Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.
Parallel translations
- WEB “‘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.
- BSB Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.
- NKJV 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 the Lord.
- NASB You shall not take vengeance, nor hold any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord.
- NLT “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.
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
Israel must not take vengeance or hold grudges but love their neighbor as themselves.
Overview
This climactic command sums up the second table of the law and is quoted by Jesus as the second greatest commandment. It forbids retaliation and bitterness, calling instead for active love. The whole chapter's ethics flow into this principle, which Christ embodied perfectly and which marks the life of his people.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 23
- Matt 22:39–40And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
- Rom 13:9For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
- Mark 12:31–34And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
- Luke 10:27–37And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
- Gal 5:14For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
- Jas 2:8If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
- Matt 5:43–44Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
- Matt 19:19Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
- Rom 12:19Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
- Rom 12:17Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
- Exod 23:4–5If thou meet thine enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.
- Prov 20:22Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.
- Eph 4:31Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
- Col 3:8But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
- Matt 19:16And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
- 1 Pet 2:1Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
- Heb 10:30For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
- 2 Sam 13:28Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, Mark ye now when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine, and when I say unto you, Smite Amnon; then kill him, fear not: have not I commanded you? be courageous, and be valiant.
- 2 Sam 13:22And Absalom spake unto his brother Amnon neither good nor bad: for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.
- Deut 32:25The sword without, and terror within, shall destroy both the young man and the virgin, the suckling also with the man of gray hairs.
- Rom 13:4For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
- Gal 5:20Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
- Ps 103:9He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Every sacrifice, every priest, and every day of atonement points beyond itself to the one perfect offering and the great High Priest who, by his own blood, makes the unclean holy once for all.
How Leviticus 19:18 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 Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.