Matthew 22:36
New International Version
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

New Living Translation
“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”

English Standard Version
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”

Berean Standard Bible
“Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in the Law?”

Berean Literal Bible
"Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in the Law?"

King James Bible
Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

New King James Version
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”

New American Standard Bible
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”

NASB 1995
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”

NASB 1977
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”

Legacy Standard Bible
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”

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

Christian Standard Bible
“Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?”

American Standard Version
Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?

Contemporary English Version
"Teacher, what is the most important commandment in the Law?"

English Revised Version
Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in Moses' Teachings?"

Good News Translation
"Teacher," he asked, "which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"

International Standard Version
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"

Majority Standard Bible
“Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in the Law?”

NET Bible
"Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?"

New Heart English Bible
"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?"

Webster's Bible Translation
Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

Weymouth New Testament
"Teacher, which is the greatest Commandment in the Law?"

World English Bible
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
“Teacher, which [is] the great command in the Law?”

Berean Literal Bible
"Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in the Law?"

Young's Literal Translation
Teacher, which is the great command in the Law?'

Smith's Literal Translation
Teacher, which the great command in the law?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Master, which is the greatest commandment in the law?

Catholic Public Domain Version
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”

New American Bible
“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”

New Revised Standard Version
“Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“Teacher, which commandment in The Written Law is the greatest?”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?

Godbey New Testament
Teacher, what is the great commandment in the law?

Haweis New Testament
Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

Mace New Testament
which is the most important commandment of the law?

Weymouth New Testament
"Teacher, which is the greatest Commandment in the Law?"

Worrell New Testament
"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?"

Worsley New Testament
and said, Master, which is the greatest commandment in the law?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Greatest Commandment
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.’…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 6:5
And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

Leviticus 19:18
Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

Mark 12:28-31
Now one of the scribes had come up and heard their debate. Noticing how well Jesus had answered them, he asked Him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” / Jesus replied, “This is the most important: ‘Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. / Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ ...

Luke 10:25-28
One day an expert in the law stood up to test Him. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” / “What is written in the Law?” Jesus replied. “How do you read it?” / He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” ...

Romans 13:8-10
Be indebted to no one, except to one another in love. For he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. / The commandments “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and any other commandments, are summed up in this one decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” / Love does no wrong to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Galatians 5:14
The entire law is fulfilled in a single decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

James 2:8
If you really fulfill the royal law stated in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.

1 John 4:7-8
Beloved, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. / Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

1 John 4:20-21
If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. / And we have this commandment from Him: Whoever loves God must love his brother as well.

John 13:34-35
A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another. / By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”

John 15:12-13
This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. / Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a ringing gong or a clanging cymbal. / If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have absolute faith so as to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. / If I give all I possess to the poor and exult in the surrender of my body, but have not love, I gain nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:13
And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of these is love.

Ephesians 5:2
and walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant sacrificial offering to God.

Colossians 3:14
And over all these virtues put on love, which is the bond of perfect unity.


Treasury of Scripture

Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

Matthew 5:19,20
Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven…

Matthew 15:6
And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.

Matthew 23:23,24
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone…

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Chief Command Commandment Great Greatest Law Master Rule Teacher
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.














Teacher
The term "Teacher" here is translated from the Greek word "Διδάσκαλε" (Didaskale), which is a respectful address for someone who is recognized as a master or instructor. In the context of the Gospels, Jesus is often referred to as "Teacher" by those who seek His wisdom and understanding of the Scriptures. This title acknowledges His authority and expertise in spiritual matters, setting the stage for the profound teaching that follows. Historically, rabbis were highly respected figures in Jewish society, and addressing Jesus in this way shows the questioner's recognition of His role as a spiritual leader.

which is the greatest commandment in the Law?
This phrase is a direct inquiry into the heart of the Mosaic Law, which consists of 613 commandments. The Greek word for "greatest" is "μεγάλη" (megalē), indicating something of utmost importance or significance. The question posed is not merely academic; it seeks to understand the essence of the Law given by God to Moses. In the historical context, Jewish teachers often debated which commandments were weightier or more central to the faith. This question challenges Jesus to distill the vast and complex legal code into its most essential element. The Law, or "νόμος" (nomos), refers to the Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, which were foundational to Jewish life and religious practice. Understanding the greatest commandment would provide insight into the core of God's expectations for His people.

(36) Which is the great commandment . . .?--Literally, of what kind. The questioner asked as if it belonged to a class. Our Lord's answer is definite, "This is the first and great commandment."

Verse 36. - Which is the great commandment in the Law? Ποία ἐντολὴ μεγάλη ἐν τῷ νόμῳ; What sort of commandment is great in the Law? According to rabbinical teaching, there were more than six hundred precepts in the Law; of this considerable number all could not be observed. Which were of absolute obligation? which were not? The schools made a distinction between heavy and light commandments, as though some were of less importance than others, and might be neglected with impunity; and some of such exceeding dignity that fulfilment of them would condone imperfect obedience in the case of others. Some taught that if a man rightly selected some great precept to observe, he might safely disregard the rest of the Law (see Matthew 19:16, etc.). This was the kind of doctrine against which St. James (James 2:10) expostulates: "Whosoever shall keep the whole Law, and yet stumble in one point, he is become guilty of all." The Pharisees may have desired to discover whether Jesus knew and sanctioned these rabbinical distinctions. He had proved himself intimately acquainted with the inner meaning of Scripture, and able to evolve doctrines and to trace analogies which their dull minds had never comprehended; the question now was whether he entered into their subtle divisions and could decide this dispute for them. Such is the view usually taken of the scribe's question; but it may well be doubted, if regard is had to the character of the man, whether he had any intention of entangling Christ in these subtleties, but rather asked for a solution of the general problem - Of what nature was the precept which should be regarded as "first" (Mark) in the Law? We may compare the somewhat similar question and answer in Luke 10:25-28. Lange's idea, that the scribe wished to force Christ to make some answer which, by implying his own claim to be Son of God, would trench upon the doctrine of monotheism, seems wholly unwarranted. This theory is based on the supposition that the Pharisee took it for granted that Jesus would answer, "Thou shalt love God above all," and intended to found upon that reply a condemnation for having made himself equal with God by his assertion of Sonship. But the text gives no countenance to such intention, and it has been suggested chiefly for the purpose of accounting for Christ's subsequent question (vers. 41-45), which, however, needs no such foundation, as we shall see.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
“Teacher,
Διδάσκαλε (Didaskale)
Noun - Vocative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1320: A teacher, master. From didasko; an instructor.

which
ποία (poia)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 4169: Of what sort. From the base of pou and hoios; individualizing interrogative what sort of, or which one.

commandment
ἐντολὴ (entolē)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 1785: An ordinance, injunction, command, law. From entellomai; injunction, i.e. An authoritative prescription.

[is the] greatest
μεγάλη (megalē)
Adjective - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 3173: Large, great, in the widest sense.

in
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

the
τῷ (tō)
Article - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Law?”
νόμῳ (nomō)
Noun - Dative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3551: From a primary nemo; law, genitive case, specially, (including the volume); also of the Gospel), or figuratively.


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