The disciples placed their outer garments on the colt in place of a saddle, and Jesus began his ride to the gates of Jerusalem. What is described in verse 8 appears to have been a spontaneous expression of homage to Jesus. The pilgrims may have believed that he had come to Jerusalem in fulfilment of a prophetic mission. The spreading of the garment upon the way is similar to the royal salute given to Jehu (2 Kings 9:12f.), or the gesture of profound respect shown to Cato of Utica when he was about to leave his soldiers (Plutarch, Cato Minor 7). The reference to the branches of green and the antiphonal singing recalls the entry into Jerusalem of Simon, the last of the five Hasmonean brothers, on a triumphal occasion (1 Macc. 13:51). A note of jubilation and excitement is evident in the text. Yet the action described does not appear to possess a messianic significance, for there is no explicit acknowledgment of Jesus’ majesty in the acclamation of verses 9–10. It was a brief moment of enthusiasm outside the city walls which would have been appropriate to a royal enthronement, but was scarcely distinguishable from the exultation which characterized other groups of pilgrims when the City of David, with its magnificent Temple, came into view.
Lane, W. L. (1974). The Gospel of Mark. The New International Commentary on the New Testament (396). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.