And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were sore displeased,
when.
Matthew 21:23 And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?
Matthew 26:3,59 Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, …
Matthew 27:1,20 When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: …
Hosanna.
Matthew 21:9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
Matthew 22:42 Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David.
John 7:42 Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?
they were.
John 4:1 When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,
when they saw the wonders He performed
The wonders refer to the miraculous acts Jesus performed, such as healing the blind and the lame, which are mentioned earlier in the chapter. These miracles serve as signs of Jesus' divine authority and fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, such as Isaiah 35:5-6, which speaks of the Messiah bringing healing. The religious leaders' inability to accept these wonders as divine acts underscores their spiritual blindness and hard-heartedness.
and the children shouting in the temple courts,
The presence of children in the temple courts is significant, as it demonstrates the widespread impact of Jesus' ministry. Children, often seen as insignificant in ancient society, recognize Jesus' true identity, contrasting with the religious leaders' rejection. This scene fulfills Psalm 8:2, which speaks of God ordaining praise from the mouths of children, highlighting the purity and sincerity of their worship.
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
"Hosanna" is a Hebrew expression meaning "save now" or "save, we pray," and is a cry for deliverance. The title "Son of David" is a messianic designation, acknowledging Jesus as the promised descendant of David who would establish God's kingdom. This acclamation by the children echoes the crowd's earlier praises during Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:9), reinforcing His identity as the Messiah. The religious leaders' indignation is further fueled by this messianic recognition, which they perceive as a threat to their authority and the established order.
• These leaders oversaw temple worship and the interpretation of the Law, yet throughout the Gospels they consistently clash with Jesus (Mark 11:18; John 11:47–48).
• Their position should have led them to recognize the Messiah (Luke 19:46), but pride and fear for their influence blinded them.
• “Indignant” reveals hearts stirred by jealousy, not righteous concern (Acts 5:17; Acts 13:45).
• Rather than rejoicing that God was at work, they resented losing control and public admiration (Mark 15:10).
• This attitude fulfills the pattern of hardened leaders who oppose God’s chosen servants (1 Samuel 8:7).
• Moments earlier, “The blind and the lame came to Him at the temple, and He healed them” (Matthew 21:14).
• Miracles inside God’s house fulfilled messianic expectations (Isaiah 35:5-6) and confirmed Jesus’ authority (John 3:2; John 12:37).
• Instead of bowing to this evidence, the leaders harden their unbelief, foreshadowing their plot to kill Him (Matthew 26:3-4).
• Children, often marginalized in that culture, become frontline worshipers, echoing Jesus’ earlier welcome of them (Matthew 19:14).
• Their praise fulfills Psalm 8:2: “From the mouths of children and infants You have ordained praise, on account of Your adversaries, to silence the enemy and avenger.”
• Even if adults stayed silent, praise would still erupt (Luke 19:40); God raises unexpected voices to declare His Son’s glory.
• “Hosanna” means “save now,” lifted straight from Psalm 118:25-26, the messianic victory psalm already sung at the Triumphal Entry (Matthew 21:9).
• “Son of David” proclaims Jesus as the promised King of the Davidic covenant (2 Samuel 7:12-16; Luke 1:32-33).
• The children articulate a truth the leaders refuse to admit: the Messiah has come, bringing salvation inside the very temple that foreshadows His greater ministry (John 2:19-21).
Matthew 21:15 unveils a stark contrast: religious authorities, fixated on protecting their status, seethe with indignation while children rejoice over the Messiah’s saving power. The verse highlights hardened unbelief versus humble faith, confirming Jesus as the rightful “Son of David” through miraculous works and spontaneous worship. God’s plan advances despite opposition, and praise rises from unexpected lips, affirming that the promised King has arrived in literal fulfillment of Scripture.
(15) The chief priests.--These, as commonly in the Gospels, were the heads of the twenty-four courses of the priesthood, as well as Annas and Caiaphas, who were designated by the title in its higher sense, the one as actually high priest, the other as president of the Sanhedrin. (See Note on Luke 3:2.)The children.--Literally, the boys, the noun being masculine. Taking the Jewish classification of ages, they would probably be from seven to fourteen years old, but in such a narrative as this the general phrase does not exclude younger children.
Verse 15. - The chief priests. This term is generally applied to the high priest's deputies and the heads of the twenty-four courses, but it seems here to mean certain sacerdotal members of the Sanhedrin, to whom supreme authority was delegated by the Romans or Herodians (see Josephus, 'Ant.,' 20:10, 5). They formed a wealthy, aristocratical body, and were many of them Sadducees. They joined with the scribes in expressing their outraged feeling, whether simulated or real. The wonderful things (τὰ θαυμάσια); an expression found nowhere else in the New Testament. It refers to the cleansing of the temple and the cures lately performed there. Children crying in the temple. This fact is mentioned only by St. Matthew. Jesus loved children, and they loved and followed him, taking up the cry which they had heard the day before from the multitude, and in simple faith applying it again to Christ. While grown men are silent or blaspheming, little children boldly sing his praises. Were sore displeased. Their envious hearts could not bear to see Jesus honoured, elevated in men's eyes by his own beneficent actions, and now glorified by the spontaneous acclamations of these little ones.