“And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.”
My Notes
What Does Matthew 22:46 Mean?
"And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions." The debates are OVER. Jesus' question about David's Lord has produced TOTAL silence. Nobody can answer. Nobody DARES ask any more questions. The opposition isn't just defeated. It's SILENCED — permanently. 'From that day forth' means the questioning phase of Jesus' ministry has concluded. The religious establishment has nothing left to say.
The phrase "no man was able to answer him a word" (oudeis edynato autō apokrithēnai logon — nobody was able to answer Him a word) describes COMPREHENSIVE inability: not 'nobody wanted to.' Not 'nobody tried to.' Nobody WAS ABLE. The inability is the point. The intellectual resources of the entire religious establishment — Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians, scribes — have been EXHAUSTED. The arsenal is empty. The ammunition is gone.
The "neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions" (oude etolmēsen tis ap' ekeinēs tēs hēmeras eperōtēsai auton ouketi — nor did anyone dare from that day to question Him anymore) adds FEAR to inability: they don't just LACK answers. They FEAR asking. The daring has been crushed. The questioning has become too dangerous. Every question they asked BACKFIRED. The trap-questions caught the TRAPPERS. The debate weapon destroyed the DEBATERS.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What truth has silenced the opposition — and has the silence lasted?
- 2.What does EVERY faction being unable to answer teach about the comprehensiveness of divine wisdom?
- 3.How does the shift from debate to silence to trial describe the progression of religious opposition to truth?
- 4.What does nobody DARING to ask teach about questions becoming too dangerous for the questioner?
Devotional
Nobody could answer. Nobody DARED ask anything else. From that day forward — SILENCE. The entire religious establishment — every faction, every school, every theological tradition — has been intellectually exhausted by one person. The debates are over. Not because the questions ran out. Because the courage did.
The 'no man was able to answer him a word' is COMPREHENSIVE defeat: this isn't one rabbi losing one argument. This is EVERY religious leader being unable to produce a SINGLE WORD in response. The inability is total. The silence is universal. The greatest minds of first-century Judaism — Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, lawyers — collectively can't generate one word of reply. The intellectual resources are spent.
The 'neither durst any man' adds FEAR to the silence: the leaders aren't just speechless. They're AFRAID. The daring to question has been crushed. Every trap they set snapped back on them. Every test they designed tested THEM. Every question they asked produced an answer that damaged the ASKER. The questioning has become self-destructive. To ask Jesus a question is to hand Him a weapon aimed at yourself.
The 'from that day forth' makes the silence PERMANENT: this isn't a temporary pause while they regroup. It's a FINAL cessation. The questioning phase of Jesus' public ministry is OVER. The religious establishment has entered permanent silence. The next time they speak to Jesus will be in a COURTROOM — not a classroom. The debate is replaced by a trial. The questions stop. The accusations begin.
What has silenced the opposition in your life — and has the silence lasted?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Jesus proposes a question concerning the Messiah - See also Mar 12:35-37; Luk 20:41-44. Mat 22:41 While the Pharisees…
The Psalm was always regarded by the Jews as Messianic, hence their silence and inability to answer without…
Cross References
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