One of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, testing him.
Parallel Translations
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One of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, testing him.
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and one of them which was a doctoure of lawe axed a question temptinge him and sayinge:
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And one of them, which was an expounder of the Lawe, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
Cross-references (7)
Passages linked to Matthew 22:35 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Luke 7:30 But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the counsel of God, not being baptized by him themselves.
- Luke 10:25-37 Behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested him, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” He said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” He said to him, “You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live.” But he, desiring to justify himself, asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus answered, “A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who both stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. By chance a certain priest was going down that way. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. In the same way a Levite also, when he came to the place, and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he traveled, came where he was. When he saw him, he was moved with compassion, came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. He set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the host, and said to him, ‘Take care of him. Whatever you spend beyond that, I will repay you when I return.’ Now which of these three do you think seemed to be a neighbor to him who fell among the robbers?” He said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”
- Luke 11:45-46 One of the lawyers answered him, “Teacher, in saying this you insult us also.” He said, “Woe to you lawyers also! For you load men with burdens that are difficult to carry, and you yourselves won’t even lift one finger to help carry those burdens.
- Luke 11:52 Woe to you lawyers! For you took away the key of knowledge. You didn’t enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in, you hindered.”
- Luke 14:3 Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”
- Matthew 22:18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why do you test me, you hypocrites?
- Titus 3:13 Send Zenas, the lawyer, and Apollos on their journey speedily, that nothing may be lacking for them.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (11 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain A scribe, so saith Mark 12:28, now what a…
A scribe, so saith Mark 12:28, now what a scribe is, see Matt. 2:4.
Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer,…
35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
Ver. 35. Then one of them which was a lawyer] Pareus gathereth out of Mark, Mar 12:28, that this lawyer was one of them that had applauded Christ for his conquest over the Sadducees in the last conflict, Luk 20:39, and that for a penance he was enjoined by his fellow Pharisees to undertake this following disputation with Christ: Ad liberandum igitur se uspicione, partes disputandi adversus eum nunc ibi imponi a collegio patitur.
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Tempting him, and saying] Saint Peter saith, "They found no guile in his mouth," which implies that they sought it, 1Pe 2:22. There are those who hear us merely to catch, cavil, and quarrel.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain This is the first and great commandment. Whether the…
This is the first and great commandment. Whether the object of it is considered, who is the first and chief good; or the manner in which it is to be observed, which requires and engrosses the whole heart, soul, and mind, and all the strength and power of man; or its being the principle from whence all the duties, and actions of men should flow, and the end to which all are to be referred; and is not only a compendium of the duties of the first table of the decalogue, but of all others that can be thought to, and do, belong to God. This is the first command in order of nature, time, dignity, and causality; God being the first cause of all things, infinitely above all creatures, and love to him being the source, spring and cause of love to the neighbour; and it is the greatest in its object, nature, manner, and end. That this command, and these words our Lord cites, are so full and comprehensive, the Jews themselves cannot deny. A noted writer of their's (x) says,
"the root of "all the commandments" is, when a man loves God with all his soul, and cleaves unto him.
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And, says (y) another,
"in this verse only, "thou shalt love the Lord thy God", &c,
, "the ten words, or decalogue, are comprehended".
(x) Aben Ezra in Exod. xxxi. 18. (y) Tzeror Hammor, fol. 138. 1.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain A scribe asking him a question, trying him -…
A scribe asking him a question, trying him - Not, as it seems, with any ill design: but barely to make a further trial of that wisdom, which he had shown in silencing the Sadducees.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 35. A lawyer] νομικος, a teacher of the…
Verse 35. A lawyer] νομικος, a teacher of the law. What is called lawyer, in the common translation, conveys a wrong idea to most readers: my old MS. renders the word in the same way I have done. These teachers of the law were the same as the scribes, or what Dr. Wotton calls letter-men, whom he supposes to be the same as the Karaites, a sect of the Jews who rejected all the traditions of the elders, and admitted nothing but the written word. See Wotton's Mishna, vol. i. p. 78. These are allowed to have kept more closely to the spiritual meaning of the law and prophets than the Pharisees did; and hence the question proposed by the lawyer, (Mark, Mr 12:28, calls him one of the scribes,) or Karaite, was of a more spiritual or refined nature than any of the preceding.
