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But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.
Matthew 22:34 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB But the Pharisees, when they heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, gathered themselves together.
  • BSB And when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they themselves gathered together.
  • NKJV But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together.
  • NASB But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together.
  • NLT But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

The Pharisees regroup after Jesus silences the Sadducees. His victory over their rivals prompts a fresh challenge.

Overview

Hearing that Jesus has bested the Sadducees, the Pharisees gather to mount their own test. Their reassembling shows determined opposition rather than humble inquiry. This sets up the well-known question about the greatest commandment.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 8

  • Mark 12:28–31And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?
  • Matt 25:3–5They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
  • Isa 41:5–7The isles saw it, and feared; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came.
  • Matt 12:14Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him.
  • John 11:47–50Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.
  • Acts 21:28–30Crying out, Men of Israel, help: This is the man, that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place.
  • Acts 5:24–28Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow.
  • Acts 19:23–28And the same time there arose no small stir about that way.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — Matthew videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on Matthew 22:34YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on MatthewMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'

How Matthew 22:34 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.