Mat 21:4-5 | RWP | e4.org | By the prophet ( δια του προφητου ). The first line is from , the rest from . John ( .) makes it clear that Jesus did not quote the passage himself. In Matthew it is not so plain, but probably it is his own comment about the incident. It is not Christ's intention to fulfil the prophecy, simply that his conduct did fulfil it.

‏ Matthew 21:4-5

By the prophet ( δια του προφητου ). The first line is from Isa 62:11, the rest from Zec 9:9. John (Joh 12:14f.) makes it clear that Jesus did not quote the passage himself. In Matthew it is not so plain, but probably it is his own comment about the incident. It is not Christ's intention to fulfil the prophecy, simply that his conduct did fulfil it.

The daughter of Zion ( τη θυγατρ Σιων ). Jerusalem as in Isa 22:4 (daughter of my people). So Babylon (Isa 47:1), daughter of Tyre for Tyre (Ps 45:12).

Riding ( επιβεβηκως ). Perfect active participle of επιβαινω, "having gone upon."

And upon a colt the foal of an ass ( κα επ πωλον υιον υποζυγιου ). These words give trouble if κα is here taken to mean "and." Fritzsche argues that Jesus rode alternately upon each animal, a possible, but needless interpretation. In the Hebrew it means by common Hebrew parallelism "upon an ass, even upon a colt." That is obviously the meaning here in Matthew. The use of υποζυγιου (a beast of burden, under a yoke) for ass is common in the LXX and in the papyri (Deissmann, Bible Studies p. 161).