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 35. One of them — Who seems to have…
35. One of them — Who seems to have been of their party, and knew too their plots and plans. He will try Jesus with a profound question, and fairly see what is his depth. A lawyer — One who was professedly well read in the law of Moses.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 35. one of them, which was a lawyer] i.…
35. one of them, which was a lawyer] i. e. an interpreter of the written law, as distinguished from the “traditions” or unwritten law.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (35) A lawyer.—The precise distinction between the “lawyer” and…
(35) A lawyer.—The precise distinction between the “lawyer” and the other scribes rested, probably, on technicalities that have left little or no trace behind them. The word suggests the thought of a section of the scribes who confined their attention to the Law, while the others included in their studies the writings of the Prophets also. In Luk_7:30; Luk_11:45, they appear as distinct from the Pharisees. The question asked by the “lawyer” here and in Luk_10:25 falls in with this view. So it would seem, in Tit_3:13, that Zenas the “lawyer” was sent for to settle the strivings about the Law that prevailed in Crete.
Tempting him.—There does not appear to have been in this instance any hostile purpose in the mind of the questioner; nor does the word necessarily imply it. (Comp. Joh_6:6; 2Co_13:5, where it is used in the sense of “trying,” “examining.”) It would seem, indeed, as if our Lord’s refutation of the Sadducees had drawn out a certain measure of sympathy and reverence from those whose minds were not hardened in hypocrisy. They came now to test His teaching on other points. What answer would He give to the much-debated question of the schools, as to which was the great commandment of the Law? Would He fix on circumcision, or the Sabbath, or tithes, or sacrifice, as that which held the place of pre-eminence? The fact that they thus, as it were, examined Him as if they were His judges, showed an utterly imperfect recognition of His claims as a Prophet and as the Christ; but the “lawyer” who appeared as their representative was, at least, honest in his purpose, and “not far from the kingdom of God” (Mar_12:34).
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain A lawyer; nomikov , called by St. Mark "a…
A lawyer; nomikov , called by St. Mark "a scribe a term of wider signification, which would include "lawyers." Vulgate, legis doctor, which gives the right sense; for such were teachers and expounders of the Mosaic Law. This man was put forth by the Pharisees as an expert, who would not be so easily discomfited as the Sadducees had been. Tempting him. Trying him; (comp. 1Ki_10:1) putting him to the test, not altogether maliciously, but partly from curiosity, and partly from a desire to hear Christ"s opinion on a much disputed point. It is evident, from St. Mark"s account, that Christ was pleased with him personally, for he said to him, "Thou art not far from the kingdom of God." Those who put this lawyer forward had, of course, sinister motives, and hoped to make capital from Christ"s answer; but the man himself seems to have been straightforward and honest. We have had the terra "tempting" used in a hostile sense, (Mat_16:1 Mat_19:3) but there is no necessity for so taking it; and it seems to imply here merely the renewal of the attack on Christ.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
B. W. Johnson 1891 · Public Domain 35. A lawyer. An expounder of the law of…
35. A lawyer. An expounder of the law of Moses. A scribe (see Mark). Tempting him. Trying him.
B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.
C. I. Scofield 1917 · Public Domain (Greek - νομικός," "of the law"; occurs also Luk…
lawyer
(Greek - νομικός," "of the law"; occurs also Luk 7:30; Luk 10:25; Luk 11:45; Luk 11:46; Luk 11:52; Luk 14:3; Tit 3:13. Except in the last instance, "lawyer" is another name for "scribe."
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(See Scofield "Mat 2:4"). In Tit 3:13 the term has the modern meaning.
The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.