self communicating it, or by His disciples learning it and telling others. This information would be carried back to the city by those who came from thence to Bethany on Saturday. Bethany, however, was on the direct road from Jericho to Jerusalem, and the tidings of our Lord's approach may have travelled before Him for some days.
Rollock thinks this multitude must have been chiefly com- posed of Jews not residing in Jerusalem. The Jerusalem Jews, he thinks, are an instance of the old proverb, which he quotes, "The nearer the Church the further from God."
13.— [ Took branches of palm-trees, and went. ..meet Mm.'] The pre- cise motive of this action we are left to conjecture. Palm branches were carried by processions attending kings or victo- rious generals on public occasions. The triumphant host in heaven, which John saw in vision, was composed of persons having "palms in their hands." (Rev. vii. 9.) It may be that some of the crowd on this occasion believed that Jesus was the Messiah. Others, we may be sure, did what the rest did, without any special motive at all. At most we can only suppose that the multitude had a vague idea that Jesus was somebody very remarkable, a prophet, or some one raised up by God, and as such did Him honour.
Rollock thinks the custom of carrying branches at the feast of tabernacles, as the expression of joy, was the motive of the crowd here.
[And cried, Ebsanna.] This Hebrew word is taken from Psalm cxviii. 25, and signifies " Save now, we beseech thee."
Calvin thinks this phrase testified that they acknowledged Christ to be the Messiah, and considers that the cxviii. Psalm had special reference to Messiah's coming.
[Blessed.. .King of Israel that cometh... name. ..Lord.'] This sentence would be more literally rendered "Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord, the king of Israel." It is partly taken from Psalm cxviii. 26 ; but there the words are simply "Blessed be He that cometh in the name of the Lord," and no mention is made of " the king." — We can only con- jecture that some of the multitude had a vague idea that Jesus had come to be a temporal King, and a conquering Messiah, who would set Israel free from all foreign dominion. These few caught up the words of the Psalm, and their cry was taken up by the many around them, perhaps without knowing dis- tinctly what they did or said. Nothing is so soon caught up as a popular cry. From "Hosanna " to " Crucify Him " there was only an interval of a very few days! Nothing is so worthless as popular applause.
Theophylact holds decidedly that the multitude honoured our Lord as God. But I cannot think it.