this was not merely the Pharisees gathering together as a group, but gathering "solemnly", having assembled in verse 34 as a result of them hearing that the Sadducees had been "put to silence". In his answer, France suggests that Jesus was warning the people against judging his ministry in traditional terms, because far from being enthroned in Jerusalem as a king like David, he would soon be put to death on the cross, where he would be known at last not as a Son of David (a title that ceases to exist), but as 'Son of God' (Matthew 27:54). Similarly, Wilhelm de Wette suggests that Jesus' object was "to awaken a higher idea of His (non-political) mission", but according to Meyer, in opposition to de Wette, this view "is not favoured by the context, which represents Jesus as victor over His impudent and crafty foes, who are silenced and then subjected to the castigation" which is described next, in chapter 23. Verse 46And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore. This verse ends the "Son of David" dialogue; the Jerusalem Bible states that no-one in the gathering "could think of anything to say in reply". It also closes off the whole narrative from Matthew 21:23 onwards, where Jesus has been addressed with "question after question". See also David Parables of Jesus Other related Bible parts: Exodus 3, Joshua 10, Psalm 110, Mark 12, Luke 10, Luke 14, Luke 20; Acts 2, 5; Romans 8; Hebrews 1, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12 References Sources External links King James Bible - Wikisource English Translation with Parallel Latin Vulgate Online Bible at GospelHall.org (ESV, KJV, Darby, American Standard Version, Bible in Basic English) Multiple bible versions at Bible Gateway (NKJV, NIV, NRSV etc.) Gospel of Matthew chapters