The Greatest Commandment
Matthew 22:34-40
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Matt.22.34 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Οι: ART,nom,pl,m
- δε: CONJ
- Φαρισαιοι: NOUN,nom,pl,m
- ακουσαντες: VERB,aor,act,part,nom,pl,m
- οτι: CONJ
- εφιμωσεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- τους: ART,acc,pl,m
- Σαδδουκαιους: NOUN,acc,pl,m
- συνηχθησαν: VERB,aor,pass,ind,3,pl
- επι: PREP
- το: ART,nom,sg,n
- αυτο: PRON,acc,sg,m
Parallels
- Mark 12:28 (verbal): Parallel account of an expert (scribe) approaching after debates; similar sequence and wording about others hearing Jesus and a legal expert engaging him on the greatest commandment (parallels Matt 22:34–40).
- Luke 20:39-40 (structural): After Jesus answers the Sadducees, some scribes say 'Teacher, you have well said' and no longer question him—echoes Matthew's note that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees and opponents then congregated.
- Luke 10:25-27 (thematic): Different occasion but parallel content: an expert of the law asks about the key commandment and Jesus cites love of God and neighbor (the Great Commandment), which Matthew places immediately after v.34.
- John 11:47-50 (thematic): The chief priests and Pharisees gather after Jesus' sign (raising Lazarus) to deliberate about him—a similar motif of Jewish leaders assembling in response to Jesus' actions/authority.
Alternative generated candidates
- But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together.
- When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together.
Matt.22.35 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- και: CONJ
- επηρωτησεν: VERB,aor,act,ind,3,sg
- εις: PREP
- εξ: PREP
- αυτων: PRON,gen,pl,3
- νομικος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- πειραζων: PART,pres,act,nom,sg,m
- αυτον·: PRON,acc,sg,masc
Parallels
- Mark 12:28-34 (verbal): Synoptic parallel: a scribe/lawyer poses a question about the greatest commandment; Mark preserves the same exchange and much of the dialogue and outcome.
- Luke 10:25 (thematic): Another instance of a 'lawyer' (nomikos) testing Jesus with a legal/theological question (about inheriting eternal life); shares the motif of a legal expert prompting Jesus' teaching.
- Matt 22:36 (structural): Immediate continuation in Matthew: records the lawyer's actual question ('Which is the greatest commandment?'), showing this verse introduces that interlocutor and challenge.
- Luke 20:40 (thematic): Parallel motif in Luke's trial-scenes: opponents cannot answer Jesus' replies (cf. Matthew 22:46). Both passages highlight Jesus' successful handling of challengers and silence of his adversaries.
Alternative generated candidates
- One of them, an expert in the law, asked him a question to test him.
- Then one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him,
Matt.22.36 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Διδασκαλε: NOUN,voc,sg,m
- ποια: ADJ,dat,sg,f
- εντολη: NOUN,nom,sg,f
- μεγαλη: ADJ,voc,sg,f
- εν: PREP
- τω: ART,dat,sg,m
- νομω: NOUN,dat,sg,m
Parallels
- Mark 12:28 (verbal): Parallel account of the same challenge; very similar wording and context leading to Jesus' summary of the greatest commandment.
- Luke 10:25 (thematic): A lawyer/legal expert poses a testing question to Jesus in a similar setting, prompting discussion of the law and eternal life.
- Deuteronomy 6:5 (quotation): The Shema ('Love the LORD your God...') — the Old Testament source Jesus cites as the first/primary commandment.
- Leviticus 19:18 (quotation): 'Love your neighbor as yourself' — the Old Testament basis for the second great commandment Jesus cites.
Alternative generated candidates
- "Teacher, which commandment in the Law is greatest?"
- "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"
Matt.22.37 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- δε: CONJ
- εφη: VERB,impf,act,ind,3,sg
- αυτω·Αγαπησεις: PRON,dat,3,sg+VERB,fut,act,ind,2,sg
- κυριον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- τον: ART,acc,sg,m
- θεον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- σου: PRON,gen,sg,m
- εν: PREP
- ολη: ADJ,dat,sg,f
- τη: ART,dat,sg,f
- καρδια: NOUN,dat,sg,f
- σου: PRON,gen,sg,m
- και: CONJ
- εν: PREP
- ολη: ADJ,dat,sg,f
- τη: ART,dat,sg,f
- ψυχη: NOUN,dat,sg,f
- σου: PRON,gen,sg,m
- και: CONJ
- εν: PREP
- ολη: ADJ,dat,sg,f
- τη: ART,dat,sg,f
- διανοια: NOUN,dat,sg,f
- σου·: PRON,gen,sg,2
Parallels
- Deuteronomy 6:5 (quotation): Direct source of Jesus' command (the Shema): 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart...' — Matthew cites this OT law verbatim.
- Mark 12:30 (quotation): Synoptic parallel in Mark where Jesus gives the same command as the greatest commandment with nearly identical wording.
