All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,
this.
Matthew 1:22 Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
Matthew 26:56 But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.
John 19:36,37 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken…
saying.
Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
John 12:15 Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt.
to fulfill
The concept of fulfillment is central to the Gospel of Matthew, which frequently highlights how Jesus' life and actions complete Old Testament prophecies. This underscores the continuity between the Old and New Testaments and affirms Jesus as the promised Messiah.
what was spoken
This emphasizes the authority and reliability of the prophetic word. The phrase suggests that the events were not only predicted but also divinely ordained. It highlights the importance of Scripture as a record of God's promises and their realization.
through the prophet
The reference to "the prophet" connects Jesus' actions to the prophetic tradition of Israel. This particular prophecy is from Zechariah 9:9, which speaks of a king coming to Jerusalem humbly on a donkey. It underscores Jesus' role as a fulfillment of messianic expectations and His identity as the true King of Israel.
The immediate setting is Jesus’ approach to Jerusalem on what we call Palm Sunday (Matthew 21:1-3). The disciples find the donkey exactly as He said, and the crowd soon hails Him as “Son of David.”
• Matthew records the event as real history, not symbolism.
• God is orchestrating every detail, just as He did when “when the fullness of time came, God sent His Son” (Galatians 4:4).
• Similar moments of divinely arranged circumstance appear in John 19:36-37 where specific actions around the cross “took place” so Scripture “might be fulfilled.”
Fulfillment is Matthew’s favorite way of tying Jesus’ life to the Old Testament (cf. Matthew 1:22; 2:15; 4:14).
• Jesus rides a donkey not for convenience but “to fulfill” prophecy, proving He is the promised Messiah.
• He declared, “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish, but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17).
• Luke 24:44 shows the same theme: “Everything written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”
God’s Word is living, fixed, and trustworthy.
• Hebrews 1:1 reminds us, “In the past God spoke to our fathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways.”
• 2 Peter 1:21 clarifies that “men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
Therefore, what the prophet said centuries before still stands, and Jesus acts on that unbroken promise.
Matthew cites Zechariah 9:9 (and echoes Isaiah 62:11). The prophecy reads:
“Say to the Daughter of Zion, ‘See, your King comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey’” (Matthew 21:5, quoting Zechariah).
• Zechariah foretold a humble King, contrasting Rome’s war-horses.
• Jesus’ choice of a colt signals peace and meekness, fulfilling the exact words “through the prophet.”
• Other prophets likewise pointed to precise Messianic details—Micah 5:2 pinpointing Bethlehem, Isaiah 53 describing the suffering Servant—showing a consistent prophetic tapestry.
Matthew 21:4 is Matthew’s inspired footnote telling us why the donkey episode matters. Every detail “took place” under God’s hand “to fulfill” an unbreakable promise “spoken through the prophet.” The verse assures readers that Jesus is the long-promised King, Scripture is precise and reliable, and God completes every word He has spoken.
(4) All this was done.--The Evangelist returns to the formula of Matthew 1:22. Literally, all this has come to pass. The words are his comment on the act. At the time (as we find from John 12:16) the disciples did not understand its significance as connected with the prophecy that follows. The purpose lay in the mind of their Master, not in theirs. It is significant of what St. John records that neither St. Mark nor St. Luke alludes to the prophecy.Verse 4. - All this was done; now (δὲ) all this hath come to pass. Many manuscripts omit "all," but it is probably genuine, as in other similar passages; e.g., Matthew 1:22; Matthew 26:56. This observation of the evangelist is intended to convey the truth that Christ was acting consciously on the lines of old prophecy, working out the will of God declared beforehand by divinely inspired seers. The disciples acted in blind obedience to Christ's command, not knowing that they were thus fulfilling prophecy, or having any such purpose in mind. The knowledge came afterwards (see John 12:16). That it might be fulfilled (ἵνα πληρωθῇ). The conjuction in this phrase is certainly used in its final, not in a consecutive or ecbatie sense; it denotes the purpose or design of the action of Christ, not the result. Not only the will of the Father, but the words of Scripture, had delineated the life of Christ, and in obeying that will he purposed to show that he fulfilled the prophecies which spake of him. Thus any who knew the Scriptures, and were open to conviction, might see that it was he alone to whom these ancient oracles pointed, and in him alone were their words accomplished. By (through, διά) the prophet. Zechariah 9:9, with a hint of Isaiah 62:11, a quotation being often woven from two or more passages (see on Matthew 27:9).