Matthew 22:34–40
From measureless shamelessness the Pharisees, envious because he was being praised by the crowds after the Sadducees were put to shame, ask again with hypocrisy, testing him — whether he will also add again to the first command as if correcting the law — so that they may find a handle against him. Matthew and Luke said the one who asked was a “lawyer,” (Matthew 22:34–40) Mark a “scribe.” That is no disagreement: some show him learned in the law, others a leading scribe, that is, an interpreter of the law to the people.
The Lord exposes their wickedness: they did not come to ask so as to be helped, but from having nothing and being held by envy. He also teaches that one must not love God in part and cling to earthly things in part. Because the Lord said this command is more summary than all, the lawyer seemed to be thrusting him into danger as making himself God. Hence, though he had not said that, the lawyer praised him, as Mark says. The first command teaches every form of piety; for loving God from the whole heart is the cause of every good. The second contains what is just toward humans. The first opens the way for the second, and the second is held together from it; for the one who has accomplished love toward God clearly also loves the neighbor in all things as himself. Such a person happens to be the fulfiller of all the commands.
Greek
Ἐξ ἀμέτρου ἀναιδείας διαφθονούμενοι οἱ Φαρισαῖοι, ἐπειδὴ κατ αισχυνθέντων τῶν Σαδδουκαίων ἐπῃνεῖτο ὑπὸ τῶν ὄχλων, μεθ' ὑπο κρίσεως πάλιν ἐρωτῶσι πειράζοντες αὐτόν, εἰ καὶ προστίθησι πάλιν τῇ ἐντολῇ τῇ πρώτῃ ὡς διορθούμενος τὸν νόμον, ἵνα εὕρωσι κατ' αὐτοῦ λαβήν. καὶ ὁ μὲν Ματθαῖος καὶ Λουκᾶς "νομικὸν" εἶναι ἔλεγεν τὸν ἐρωτήσαντα, Μᾶρκος δὲ "γραμματέα". οὐκ ἔστι δὲ τοῦτο διαφωνία· οἱ μὲν γὰρ νομομαθῆ τοῦτον ἀποδεικνύουσιν, οἱ δὲ γραμματεισαγωγέα, ὅπερ ἐστὶ τοῦ νόμου ἑρμηνεὺς τῷ λαῷ. ὁ δὲ κύριος δημοσιεύει αὐτῶν τὴν κακίαν, ὅτι οὐ διὰ τοῦτο ἦλθον ἐρωτῆσαι, ὥστε ὠφεληθῆναι, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τοῦ μὴ ἔχειν καὶ τῷ φθόνῳ κατέχεσθαι, καὶ διδάσκει, ὅτι οὐ δεῖ ἐν μέρει μὲν ἀγαπᾶν τὸν θεόν, ἐν μέρει δὲ τοῖς γηΐνοις προσκεῖσθαι. δι' ὧν δὲ ὁ κύριος εἶπεν ταύτην τὴν ἐντολὴν κεφαλαιωδεστέραν οὖσαν πασῶν, ἔδοξεν ὁ νομικὸς ἐμβάλλειν αὐτὸν εἰς κίνδυνον ὡς θεοποιοῦντα ἑαυτόν. ὅθεν καὶ μὴ εἰπόντα τοῦτο ἐπῄνεσεν ὁ νομικὸς ὡς ὁ Μᾶρκος φησίν. ἡ μὲν οὖν πρώτη ἐντολὴ πᾶν εἶδος εὐσεβείας διδάσκει· τὸ γὰρ ἐξ ὅλης καρδίας τὸν θεὸν ἀγαπᾶν αἴτιόν ἐστιν παντὸς ἀγαθοῦ, ἡ δὲ δευτέρα τὰ πρὸς ἀνθρώπους δίκαια περιέχει· καὶ ἡ μὲν ὁδοποιεῖ τῇ δευτέρᾳ, ἡ δὲ ἐκ ταύτης συγκροτεῖται· ὁ γὰρ τὴν πρὸς θεὸν ἀγάπην κατορθώσας δηλονότι καὶ τὴν πρὸς τὸν πλησίον εἰς πάντα ὡς ἑαυτὸν ἀγαπᾷ. πασῶν τῶν ἐντολῶν ὁ τοιοῦτος ἐκπληρωτὴς τυγχάνει.
About this text
Catena fragments on Matthew (CPG 5206). Contents follow Matthew chapter and verse. Edition fragment numbers stay in About this text and under each passage.
English follows the named copy-text (Aegean/khazarzar Migne PG 72 extract). Other prints were checked as noted; no silent merge of recensions.
Witnesses
- Copy-text Migne PG 72 Commentarii in Matthaeum (Aegean Digital Patrologia / khazarzar) (Greek · CPG 5206 catena fragments (290 parsed heads))
- Checked print matia.gr mirror of same Aegean extract (Greek · Byte-identical PDF; integrity check only)
- Checked print Internet Archive PG 72 volume OCR (bim … 1859_72) (Greek (OCR damaged) · Locus confirmation only; not used as reading text)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.