Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves.

"It is written," He said, "'And My house shall be the House of Prayer,' but you have made it a robbers' cave."

Saying to them, It has been said, My house is to be a house of prayer, but you have made it a hole of thieves.

saying as he did so, "Scripture says – 'My house will be a house of prayer'; but you have made it a den of robbers."

Saying unto them, it is written,.... In Isaiah 56:7
my house is the house of prayer; built and devoted for that service:
but ye have made it a den of thieves; which clause is not written in the above prophecy, but are the words of Christ referring to Jeremiah 7:11. The Ethiopic version adds, "and robbers"; and the Persic version adds, "and a place of cut-purses"; See Gill on Matthew 21:13.

Isaiah 56:7.