Matthew 22:46
in Matthew 22No one was able to answer a word, and from that day on no one dared to question Him any further.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And no one was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.
KJV
And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.
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This verse in Matthew 22
Commentary
12 notes on this verse(Verse 46) And no one was able to answer him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask him any more questions. The Pharisees and Sadducees, seeking an opportunity to accuse him, and to find some word by which they could trap him, because they were confounded by his teachings, no longer questioned him, but were clearly apprehended and handed over to the Roman authorities. From this we understand that the poisons of envy can indeed be overcome, but it is difficult for them to rest.
This site's exposition
How then doth David in spirit call him Lord
on Matthew 22:43-46
David in spirit calls him Lord, quoting Psalm 110:1, the Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool, a psalm every rabbinic reader in the crowd took as messianic and David himself as its author speaking of one greater than himself. If David then call him Lord, how is he his son presses a genuine puzzle a purely human Davidic descent cannot resolve on its own, and the exposition names the reading without forcing a single answer on the reader: that the Messiah is David's son by human descent and David's Lord by a greater nature, the two truths this Gospel has held together since Emmanuel, God with us, was announced in its first chapter. No man was able to answer him a word closes the whole day of temple confrontations, the questioners silenced by their own accepted Scriptures rather than by any argument outside them.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
For had their question sprung of desire to know, He would never have proposed to them such things as should have deterred them from asking further.
A commentator
John ChrysostomHomily on the Gospel of Matthew 71 · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
For they were silent from thenceforth, not willingly, but from their having nothing to say; and they received so deadly a blow, as no longer to dare to attempt the same things any more. For, "no one," it is said, "durst from that day forth ask Him any more questions." And this was no little advantage to the multitude. Therefore also unto them doth He henceforth direct His word, having removed the wolves, and having repulsed their plots. For those men gained nothing, taken captive by vainglory, and having fallen upon this terrible passion. For terrible is this passion and many-headed, for some set their heart upon power for the sake of this, some on wealth, some on strength. But proceeding in order it goes on unto almsgiving also, and fasting, and prayers, and teaching, and many are the heads of this monster.
A commentator
John ChrysostomHomily on the Gospel of Matthew 71 · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
Then since He had answered, He asks also in turn, "What think ye of Christ, whose Son is He? They say unto Him, The Son of David." See after how many miracles, after how many signs, after how many questions, after how great a display of His unanimity with the Father, as well in words, as in deeds; after having praised this man that said, that there is one God, He asks the question, that they may not be able to say, that He did miracles indeed, yet was an adversary to the law, and a foe to God. Therefore, after so many things, He asks these questions, secretly leading them on to confess Him also to be God. And the disciples He asked first what the others say, and then themselves; but these not so; for surely they would have said a deceiver, and a wicked one, as speaking all things without fear. So for this cause He inquires for the opinion of these men themselves. For since He was now about to go on to His passion, He sets forth the prophecy that plainly proclaims Him to be Lord; and not as having come to do this without occasion, nor as having made this His aim, but from a reasonable cause. For having asked them first, since they answered not the truth concerning Him (for they said He was a mere man), to overthrow their mistaken opinion, He thus introduces David proclaiming His Godhead. […]
And so Matthew added, "No one was able to say a word to him, and no one dared from that hour to ask him anything." The reason, however, that they had not dared to ask him even another word was this, that having been asked themselves, they could not respond. For if their question had come from a desire to learn, then they would never have proposed their questions to him. They dared not ask him anything now. For they were asking him only as tempters, and for this reason he wanted to confuse them by their own question so that, blushing, they might back away from his directness and thereafter ask him nothing further. We have spoken these things according to an understanding of the plain sense of the text.
The Medieval Church1 voice
Since they thought He was a mere man, He overturns their belief and by means of the prophecy of David (Ps. 109:1) teaches the truth, that He is also the Lord, proclaiming His own divinity. For when the Pharisees said that the Christ was the …
5 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church2 voices
Hence we learn that the poison of jealousy may be overcome, but can hardly of itself rest at peace.
And no man was able to answer him a word. Here the effect is presented, and it is twofold, because Christ was both respondent and opponent. As opponent: no man was able to answer; Job 9:3: if he will contend with him, he cannot answer …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And no man was able to answer him a word,.... They saw the dilemma they were reduced to, either to acknowledge the deity of the Messiah, or confess their ignorance; and neither of them they cared to do, and therefore judged it to be the wisest part to be silent.
4 Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Neither durst any - ask him any more questions - “Thus,” says Dr. Wotton, “our Lord put the four great sects of the Jews to silence, in one day, successively. The Herodians and Pharisees wanted to know whether they might lawfully pay tribute to Caesar or not. The Sadducees were inquisitive to know whose wife the woman should be of the seven brethren, in the resurrection, who had her to wife. Then comes the scribe, (or karaite), who owned no authority beyond or besides the written law, and asked which was the great commandment in the law.
