The Meaning of Matthew 22:35 Explained

Matthew 22:35

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

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

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

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

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does Matthew 22:35 Mean?

Study Notes

lawyer
(Greek - νομικός ," "of the law"; occurs also Luke 7:30 ; Luke 10:25 ; Luke 11:45 ; Luke 11:46 ; Luke 11:52 ; Luke 14:3 ; Titus 3:13 . Except in the last instance, "lawyer" is another name for "scribe."
. In Titus 3:13 the term has the modern meaning.
Scribes
(Greek - " ἀπόλλυμι " = "writer") Heb. "spherim," "to write," "set in order," "count." The scribes were so called because it was their office to make copies of the Scriptures; to classify and teach the precepts of oral law (See Scofield " Matthew 3:7 ") and to keep careful count of every letter in the O.T. writings. Such an office was necessary in a religion of law and precept, and was an O.T. function 2 Samuel 8:17 ; 2 Samuel 20:25 ; 1 Kings 4:3 ; Jeremiah 8:8 ; Jeremiah 36:10 ; Jeremiah 36:12 ; Jeremiah 36:26 . To this legitimate work the scribes added a record of rabbinical decisions on questions of ritual (Halachoth); the new code resulting from those decisions (Mishna); the Hebrew sacred legends (Gemara, forming with the Mishna the Talmud); commentaries on the O.T. (Midrashim); reasonings upon these (Hagada); and finally, mystical interpretations which found in Scripture meanings other than the grammatical, lexical, and obvious ones (the Kabbala); not unlike the allegorical method of Origen, or the modern Protestant "spiritualizing" interpretation. In our Lord's time, to receive this mass of writing superposed upon the Scriptures was to be orthodox; to return to the Scriptures themselves was heterodoxy--our Lord's most serious offence.

Context Summary

Matthew 22:34-46 - The Summary Of The Law
Our Lord seemed to say: "Here is all Scripture in a nutshell; the whole range of human duty in a portable pocket form." We are reminded of Ecclesiastes 12:13. But what a magnificent definition is here given of pure and undefiled religion! The whole Law is gathered up in that one word love! See Romans 13:8-10.
In Mark 12:33 the word strength is added. There are four channels of love. The heart stands for our emotions; the soul for our will and general individuality; the mind for our intellect; and strength for the activities and energies of our service. Often we cannot feel love, but we can always use our strength for God and show our love by doing things which we would never do except for His sake.
The question which the Master propounded to the scribes can be solved only by the admission of His two natures-divine and human-as existing in His one person. As David's Lord He is divine; as his son, He was born of the Virgin. See Matthew 1:1. [source]

Chapter Summary: Matthew 22

1  The parable of the marriage of the king's son
9  The vocation of the Gentiles
12  The punishment of him who lacked a wedding garment
15  Tribute ought to be paid to Caesar
23  Jesus confutes the Sadducees for the resurrection;
34  answers which is the first and great commandment;
41  and puzzles the Pharisees by a question about the Messiah

What do the individual words in Matthew 22:35 mean?

And questioned [Him] one of them a lawyer testing Him
καὶ ἐπηρώτησεν εἷς ἐξ αὐτῶν νομικὸς πειράζων αὐτόν

ἐπηρώτησεν  questioned  [Him] 
Parse: Verb, Aorist Indicative Active, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἐπερωτάω  
Sense: to accost one with an enquiry, put a question to, enquiry of, ask, interrogate.
εἷς  one 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: εἷς  
Sense: one.
νομικὸς  a  lawyer 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: νομικός  
Sense: pertaining to the law, one learned in the law.
πειράζων  testing 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: πειράζω  
Sense: to try whether a thing can be done.