Why did Jesus throw out the Moneychangers?

Money changers in the Bible were brokers – those that would exchange one currency for another. The word moneychangers are derived from two Greek words. The first is kollobistēs which literally means clipped. Also means a small coin or rate of change. The second Greek word is kermatistēs which means to cut into small pieces, or to make small change.

In the court of the Gentiles during Passover week (see diagram), animals and other items were sold for sacrifice. In addition, Pilgrims coming from distant lands would come annually to pay the required redemption temple tax which had to be paid with the prescribed money. Since Rome was the ruling power during Christ’s time, many had to exchange their coins which had the image of the Emperor Tiberias Caesar on them for the required half-shekel prescribed by the Mosaic law way back in back in Exodus 30:13. Using money with an image of a pagan ruler was considered idolatry by the Israelites. Plus, the money used to the pay the tax had to be of the purest silver. Other coinage of that day was impure. This is where the moneychangers would come in. It was not a problem that the moneychangers were brokering deals and earning a commission, but they were charging exorbitant rates when transacting the exchange. This meant keeping most of the money being exchanged in their pockets which should have been given to the customer so they could pay the temple tax in obedience to the law and rightfully worship God with this required giving. That was one problem happening during that time. The other problem was that Hebrews were coming from far countries like Mesopotamia, Persia, 

Greece, and other places were coming and obviously could not bring their sacrifices with them had to purchase their animals (particularly the Passover lamb) in these same outer courts. The animals being purchased were under the control of the priests (namely Annas and his sons ruled 6-15 AD) who also were charging exorbitant rates for their already-approved animals ready for sale. Also important worth mentioning is during Passover which was one of three feasts required by males 12 years old and above to attend, the population in Jerusalem swelled to as much as 2-3 million people. This would have been a sales bonanza for the moneychangers and for those that sold animals like oxen, doves, pigeons and sheep.  

The priests became rich through extortion – double dipping by selling animals and rejecting all animals being brought by pilgrims along with charging usury in the exchange rates market. The house of God became a swap meet, a flea market, a shopping mall instead of a house of worship and prayer. The noise and stench of the animals, the hustling of the bankers along with all the tourists and refugees made God’s house a “den of thieves” instead of a place where the Gentiles (and dispersed Hebrews) could worship. All of these activities could and should have been conducted outside of temple grounds, but the greedy opportunists knew the people would come to worship so they capitalized through monopoly and exploitation. Jesus obviously knew about the monetary abuse being conducted in God’s house. This angered Jesus who made a whip of chords and drove out the moneychangers, overturned their tables, and drove out the animals and said to those who sold the pigeons[i], “Take these things away; do not make My Father’s house a house of trade or merchandise” (John 2:16).  In Mark’s account we read this, and they came to Jerusalem. 

And He entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and He overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. And He would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. And He was teaching them and saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers” (Mark 11:15-17. Quoted from Jeremiah 7:11). What Jesus did was not malicious or cruel. He was jealous for the sanctity of God’s house and cleansed it from the abuse it was suffering. He also fulfilled prophecy: In Psalm 69:9 it says, “For zeal of your house has consumed Me, and the reproaches of those who reproached you have fallen on me.”

Jesus would have to cleanse the temple a second time after Palm Sunday during His triumphant entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:12).

What Jesus was also saying by cleansing the temple twice is that He had authority over the priests, and that He was the Messiah – calling the temple “My Father’s house”. This no doubt angered Annas the High Priest.[ii] Jesus was challenging his authority along with his corrupt profiteering enterprise.

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[i] I believe Jesus particularly singled out those that sold pigeons because the offering of pigeons or turtledoves was for those who were extremely poor in the land. Jesus own Mother offered this same offering when He was twelve years old (Leviticus 12:6-8; Luke 2:24). According to extra-biblical sources, these dirty merchants were charging highly inflated prices for the sale of pigeons which would have obviously impoverished the poor even more. It was clear the merchants were not there to assist the consumer in the worship of God, but rather they were there to line their own pockets. This was a prime example of the “Love of Money”! This obviously incensed Jesus to act swiftly to cleanse God’s house and restore order. God will never accept improper worship or conduct in His house. Anyone that does that even today should be removed from the assembly.

[ii] Annas along with his five sons and son-in-law Caiaphas were priests and of the political-religious members of the Sadducees. They were the aristocrats of the day, strictly adhered to the Mosaic law. They did not believe in the resurrection, angels or the spiritual realm. They were naturalists. Hellenists and loyal to Rome. They were literally “filthy rich”. They had most of the seats in the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Supreme Court of that day. They were for the most part opponents of their religious counterparts the Pharisees until both parties conspired to condemn Jesus to death.