Matthew 22:36

Matthew 22:36, in plain English

He asks Jesus a straightforward but loaded question: of all the commandments in God's law, which one is the most important? It sounds simple, but it's actually a minefield.

Why it's here

Jewish scholars debated this endlessly. With over 600 laws in the Old Testament, picking the 'greatest' one could easily offend someone or seem to downplay other laws.

Who's speaking

The legal expert asks his carefully chosen question, hoping to catch Jesus in a theological trap.

Where it sits in the story

It's one of those questions where any answer could get you in trouble. But Jesus is about to give the most perfect answer ever spoken.

The scholarly reading

The question 'which commandment is greatest (megale) in the Law?' reflects ongoing rabbinic debates about the relative weight of the 613 mitzvot. Some rabbis distinguished between 'heavy' (chamurot) and 'light' (qallot) commandments.

Language and setting

This question could be a trap: any answer prioritizing one commandment might seem to diminish others, opening Jesus to charges of undermining Torah.

Voice

The legal expert poses his question, which is both a legitimate theological inquiry and a potential snare.

Significance

It's a deceptively simple question with enormous implications. Picking one commandment as 'greatest' could be seen as dismissing the rest.

34And when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they themselves gathered together.

35One of them, an expert in the law, tested Him with a question:

36“Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in the Law?”

37Jesus declared, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’

38This is the first and greatest commandment.

Read all of Matthew 22 — A wedding banquet, a trick question about taxes, and the greatest commandment — Jesus outmaneuvers every trap set for him.