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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus emphasizes loving God not just with your affections (heart) or your whole being (soul), but also with your "mind." This isn't just about thinking about God, but directing your entire intellectual capacity – your thoughts, reasoning, and understanding – towards Him, showing that our deepest intellect belongs to God.
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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Following Jesus's earlier confrontations and silencing of religious leaders, a Pharisee, posing as a lawyer, attempts to trap him by asking about the greatest commandment. Jesus responds by quoting from the Old Testament, first declaring the supreme importance of loving God with one's entire being, and then stating that loving one's neighbor is second only to this. This exchange highlights Jesus's deep knowledge of the law and his ability to distill its essence into core principles.
Imagine being asked to summarize the entire Bible in just two sentences. Jesus does exactly that! But first, He zeros in on the absolute top priority.
Jesus is asked to identify the single greatest commandment in the Law. His answer isn't just a statement; it's a profound summary of what true relationship with God looks like.
We often compartmentalize our faith. But Jesus' command demands a love that floods every part of our existence. What does that truly mean?
The breakdown of "heart, soul, and mind" reveals the comprehensive nature of God's desired relationship with us.
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When Jesus says "all" of these, He's calling for a unified devotion. It's not just feeling good about God, or thinking right thoughts about Him, or even just willing to do His will. It's all of it, integrated, directed towards Him.
Understand the original words
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.
Jesus' declaration of the greatest commandment draws directly from the Shema in Deuteronomy, a foundational prayer and creed for Jewish people, showing His continuity with Israel's ancient faith.
c. 1440 BC
Giving of the Law
God gives the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai, including the Shema, which contains the foundational command to love God.
c. 1440 BC
Deuteronomy Command
The command to love God with all heart, soul, and strength is reiterated in Deuteronomy 6:5.
c. AD 25-30
Jesus' Temptation
Jesus, facing temptation in the wilderness, answers the tempter using direct quotes from Deuteronomy, showcasing the Law's relevance.
c. AD 30
Lawyer's Temptation
A lawyer, seeking to test Jesus, asks what he must do to inherit eternal life, prompting Jesus to quote the Shema from Deuteronomy.
c. AD 30— this verse
Jesus' Teaching on Law
Jesus identifies loving God with all one's being and loving one's neighbor as the two greatest commandments, fulfilling the Law and Prophets.
c. AD 60-62
Paul's Epistles
Apostle Paul, in his letters, elaborates on the concept of love, particularly in Romans and 1 Corinthians, as central to Christian life.
This is the original Old Testament passage Jesus quotes, highlighting the foundational command to love God completely from the Hebrew Scriptures.
Mark 12:30Mark's Gospel includes 'strength' alongside heart, soul, and mind, reinforcing the idea that this love should encompass every aspect of our being and actions.
Luke 10:27Luke's version also adds 'strength' and further emphasizes the totality of this love, showing Jesus consistently drawing from this core principle.
Matthew 22:39Jesus immediately follows this with the second greatest commandment, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself,' showing how these two commands are inextricably linked as the essence of God's law.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7This passage describes the characteristics of love, providing a practical, detailed picture of what it looks like to love God and others, as called for in the greatest commandment.
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…
henryMatthew 22:34-40: "But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together."
22:34-40 An interpreter of the law asked our Lord a question, to try, not so much his knowledge, as his judgment. The love of God is the first and great commandment, and the sum of all the commands of the first table. Our love of God must be sincere, not in word and tongue only. All our love is too little to bestow upon him, therefore all the powers of the soul must be eng…
Jesus emphasizes loving God not just with your affections (heart) or your whole being (soul), but also with your "mind." This isn't just about thinking about God, but directing your entire intellectual capacity – your thoughts, reasoning, and understanding – towards Him, showing that our deepest intellect belongs to God.
Following Jesus's earlier confrontations and silencing of religious leaders, a Pharisee, posing as a lawyer, attempts to trap him by asking about the greatest commandment. Jesus responds by quoting from the Old Testament, first declaring the supreme importance of loving God with one's entire being, and then stating that loving one's neighbor is second only to this. This exchange highlights Jesus's deep knowledge of the law and his ability to distill its essence into core principles.
Following Jesus's earlier confrontations and silencing of religious leaders, a Pharisee, posing as a lawyer, attempts to trap him by asking about the greatest commandment. Jesus responds by quoting from the Old Testament, first declaring the supreme importance of loving God with one's entire being, and then stating that loving one's neighbor is second only to this. This exchange highlights Jesus's deep knowledge of the law and his ability to distill its essence into core principles.
"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." — Jesus emphasizes loving God not just with your affections (heart) or your whole being (soul), but also with your "mind." This isn't just about thinking about God, but directing your entire intellec…
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Last reviewed October 2026