How the passage was read
On Matthew 22:23-46On Matthew 22:23-46
The Sadducees' riddle, the greatest commandment, and David's son
The Sadducees, the priestly party that denied the resurrection of the dead (Acts 23:8), build their riddle on levirate marriage: the Torah's command that a man marry his brother's childless widow (Deuteronomy 25:5-10, the law behind Ruth; the Mishnah's tractate Yevamot regulates its cases). Seven brothers, one widow: “in the resurrection whose wife shall she be?” Jesus answers them from the Torah alone, the canon they granted: “I AM the God of Abraham” (Exodus 3:6), the living God of living men. Note where the parties stand: the Pharisees affirmed the resurrection so strongly that the Mishnah excludes from the world to come anyone who says the resurrection is not from the Torah (Sanhedrin 10:1). On this doctrine the Pharisaic tradition and Christian confession stand together against the Sadducees.
The lawyer's question that follows, “which is the great commandment?”, belongs to a genuine rabbinic genre: the search for a kelal gadol, a great governing principle. Hillel, asked to teach the whole Torah while a challenger stood on one foot, answered “what is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow; that is the whole Torah, the rest is commentary; go and learn” (Shabbat 31a); Rabbi Akiva later called “love your neighbor as yourself” the all-embracing principle of the Torah (Sifra on Leviticus 19:18). Jesus' first answer IS the Shema, the confession every observant Jew prays morning and evening (Deuteronomy 6:4-5), joined to Leviticus 19:18. The materials are the tradition's own; what is His alone is the authority with which He joins and ranks them, and the counter-question He then asks from Psalm 110: whose son is the Messiah?
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Sources: Mishnah Sanhedrin 10:1 (the resurrection as core doctrine) · Shabbat 31a (Babylonian Talmud, Hillel on one foot) · Sifra, Kedoshim 4:12 (Akiva's great principle) · Mishnah Yevamot 1:1 (the levirate tractate)
The words behind it
16 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| οὐδεὶς | oudeis | no [one] | G3762 → | 232 times |
| ἐδύνατο | edunato | was able | G1410 → | 207 times |
| ἀποκριθῆναι | apokrithenai | to answer | G611 → | 231 times |
| αὐτῷ | auto | Him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| λόγον | logon | a word | G3056 → | 329 times |
| οὐδὲ | oude | nor | G3761 → | 141 times |
| ἐτόλμησέν | etolmesen | dared | G5111 → | |
| τις | tis | anyone | G5100 → | 528 times |
| ἀπ᾽ | ap᾽ | from | G575 → | 640 times |
| ἐκείνης | ekeines | that [very] | G1565 → | 260 times |
| τῆς | tes | <the> | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| ἡμέρας | hemeras | day | G2250 → | 389 times |
| ἐπερωτῆσαι | eperotesai | to question | G1905 → | 56 times |
| αὐτὸν | auton | Him | G846 → | 5565 times |
| οὐκέτι.¶ | ouketi | no longer. | G3756 →G2089 → | 140 times |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
οὐδεὶςno [one]
oudeisG3762 →232 times
ἐδύνατοwas able
edunatoG1410 →207 times
ἀποκριθῆναιto answer
apokrithenaiG611 →231 times
αὐτῷHim
autoG846 →5565 times
λόγονa word
logonG3056 →329 times
οὐδὲnor
oudeG3761 →141 times
ἐτόλμησένdared
etolmesenG5111 →
τιςanyone
tisG5100 →528 times
ἀπ᾽from
ap᾽G575 →640 times
ἐκείνηςthat [very]
ekeinesG1565 →260 times
τῆς<the>
tesG3588 →19766 times
ἡμέραςday
hemerasG2250 →389 times
ἐπερωτῆσαιto question
eperotesaiG1905 →56 times
αὐτὸνHim
autonG846 →5565 times
οὐκέτι.¶no longer.
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Mark 12:34When Jesus saw that the man had answered wisely, He said, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And no one dared to question Him any further.
it leads to
- Luke 20:40
And they did not dare to question Him any further.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Colossians 4:6
Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
- Job 32:15–16
Job’s friends are dismayed, with no more to say; words have escaped them.
- Luke 20:40
Through
Luke 20:40And they did not dare to question Him any further.
it leads to
- Mark 12:34
When Jesus saw that the man had answered wisely, He said, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And no one dared to question Him any further.
- Proverbs 26:5
Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he become wise in his own eyes.
- Mark 12:34
Through
Luke 14:6And they were unable to answer these questions.
it leads to
- Luke 13:17
When Jesus said this, all His adversaries were humiliated. And the whole crowd rejoiced at all the glorious things He was doing.
- Luke 21:15
For I will give you speech and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.
- Acts 6:10
but they could not stand up to his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke.
- Luke 13:17
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies9
On this verse
About Matthew
This page draws on 12 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Matthew; John Calvin, Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists; John Chrysostom, Homily on the Gospel of Matthew 71; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Origen of Alexandria, COMMENTARY ON MATTHEW 5; Rabanus Maurus, Catena Aurea by Aquinas; Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Matthew and Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on Matthew.