Devine Scripture

Matthew 22:35

What does Matthew 22:35 mean?

A plain-English look at Matthew 22:35 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.

What Matthew 22:35 means

Among the gathered Pharisees, 'one of them, a lawyer,' steps forward. Lawyers were experts in the Mosaic Law, making his question an authoritative challenge. This specific individual asks Jesus a question 'trying him,' meaning he intended to test Jesus' knowledge and perhaps expose a weakness in His understanding of the Law. This highlights the Pharisees' continued attempts to discredit Jesus through intellectual and theological means, demonstrating their persistent antagonism.

Parallel translations

WEB

World English Bible · 2000

And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, trying him:

KJV

King James Version · 1611

Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,

ASV

American Standard Version · 1901

And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, trying him:

BBE

Bible in Basic English · 1949

And one of them, a teacher of the law, put a question to him, testing him, and saying,

YLT

Young's Literal Translation · 1862

and one of them, a lawyer, did question, tempting him, and saying,

DRA

Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752

And one of them, a doctor of the law, asked him, tempting him:

DBY

Darby Bible · 1890

And one of them, a lawyer, demanded, tempting him, and saying,

Context

This verse identifies the new challenger as a "lawyer" among the Pharisees, emphasizing his expertise in the Law and the intellectual nature of this next trap. His questioning of Jesus is explicitly stated as an attempt to 'try him,' setting the tone for a direct theological confrontation about the core of the Mosaic Law. This immediately precedes the lawyer's specific question about the greatest commandment.

v.34But the Pharisees, when they heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, gathered themselves together.

v.35This passage

v.36Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?

Cross references

Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

  • Luke 7:30

    But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected for themselves the counsel of God, being not baptized of him.

  • Luke 11:52

    Woe unto you lawyers! for ye took away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.

  • Luke 14:3

    And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath, or not?

  • Luke 11:45

    And one of the lawyers answering saith unto him, Teacher, in saying this thou reproachest us also.

  • Titus 3:13

    Set forward Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey diligently, that nothing be wanting unto them.

  • Matthew 22:18

    But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why make ye trial of me, ye hypocrites?

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