Lectionary Year A
October 27, 2002
Matthew 22:34-46

Initial Acquaintance/Rough Translation

A. Comparing Translations

(JFC) The Contemporary English Version and the New Revised Standard Version differ some, as these notes illustrate:

34 After Jesus had made the Sadducees look foolish, the Pharisees heard about it - CEV
When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, - NRSV

35 One of them was an expert in the Jewish Law. - CEV
and one of them, a lawyer, - NRSV

36 the most important commandment in the Law? - COM
which commandment in the law is the greatest? - NRSV

39 "Love others as much as you love yourself." - CEV
"You shall love your neighbors as yourself." - NRSV

B. Textual Criticism

(JFC) Most of the alternative readings add proper names, etc., to clarify to whom/which the indefinite pronouns refer, for example, in verses 37 and 43, Ihsouj, is added by a few witnesses. We might commend the redactors for trying to make these sentences clearer, but it could hardly have been original. Surely, listeners and/or readers of this material, as significant as it was and is, would get the recipients' total focus in listening/reading, even if they weren't Communication majors. Beside, the addition(s) make the sentences longer, obviously.

C. Rough Translation

(JFC) 34 But the Pharisees having heard [aorist, active, participle] that He silenced/muzzled the Sadducees they gathered unto Him, 35 and questioned one from them [a lawyer] testing [present, active, participle] Him; 36 "Teacher, which commandment (is) great in the Law?" 37 But He said to him, "You shall [future] love (the) Lord the God of yours in all the heart of yours and in all the soul/ psyche of yours and in all the spiritual life/understanding/intelligence/mind of yours; 38 this is the great and first commandment. 39 But second (is) like it; you shall love the neighbor of yours as yourself [accusative, singular]. 40 On these the two commandments (the) entire the Law hangs/suspends/depends [present, active, indicative] and the prophets." 41 But having been gathered/collected/assembled together [perfect, passive, participle] the Pharisees questioned Him this Jesus 42 saying, "What of you [dative, plural] think concerning the messiah/Christ? Whose son is He?" They said to Him, "of the David." 43 He said to them, "How then David in (the) Spirit calls [present, active, indicative] Him Lord saying; 44 'Said (the) Lord to the Lord of mine; 'Sit [singular, imperative] from of the right hand of mine, until if I should/might [aorist, active, subjunctive] make/set/place of the enemies of yours under/beneath/underneath the feet of yours; 45 If then David calls Him Lord, how son of His is He?" 46 And no one was able to answer to Him a word nor presume [aorist, active, indicative] anything from that the day to question [aorist, active, infinitive] Him any more/again.



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