For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Parallel translations
- WEB For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
- KJV For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
- BSB The entire law is fulfilled in a single decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
- NKJV For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
- NLT For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The whole law is fulfilled in one command: love your neighbor as yourself. Love is the heart and summary of all God requires of us toward others.
Overview
Quoting Leviticus 19:18, Paul shows that the law's true aim is realized in love. Far from despising the law, the gospel of grace produces the very love the law sought. This does not make justification depend on love-works, but reveals that Spirit-wrought love is how believers genuinely live out God's righteous standard, fulfilled perfectly first by Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Matt 7:12Therefore whatever you desire for men to do to you, you shall also do to them; for this is the law and the prophets.
- Lev 19:18“‘You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people; but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am Yahweh.
- Gal 6:2Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
- Mark 12:31The second is like this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
- Rom 13:8–10Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.
- Matt 22:39–40A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
- John 13:34A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also love one another.
- Lev 19:34The stranger who lives as a foreigner with you shall be to you as the native-born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you lived as foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am Yahweh your God.
- 1 Tim 1:5but the goal of this command is love, out of a pure heart and a good conscience and sincere faith;
- Jas 2:8–11However, if you fulfill the royal law, according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well.
- Matt 19:18–19He said to him, “Which ones?” Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder.’ ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ ‘You shall not steal.’ ‘You shall not offer false testimony.’
- Mark 12:33and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
- Luke 10:27–37He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Christ became a curse for us to redeem us from the law's curse, that we might receive the Spirit and be sons — justified by faith in him, not by works.
How Galatians 5:14 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.