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One of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, testing him. “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?”
Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”
Matthew 22:35-40 sits inside this longer paragraph.
When the multitudes heard it, they were astonished at his teaching. But the Pharisees, when they heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, gathered themselves together. One of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, testing him. “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?”
Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”
One of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, testing him.
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?”
Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
This is the first and great commandment.
A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”
and one of them which was a doctoure of lawe axed a question temptinge him and sayinge:
Master which is the chefe commaundment in the lawe?
Iesus sayde vnto him: love the Lorde thy God with all thine herte with all thy soule and with all thy mynde.
This is the fyrst and the chefe comaundement.
And ther is another lyke vnto this. Love thyne neghbour as thy selfe.
In these two commaundemetes hange all the lawe and the Prophetes.
And one of them, which was an expounder of the Lawe, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
Master, which is ye great commandement in the Lawe?
Iesus sayd to him, Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart, with all thy soule, and with all thy minde.
This is the first and the great commandement.
And the second is like vnto this, Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe.
On these two commandements hangeth the whole Lawe, and the Prophets.
Questions where the Bible appears to say two different things, with the passages on each side set together.
37 distinct cross-references across this passage (38 total citations).
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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Geneva Bible translators 1599 · Public Domain On vv35, 37, 39 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 On vv35–40 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 On vv35–40 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 On vv35, 37, 39 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 On vv35–40 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.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain On v37 Mat 22:37-40. Jesus said, Thou shalt love the Lord…
Mat 22:37-40. Jesus said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart — Concerning this first and great commandment, and the words wherewith Moses prefaced it, see note on Deu 6:5; and for the elucidation of this whole paragraph, see the notes on Mar 12:28-34, where the conversation which our Lord had with this scribe is related more at large. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets — That is, they contain the substance or abridgment of all the religious and moral duties contained in the law and the prophets, which therefore may be all said to hang or depend on them. The expression, says Dr. Whitby, is a metaphor taken from a custom mentioned by Tertullian of hanging up their laws in a public place to be seen of all men; and it imports that in these precepts is compendiously contained all that the law and prophets require, in reference to our duty to God and man; for though there be some precepts of temperance which we owe to ourselves, yet are they such as we may be moved to perform from the true love of God and of our neighbour; whom if we truly love we cannot be wanting in them. For the love of God will make us humble and contented with our lot; it will preserve us from all intemperance, impatience, and unholy desires; it will make us watchful over ourselves, that we may keep a good conscience, and solicitous for our eternal welfare. And the love of our neighbour will free us from all angry passions, envy, malice, revenge, and other unkind tempers: so that both taken together will introduce into us the whole mind that was in Christ, and cause us to walk as he walked.
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On v40 On these two, &c. Whereby it is evident that…
On these two, &c. Whereby it is evident that all dependeth not upon faith only, though faith be the first, but much more upon charity, which is the love of God and of our neighbour, and which is the sum of all the law and the prophets; because he that hath this double charity, expressed here by these two principal commandments, fulfilleth all that is commanded in the law and the prophets. (Bristow)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On vv35, 36, 37, 39, 40 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 On vv35, 37 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 On vv35, 36, 37, 39, 40 (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 On vv35–40 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 On vv35, 36, 37, 39 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 On v35 (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.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv37, 39 General Information:
General Information:
Jesus quotes a verse from Deuteronomy as the greatest commandment.
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with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind
These three phrases are used together to mean "completely" or "earnestly." Here "heart" and "soul" are metonyms for a person's inner being. (See: Metonymy and Doublet)
the great and first commandment
Here "great" and "first" mean the same thing. They emphasize that this is the most important commandment. (See: Doublet)
translationWords
Jesus
lord
God
heart
soul
mind
command
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On vv36, 37, 39, 40 22:36 Since many strict Jews saw all commandments as…
22:36 Since many strict Jews saw all commandments as equally binding, a careless response to this question could lead to the accusation of undermining the law of God.
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.