Matthew 22:12 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

And he was speechless— And he was struck speechless. This is the true import of the original word εφιμωθη, which is more expressive than the phrase in our translation, he was speechless; as an English reader might be led by our translation to conceive that the man was dumb, and so could not speak; whereas he was made dumb only by self-condemnation and conviction, even as Christ made dumb— εφιμωσε,— put to silence the Sadducees, Matthew 22:34 and as Peter would have us make speechless,—put to silence, the ignorance of foolish men. See Gerhard's Continuation of Chemnitz's Harmony, on the place. This latter part of the parable represents the last judgment; teaching us, that, though the Gentiles obeyed the call of the Gospel with more alacrity than the Jews, they would not all be saved by it: Without holiness no man shall see the Lord.