Matthew 22:33 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And when the crowd heard it, they were astonished at his teaching.

NIV: When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.

NASB: When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.

CSB: And when the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.

NLT: When the crowds heard him, they were astounded at his teaching.

KJV: And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine.

NKJV: And when the multitudes heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.

The picture of Jesus' exchange with the various groups of religious leaders comes into sharper focus with this verse. He is likely still in the temple, in the huge outer courts, where all the religious people of Israel would gather, and debates would frequently take place between various rabbis (Matthew 21:23).

He has been addressing and trading questions with chief priests, elders, Pharisees, Herodians, and now Sadducees. A crowd of people has been witnessing these exchanges, growing more and more impressed with Jesus. Now they are astonished at His brilliant and revealing answers to the Sadducees. Watching Jesus confront these groups of men with so much power over the lives of everyday Israelites may have been quite gratifying for any of those everyday people watching it happen. It was increasingly infuriating and terrifying for the religious leaders themselves.

Matthew 22:23–33 contains another challenge for Jesus. This one comes from the Sadducees: a Jewish religious group that did not believe in an afterlife. Attempting to prove their view, they describe a hypothetical situation based on a requirement from the Law of Moses. A woman is married to seven brothers, one after another, as each dies and passes her on. Whose wife will she be in the resurrection? Jesus replies that the question is flawed: there is no marriage in the resurrection. He then references Scripture to show that the Lord is God of the living, including faithful patriarchs such as Abraham and Jacob. Parallel accounts are recorded in Mark 12:18–27 and Luke 20:27–40.

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.

Accessed 4/29/2024 1:48:14 AM