- Luke 10:27 (quotation): Luke records the command in the context of the Good Samaritan dialogue, combining love of God and love of neighbor in similar terms.
- Deuteronomy 11:13 (verbal): Another Deuteronomic passage that pairs wholehearted love and service of Yahweh with covenant obedience, echoing the language of devotion (heart and soul).
- Leviticus 19:18 (structural): Gives the command to 'love your neighbor as yourself' which Jesus links as the second, related commandment (Matt 22:39) — together framing ethical obligations to God and others.
Alternative generated candidates
- He said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind."
- He said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind."
Matt.22.38 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- αυτη: PRON,dat,sg,f
- εστιν: VERB,pres,act,ind,3,sg
- η: ART,nom,sg,f
- μεγαλη: ADJ,voc,sg,f
- και: CONJ
- πρωτη: ADJ,nom,sg,f
- εντολη: NOUN,nom,sg,f
Parallels
- Deut.6.5 (quotation): The Shema—'Love the LORD your God with all your heart...' is the OT source Jesus invokes; Matthew 22:38 echoes this command as the first and greatest.
- Mark.12.29-31 (verbal): Parallel account in Mark where Jesus cites the Shema and adds 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself,' calling them the first and second greatest commandments.
- Luke.10.27 (verbal): Summary of the twofold command—love God and love neighbor—given by Jesus in response to the lawyer's question; parallels Matthew's identification of the greatest commandment.
- Lev.19.18 (quotation): 'Love your neighbor as yourself' is the OT source for the second commandment Jesus pairs with the Shema; Matthew 22:38 presupposes this paired structure.
- Matt.22.40 (structural): Immediate contextual parallel in Matthew: Jesus states that all the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments, framing verse 22:38 within the larger structure of Torah interpretation.
Alternative generated candidates
- This is the first and great commandment.
- "This is the first and greatest commandment."
Matt.22.39 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- Δευτερα: ADJ,nom,sg,f
- δε: CONJ
- ομοια: ADJ,nom,sg,f
- αυτη·Αγαπησεις: PRON,dem,dat,f,sg + VERB,fut,act,ind,2,sg
- τον: ART,acc,sg,m
- πλησιον: NOUN,acc,sg,m
- σου: PRON,gen,sg,m
- ως: CONJ
- σεαυτον: PRON,acc,sg,m,2
Parallels
- Leviticus 19:18 (quotation): The original Torah command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself'—Jesus cites this as the Old Testament basis for the second commandment.
- Mark 12:31 (verbal): Near-identical saying in Mark's Gospel (part of the same 'great commandment' teaching), confirming the verbal parallel in the Synoptic tradition.
- Luke 10:27 (verbal): Luke records the same double-command structure in Jesus' teaching; the expert in the law cites both loving God and 'your neighbor as yourself.'
- Romans 13:9 (quotation): Paul explicitly cites the command 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself' as one of the commandments summed up and fulfilled in love.
- Galatians 5:14 (quotation): Paul states that 'the whole law is fulfilled in one word: You shall love your neighbor as yourself,' echoing Matthew's emphasis on love as the law's fulfillment.
Alternative generated candidates
- And the second is like it: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
- "And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
Matt.22.40 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- εν: PREP
- ταυταις: DEM,dat,pl,f
- ταις: ART,dat,pl,f
- δυσιν: NUM,dat,pl,f
- εντολαις: NOUN,dat,pl,f
- ολος: ADJ,nom,sg,m
- ο: ART,nom,sg,m
- νομος: NOUN,nom,sg,m
- κρεμαται: VERB,pres,mid/pass,ind,3,sg
- και: CONJ
- οι: ART,nom,pl,m
- προφηται: NOUN,nom,pl,m
Parallels
- Mark 12:29-31 (verbal): Mark's parallel account records the same two commandments (Shema and love of neighbor) as the greatest commandments, paralleling Matthew's formulation that 'all the Law and the Prophets' hang on them.
- Luke 10:25-28 (verbal): In Luke's legal‑expert dialogue Jesus cites the twofold command (love God and love neighbor) as decisive; the content and function of the sayings align with Matthew 22:40.
- Deuteronomy 6:5 (quotation): The Shema ('Love the LORD your God') is the Old Testament source for the first commandment Jesus cites—the basis for Matthew's appeal to the Law.
- Leviticus 19:18 (quotation): 'Love your neighbor as yourself' is the OT locus classicus Jesus cites for the second commandment; Matthew 22:40 rests on this Levitical injunction.
- Romans 13:8-10 (thematic): Paul summarizes the ethical import of the Torah: 'Love is the fulfillment of the law,' echoing Matthew's claim that the Law and the Prophets hang on the two commandments of love.
Alternative generated candidates
- On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.
- On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.
When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, testing him.
Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?
He said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'
This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.