Matthew 22:34 (KJV)

Passage

But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.

Nearby Context

Matthew 22:32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.

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

Matthew 22:34 But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.

Matthew 22:35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,

Matthew 22:36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "pharisees", "heard", "sadducees", "silence", "gathered", and "together". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "pharisees" and "heard", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 33's "And when the multitude heard this they..." into verse 35's "Then one of them which was a...", so "pharisees" and "heard" 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 "pharisees" and "heard" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.