Matthew 22:34 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together.

NIV: Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together.

NASB: But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together.

CSB: When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they came together.

NLT: But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again.

KJV: But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.

NKJV: But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together.

This verse reads as if the various religious groups were cycling in and out to ask Jesus questions. This almost comically evokes the concept of "tapping in" and "tapping out" from tag-team wrestling. In those events, grapplers will touch hands with a teammate outside the ring, allowing them to trade places as they battle an opponent. In a sense, Christ's enemies are circling in and out of the battle as their attacks are foiled.

The Pharisees heard that Jesus had ended the prior exchange with the Sadducees by silencing them (Matthew 22:23–33). His answer was so clear, correct, and profound, they had nothing left to say.

Perhaps the Pharisees were impressed with this. The Pharisees and Sadducees were rivals and known to have debated the issue of resurrection. Jesus' ability to silence them with His wisdom and logic and revelation may have prompted the Pharisees to ask Him an honest question. Or perhaps they took it as a challenge to do better than the Sadducees had done in challenging Jesus. The question given next is intended to "test" Jesus (Matthew 22:35), but it is not necessarily invalid.

In any case, the Pharisees huddle together to craft a new approach, before picking one of their own to ask Jesus their new question.

Matthew 22:34–40 describes a question to Jesus from a Pharisee described as a lawyer. In this context, this means someone well-versed in the Old Testament. He asks Jesus which is the great commandment in the Law. Jesus upholds Deuteronomy 6:5, indicating that loving God with everything about us is the great and first commandment. Christ then volunteers that the second greatest is closely related: to love your neighbor as yourself. Every command or law from God is distilled from those basic principles. Luke 10:25–28 and Mark 12:28–37 also describe this challenge.

Continuing a dialogue with hostile religious leaders, Jesus tells a parable comparing the kingdom of heaven to a wedding feast which ends up being attended by those not initially invited. He answers trick questions about taxes, marriage, resurrection, and the Law of Moses. These responses are the source of common English idioms such as "render to Caesar…" and "many are called but few are chosen." Finally, Jesus asks how the Messiah can be both the son of David and the Lord of David. None can answer Him, so they stop challenging Him in public.

This chapter extends an exchange between Jesus and several groups of religious leaders in the temple. The previous chapter concluded with two parables about the failures of the religious leaders. This chapter begins with a third parable, about chosen guests who refuse to attend a wedding feast. Jesus then fields questions from several religious groups, who fail in their attempts to trip Him up. His wise and profound answers silence all of them. At this point, Jesus launches into a full-throated condemnation of the Pharisees in chapter 23.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.