Matthew 22:36

“Master, which is the great commandment in the law?] He calls him “master, Rabbi, or doctor”, as the Sadducees had in (<402224>Matthew 22:24) either because he was usually so called by his disciples, and by the generality of the people; or merely in complaisance to engage his attention to him, and his question: and might hereby suggest, that should he return a proper and satisfactory answer to it he should be his master. The question is not which of the laws was the greatest, the oral, or the written law: the Jews give the preference to the law delivered by word of mouth; they prefer the traditions of the elders before the written law of Moses; (See Gill on “<401502>Matthew 15:2”); but the…”

“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…”

“22:36 Since many strict Jews saw all commandments as equally binding, a careless response to this question could lead to the accusation of undermining the law of God.”

“Mat 5:19, Mat 5:20, Mat 15:6, Mat 23:23, Mat 23:24; Hos 8:12; Mar 12:28-33; Luk 11:42 Matthew 22:37”