Matthew 22:36 - Printer Friendly

ESV: "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?"

NIV: "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"

NASB: Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?'

CSB: "Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?"

NLT: Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?'

KJV: Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

NKJV: “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”

The tone of the exchanges between Jesus and the various groups of religious leaders gathered in the temple seems to be shifting. It started with attempts to trip Jesus up. Some chief priests asked Him about where His authority comes from (Matthew 21:23). Later, some Pharisees engineered a trap in asking about Jesus' stance on paying taxes to Rome (Matthew 22:15–22). Then the Sadducees attempted a logical trap, only to have it turned against them (Matthew 22:23–33).

Jesus answered everything asked of Him so profoundly and so meaningfully that the next question is merely difficult, not necessarily hostile. This "test" question (Matthew 22:35) may very well be entirely sincere, driven by interest in Jesus' answer. This well-educated scholar of the law asks Jesus to identify the "greatest" of the commands in the Law of Moses.

It seems this topic was regularly debated among religious leaders of that era. Which commands were light, and which were weighty? Which were most essential? Which one was the greatest in the entire law, meaning in all the Old Testament Scriptures? Perhaps the question is meant to be a trap only if Jesus answers it poorly. If that's the case, Mark's account of this exchange shows that the lawyer was not prepared for Jesus to say exactly what he himself would have said (Mark 12:28–34).

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.