ACCORDING to the account of Matthew’s Gospel, “Jesus entered the temple and threw out all those selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. And he said to them: ‘It is written, “My house will be called a house of prayer,” but you are making it a cave of robbers.’”—Matt. 21:12, 13.

Jewish historical records show that temple merchants exploited their customers by charging exorbitant prices. For example, the Mishnah (Keritot 1:7) records an occasion in the first century C.E. when the price of a pair of sacrificial pigeons rose to a golden denar. That was the equivalent of what an unskilled laborer might earn for 25 days’ work. Pigeons or doves were an acceptable sacrifice of the poor; yet, the price even of these birds had become prohibitive. (Lev. 1:14; 5:7; 12:6-8) Rabbi Simeon ben Gamaliel, outraged by this state of affairs, reduced the number of obligatory sacrifices, upon which the price of two pigeons immediately fell to a hundredth of the former price.

In light of the above, Jesus was justified in calling the temple merchants “robbers” on account of their exploitation and greed.

EBE Matiu keghi kha wẹẹ: “Jesu keghi la uwu Ọgua Osa, ọ keghi khulo iran ni khiẹn kevbe ni dẹ ladian vbe Ọgua Osa. Ọ keghi ya etebul iran ni rrọ igho uhunmwu rhu kevbe ukhuerhe iran ni khiẹn elikhukhu. Ọ tama iran wẹẹ, ‘A gbẹn ọnrẹn ye uwu ebe wẹẹ, “Owa erhunmwu ọre a gha tie owa mwẹ,” sokpan wa yae khian ẹgun oyi!’”—Mat. 21:12, 13.

Ebe okha ọghe Ivbie Ju khare wẹẹ, te emwa ni ghaa duẹki vbe Ọgua Osa ghaa mu emwa ru lekpae ne iran na gha fian ive aghanghan ye emwi ne iran ghaa khiẹnnẹ. Vbe igiemwi, ne ebe Mishnah (Keritot 1:7) khare wẹẹ, asẹ ọkpa vbe orre nokaro, igho ọrhẹnrhẹn ẹre avbe ọdoẹki nii ya gha khiẹnnẹ elikhukhu na ya zọese. Vbene ọmwa nọ gbe ezọbu te khuan igho vberriọ, ikpẹdẹ 25 ẹre ọ khian ya winna. Idu ra elikhukhu ẹre emwa ne obọ ma sọ re ya zọese, sokpan iran ma ghi sẹtin gha dọe rhunmwuda ive aghanghan ne iran fian yọ. (Lev. 1:14; 5:7; 12:6-8) Ẹki omuru na keghi ya ohu mu Ọmamwaemwi Simeon ben Gamaliel sẹrriọ wẹẹ, ọ na fian inu izọese ne Ivbie Ju ghaa ru kanmwa. Ọwarọkpa nii ẹre igho na ya dẹ elikhukhu na wa rhiotọ. Te ọ yevbe na miẹn wẹẹ, emwi na ka khiẹn vbe naira 1000 na do khian naira 100.

Zẹ vbene a rhan otọ re na, ẹmwata e Jesu tae vbe ọ tie avbe ọduẹki nii “oyi” rhunmwuda arovbẹmwẹ ọghe iran kevbe ẹki omuru ne iran ghaa do.