John 2:14 Meaning and Explanation
“And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →In the temple courts Jesus finds merchants selling oxen, sheep, and doves, and money changers at their tables.
What Does John 2:14 Mean?
The trade had a practical logic: pilgrims needed unblemished animals for sacrifice and acceptable coin for the temple tax, and buying on site was easier than driving a beast from Galilee. But the market had filled the outer court — the one space where the nations could draw near to pray — until the threshold of God's house sounded like a bazaar.
What Jesus finds is worship made commercial: religion arranged for convenience and profit, with the wonder crowded out. He enters his Father's house with eyes that truly see what occupies it. The verse quietly turns toward us as well — what fills our own courts, the spaces of life meant for prayer? Whatever it is, he notices, and he cares.
John 2:14 in the Original Language
hieron (ἱερόν), 'temple' -- the whole temple complex with its courts, not only the sanctuary.
Frequently Asked Questions About John 2:14
What does John 2:14 mean?
In the temple courts Jesus finds merchants selling oxen, sheep, and doves, and money changers at their tables.