Matthew 22:35 (GNV)

Passage

And one of them, which was an expounder of the Lawe, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,

Nearby Context

Matthew 22:33 And when the multitude heard it, they were astonied at his doctrine.

Matthew 22:34 But when the Pharises had heard, that he had put the Sadduces to silence, they assembled together.

Matthew 22:35 And one of them, which was an expounder of the Lawe, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,

Matthew 22:36 Master, which is ye great commandement in the Lawe?

Matthew 22:37 Iesus sayd to him, Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart, with all thy soule, and with all thy minde.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "expounder", "lawe", "asked", "question", "tempting", and "saying". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "expounder" and "lawe", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 34's "But when the Pharises had heard that..." into verse 36's "Master which is ye great commandement in...", so "expounder" and "lawe" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "expounder" and "lawe" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.