Lexical Summary katastrephó: To overturn, to overthrow, to destroy Original Word: καταστρέφω Strong's Exhaustive Concordance overthrow. From kata and strepho; to turn upside down, i.e. Upset -- overthrow. see GREEK kata see GREEK strepho NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom kata and strephó Definition to overturn NASB Translation overturned (2), ruins (1). Thayer's Greek Lexicon STRONGS NT 2690: καταστρέφωκαταστρέφω: 1 aorist κατέστρεψα; perfect passive participle κατεστραμμενος (Acts 15:16 T (WH, but Tr κατεστρεμμενος; cf. WH's Appendix, p. 170f)); 1. to turn over, turn under: the soil with a plow, Xenophon, oec. 17, 10. 2. to overturn, overthrow, throw down: τί, Matthew 21:12; Mark 11:15; (τά κατεστραμμενος, ruins), Acts 15:16 T Tr WH ((cf. κατασκάπτω)); so Haggai 2:22; Job 9:5; Josephus, Antiquities 8, 7, 6; Anthol. 11, 163,6; (Diogenes Laërtius 5, 82. The verb translated “overturned” in English carries an image of forcefully turning something upside-down so that its former use is annulled. In the two Gospel accounts the action is literal, yet it also serves as a prophetic sign of moral and spiritual reversal. Occurrences in the New Testament • Matthew 21:12 – “Then Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling doves.” Each Evangelist places the incident immediately after the triumphal entry, highlighting the Messianic King’s first public act in Jerusalem: purifying His Father’s house. Historical Background of Temple Commerce Second-Temple sources (Josephus, Mishnah tractates Middot and Shekalim) describe an extensive trade network on the Temple Mount. Money changers exchanged foreign coinage for the Tyrian shekel required for the temple tax; vendors sold doves for sacrifices, especially to pilgrims and the poor (Leviticus 12:8). Although the services were permitted, their relocation from the Mount of Olives to the Court of the Gentiles commercialized the only area where the nations could worship, violating the spirit of Isaiah 56:7. Prophetic and Theological Significance Jesus couples His physical overturning with quotations from Scripture: By embodying the verb, He fulfills Psalm 69:9, “Zeal for Your house consumes Me,” and previews Zechariah 14:21, “On that day there will no longer be a merchant in the house of the LORD of Hosts.” The act therefore signals: 1. Judgment on corrupt worship (Malachi 3:1-3). Christ’s Messianic Authority Demonstrated The decisive gesture confronts three groups: The immediate obedience of the crowds and the silence of authorities (Matthew 21:14-16) underscore the unique authority of Jesus: His word and deed cannot be resisted when He judges His own house (compare 1 Peter 4:17). Implications for Worship and Church Life 1. Purity: Christian assemblies must guard against substituting transaction for adoration (Acts 8:20). Personal Application Believers invite Christ to “overturn” whatever hinders wholehearted worship—idolatrous priorities, exploitative relationships, or complacency (Revelation 3:19-20). Prayerful self-examination (Psalm 139:23-24) echoes the temple cleansing in the inner life. Eschatological Overtones The cleansing foreshadows a final, cosmic “overturning” when the Lord “shakes not only the earth but heaven as well” (Hebrews 12:26). Just as He purified the earthly sanctuary, He will establish an incorruptible dwelling where “nothing unclean will ever enter” (Revelation 21:27). Summary The two uses of the verb in the Gospels record a single, momentous act: Jesus overturns the apparatus of corrupt worship to restore His Father’s intended purpose. Historically grounded, prophetically charged, and theologically rich, the action speaks today wherever Christ’s lordship challenges compromise and calls His people to pure, prayerful, and inclusive devotion. Englishman's Concordance Matthew 21:12 V-AIA-3SGRK: τῶν κολλυβιστῶν κατέστρεψεν καὶ τὰς NAS: in the temple, and overturned the tables KJV: and overthrew the tables INT: of the money changers he overturned and the Mark 11:15 V-AIA-3S |
    |