Matthew 22:36-40
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This wasn't just a simple "what's the #1 commandment?" question. The questioner was actually asking about the kind of commandment that makes it "great," probing the very principles of God's law based on a complex system of classifying commandments that already existed among the teachers of the day. Jesus' answer cuts through that complexity by revealing the heart of all divine commands, not just which one is "greatest."
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Following Jesus's victory over the Sadducees and his skillful handling of their questions, the Pharisees, a group of legal experts, gather together. One of them, a scribe, attempts to trap Jesus by asking which commandment is the greatest in the Law, seeking to expose any perceived contradiction between Jesus's teachings and the established Jewish law.
Ever felt like you had to pick the 'most important' thing? This scribe wasn't just asking for a ranking; he was looking for a principle.
When the scribe asked, “Which is the great commandment?” he wasn't simply asking Jesus to pick the single biggest rule out of 613. The ancient Jewish tradition had categorized commandments as 'heavy' or 'light,' and there were many different ideas about which ones mattered most. Some thought it was about the Sabbath, others about fringes on clothing, or even ritual washings.
This scribe was probing for the kind of commandment that truly mattered. He wanted to know the underlying principle that made a commandment 'great.' Jesus’ answer goes right to the heart of this, revealing that true greatness in the Law isn't about arbitrary ranking, but about the transformative power of love.
Jesus cuts through the debate about individual rules to reveal the core purpose of all of God's commands.
Jesus’ response is profound: the greatest commandment is to 'love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This isn't just one rule among many; it's the foundation upon which everything else rests.
The emphasis on 'all' – heart, soul, and mind – shows that this isn't a superficial affection. It demands our complete being. It’s a love that affects our emotions, our will, our intellect, and our entire inner life. This intense, whole-hearted devotion to God is the primary expression of our relationship with Him.
And Jesus doesn't stop there. He immediately adds the second commandment, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' He makes it clear that these two are intrinsically linked and form the bedrock of the entire Law and the Prophets.
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Understand the original words
didaskale · Greek Noun
Refers to a master or instructor of religious truth. In the New Testament, it is a title often used for Jesus, acknowledging his authority to interpret the Torah.
Torah · Hebrew Noun
The revealed will of God for His people, particularly the Pentateuch, serving as the foundation for ethical and religious life in Israel.
entolē · Greek Noun
A divine mandate or authoritative instruction from God requiring obedience. In Scripture, it forms the basis of the covenant relationship.
agapaō · Greek Verb
In a biblical context, refers to a commitment of the will, mind, and emotions that results in sacrificial action. It is the defining characteristic of the believer's relationship with God and others.
kardia · Greek Noun
Often considered the seat of the intellect, will, and inner self. Biblically, it is the center of human personality and the place where decisions for or against God are made.
psychē · Greek Noun
The vital, animating principle of human life. It refers to the individual person, their life-breath, and their existence before God.
dianoia · Greek Noun
Refers to the faculty of understanding, reasoning, and cognition. Loving God with the mind involves dedicating one's intellectual capacities and thoughts to His glory.
plēsion · Greek Noun
Any other person, particularly those within the community of faith, but in Jesus' teaching, it extends to all people, including enemies. It signifies the object of one's duty of care and love.
kremamai · Greek Verb
To hang or be suspended from. Metaphorically, it means that the entire witness and moral requirements of the Hebrew Scriptures are rooted in and supported by these two core commands.
nebi'im · Hebrew Noun
The divinely inspired spokesmen for God in the Old Testament whose writings and ministries served to call Israel to repentance and point forward to the coming Messiah.
This is the foundational Old Testament passage from which Jesus draws the 'great commandment' to love God, highlighting its ancient roots and divine origin.
Leviticus 19:18This passage provides the basis for the second greatest commandment, showing that Jesus' answer wasn't new but a summary and elevation of existing divine law regarding love for neighbor.
Mark 12:28-34This parallel account in Mark's Gospel shows a scribe asking a very similar question, and Jesus' response is met with similar affirmation, reinforcing the significance and divine authority of loving God and neighbor.
Luke 10:25-28In this account, a lawyer asks Jesus how to inherit eternal life, and Jesus directs him to the Law itself, specifically to love God and neighbor, underscoring that these commandments are central to life and salvation.
Romans 13:8-10The Apostle Paul directly echoes Jesus' teaching, stating that love fulfills the law and is the very essence of all the commandments, demonstrating how this central theme permeates New Testament understanding.
vincentMatthew 22:36: "Master, which is the great commandment in the law?"
Which is the great commandment (ποία ἐντολὴ μεγάλη)The A. V. and Rev. alike miss the point of this question, which is: which kind of command is great in the law? That is, what kind of a commandment must it be to constitute it a great one? Not, which commandment is greatest as compared with the others? The scribes declared that there were 248 affirmative precepts, as many as the members of the human body; and 365 negative pr…
calvinMatthew 22:34-40: "But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together."
- But when the Pharisees heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they assembled together. 35. And one of them, a doctor of the law, put a question to him, tempting him, and saying, 36. Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37. Jesus saith to him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38. Th…
This wasn't just a simple "what's the #1 commandment?" question. The questioner was actually asking about the kind of commandment that makes it "great," probing the very principles of God's law based on a complex system of classifying commandments that already existed among the teachers of the day. Jesus' answer cuts through that complexity by revealing the heart of all divine commands, not just which one is "greatest."
Following Jesus's victory over the Sadducees and his skillful handling of their questions, the Pharisees, a group of legal experts, gather together. One of them, a scribe, attempts to trap Jesus by asking which commandment is the greatest in the Law, seeking to expose any perceived contradiction between Jesus's teachings and the established Jewish law.
Following Jesus's victory over the Sadducees and his skillful handling of their questions, the Pharisees, a group of legal experts, gather together. One of them, a scribe, attempts to trap Jesus by asking which commandment is the greatest in the Law, seeking to expose any perceived contradiction between Jesus's teachings and the established Jewish law.
"“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it…" — This wasn't just a simple "what's the #1 commandment?" question. The questioner was actually asking about the kind of commandment that makes it "great," probing the very principles of God's law bas…
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Last reviewed October 2026
