Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
Parallel translations
- WEB “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
- BSB You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘Hate your enemy.’
- NKJV “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
- NASB “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
- NLT “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy.
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
Jesus recalls the saying, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' It sets up His radical command to love even enemies.
Overview
While 'love your neighbor' is from the Law, the added 'hate your enemy' was a human distortion not found in Scripture. Jesus exposes this corruption to prepare for His sweeping command of love. He restores and deepens the Law's true intent regarding our treatment of others.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Lev 19:18Thou 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.
- Ps 139:21–22Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?
- Gal 5:13–14For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
- Matt 19:19Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
- Rom 13:8–10Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
- Deut 23:6Thou shalt not seek their peace nor their prosperity all thy days for ever.
- Jas 2:8If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
- 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.
- Matt 22:39–40And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
- Ps 41:10But thou, O LORD, be merciful unto me, and raise me up, that I may requite them.
- Luke 10:27–29And 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.
- Exod 17:14–16And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.
- Matt 5:21Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
- Deut 25:17Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt;
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised King — son of David, son of Abraham — the new Moses and true Israel in whom every prophecy reaches 'that it might be fulfilled.'
How Matthew 5:43 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.