννυον 4766 5707 V-IAI-3P εν 1722 PREP τη 3588 T-DSF οδω 3598 N-DSF
Robertson's NT Word Studies
21:8 {The most part of the multitude} (ho pleistos oclos). See #11:20 for this same idiom, article with superlative, a true superlative (Robertson, _Grammar_, p. 670). {In the way} (en tei hodwi). this the most of the crowd did. The disciples put their garments on the asses. Note change of tenses (constative aorist estr"san, descriptive imperfects ekopton kai estr"nnuon showing the growing enthusiasm of the crowd). When the colt had passed over their garments, they would pick the garments up and spread them again before.
