And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?
This scribe stood apart from his fellows: he heard Christ answer the Sadducees well and owned it plainly, asking not to trap Him but to learn. He sought which commandment towers above all others, not in sequence but in weight, as the foundation on which all obedience rests.
AI summary
Commenting on Mark 12:28-34
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God,.... Which is to be understood of the one God, Father, Son, and Spirit; for all the three divine persons are to be equally loved, being possessed of the same perfections and excellencies, and having done the same works, and having bestowed like benefits and favours upon men: and though there is now no principle of love to...
Verses 28-34. See . Verse 28. Perceiving that he answered them well. That is, with wisdom, and with a proper understanding of the law. In this case the opinion of the Saviour corresponded with that of the Pharisees; and this question seems to have been one of the very few candid inquiries made of him by the Jews, for the purpose of obtaining information.