Bible Strands
Luke 19:46
He declared to them, “It is written: ‘My house will be a house of prayer.’ But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jesus speaks to the temple merchants and authorities immediately after clearing the courts of those who were selling.
The words — γέγραπται (gegraptai) translates as "it has been written," anchoring the claim in prior Scripture. οἶκος (oikos) means "house," identifying the physical location at the center of the dispute.
The thread — Jesus quotes Isaiah 56:7 to define the temple's original purpose and references Jeremiah 7:11 to expose its current corruption.
Why it lands — The text records that a space commanded for prayer has been repurposed as a hideout for criminals. This requires readers to assess whether their own actions preserve worship or facilitate exploitation.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves.
Cross-references
- Isaiah 56:7 I will bring them to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on My altar, for My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations.”
- Jeremiah 7:11 Has this house, which bears My Name, become a den of robbers in your sight? Yes, I too have seen it, declares the LORD.
- Psalms 93:5 Your testimonies are fully confirmed; holiness adorns Your house, O LORD, for all the days to come.
- Ezekiel 43:12 This is the law of the temple: All its surrounding territory on top of the mountain will be most holy. Yes, this is the law of the temple.
- Matthew 23:13 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let in those who wish to enter.
- Hosea 12:7 A merchant loves to defraud with dishonest scales in his hands.