John Gill Commentary Mark 12:28

"And one of the scribes came, and heard them questioning together, and knowing that he had answered them well, asked him, What commandment is the first of all?" — Mark 12:28 (ASV)

And one of the Scribes came
Matthew calls him a lawyer, (Matthew 22:35) , an interpreter of the law, as a Scribe was:

and having heard them reasoning together ;
being present at the dispute between Christ and the Sadducees, which he diligently attended to:

and perceiving that he had answered them well :
in a most beautiful manner. The Jews have adopted the very Greek word here used, and make use of it in the same sense as (Mwlaq hyl rma) ^F14 , "he answered him well": or, as the gloss upon it, "praise worthily"; in a manner deserving praise; and is the same with (trmaq rypv) ^F15 , "you have said well", or beautifully;

and so the answer here was with great solidity, and judgment, and strength of argument, to their utter confusion and silence; whereby he understood he had considerable knowledge in the law, and yet was willing to try if he could not puzzle him with a question relating to it:

asked him, which is the first commandment of all ?
of all the commandments in the law, moral and ceremonial.

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FOOTNOTES:

• F14: T. Bab. Sabbat, fol. 108. 1.
• F15: Zohar in Lev. fol. 2. 3. & 15. 1.