Matthew 22:35

“Then one of them, which was a lawyer, etc.] Or that was “learned”, or “skilful in the law”, as the Syriac and Persic versions, and Munster’s Hebrew Gospel read. The Ethiopic version calls him, “a Scribe of the city”, of the city of Jerusalem; but I do not meet with any such particular officer, or any such office peculiar to a single man any where: mention is made of “the Scribes of the people” in (<400204>Matthew 2:4) and this man was one of them, one that interpreted the law to the people, either in the schools, or in the synagogues, or both; and Mark expressly calls him a “Scribe”: and so the Arabic version renders the word here; and from hence it may be concluded that the lawyers and…”

“Jesus converses with a Pharisee respecting the law - See also Mark 12:28-34. Matthew 22:34 The Pharisees ... were gathered together - That is, either to rejoice that their great rivals, the Sadducees, had been so completely silenced, or to lay a new plan for ensnaring him, or perhaps both. They would rejoice that the Sadducees had been confounded, but they would not be the less desirous to involve Jesus in difficulty. They therefore endeavored, probably, to find the most difficult question in dispute among themselves, and proposed it to him to perplex him. Matthew 22:35 A lawyer - This does nor mean one that “practiced” law, as among us, but one learned or skilled in the law of Moses. Mark…”

“A scribe asking him a question, trying him - Not, as it seems, with any ill design: but barely to make a farther trial of that wisdom, which he had shown in silencing the Sadducees. Matthew 22:37”

“a lawyer: Luk 7:30, Luk 10:25-37, Luk 11:45, Luk 11:46, Luk 11:52, Luk 14:3; Tit 3:13 tempting: Mat 22:18; Mar 10:2 Matthew 22:36”