Section 22:34–40 A question about the most important commandment

In this section, one of the Pharisees asked Jesus to name the most important commandment in the Law of Moses. This type of question was a common one that scribes and Pharisees dealt with, and different teachers might give different answers. Jesus gave a definite answer about which law is most important. The he went beyond the question and gave an equally important second commandment.

Here are some other possible headings for this section:

Which is the great commandment of the Law?

There are parallel passages for this section in Mark 12:28–34 and Luke 10:25–28.

Paragraph 22:34–36

22:34a

But: The Greek conjunction that the English Standard Version here translates as But often indicates a change. Here the change is a change of people. In the previous section, the Sadducees asked Jesus a question. In this section, one of the Pharisees asked Jesus a question.

Many English versions do not translate this conjunction.

when the Pharisees heard: For help in translating the word Pharisees, see the Note in 3:7a. The word Pharisees last occurred in 22:15a. Translate it the same way here.

that he: The pronoun he refers to Jesus. Since this is the beginning of a new section, you may want to make that explicit. For example:

that Jesus (God’s Word)

had silenced: The Greek verb that the English Standard Version translates as had silenced is more literally “had muzzled.” It refers to something tied over an animal’s or person’s mouth to prevent it from opening. Here it is used in a figurative sense. Jesus did not actively stop the Sadducees from speaking, but his argument was so clear and strong that they could make no response. (This same verb is in 22:12b.) Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:

had tied/shut their mouths
-or-
had made them speechless
-or-
had won the argument

the Sadducees: The name Sadducees is the same as in 22:23a. Translate it the same way here.

22:34b

they gathered together: This clause in Greek contains a phrase that means “in the same place.” This implies that the Pharisees came together to plan their next attempt to trap Jesus. Here are some other ways to translate this clause:

they gathered together in one place

-or-

they met together

There is some implied information here. Verse 22:35 shows that the Pharisees were with Jesus. So some time between 22:34 and 22:35 they went to Jesus. In some languages, it may be natural to make this information explicit. For example:

and then went to Jesus

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