And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The phrase "as yourself" doesn't mean we should love ourselves first and then extend that love outward. Instead, it's a radical correction to our natural self-centeredness, demanding we place our neighbor on the same level of importance as our own well-being. This highlights how the love of God compels us to bridge the gap between self-concern and genuine care for others.
And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus has just silenced the Sadducees and is now facing a new challenge from the Pharisees, who, prompted by a lawyer, attempt to trap him by asking about the greatest commandment. Jesus responds by quoting the Shema from Deuteronomy and then declares the second, equally vital commandment: to love one's neighbor as oneself, citing Leviticus. This exchange ultimately leads to Jesus telling the parable of the Good Samaritan to illustrate what it truly means to be a neighbor.
Jesus calls the command to love your neighbor 'like' the greatest commandment. What makes these two so similar in God's eyes?
Jesus declares that loving your neighbor is like the greatest commandment – loving God. This isn't a casual comparison; it's a profound connection.
Divine Reflection
The love we're called to have for others mirrors God's love for us. Just as God cherishes and desires our well-being, we are to extend that same genuine care to those around us. It’s like looking in a mirror: the way we love our neighbor reflects our inner state and our relationship with God. When we truly love God, that love overflows and naturally extends to others. Conversely, if our love for others is lacking, it raises questions about the depth of our love for God.
The Law's Foundation
Jesus and the Old Testament prophets consistently point to these two commands as the bedrock of all righteous living. Every other law, every instruction, flows from these core principles. They aren't just suggestions; they are the essential framework for a life pleasing to God.
The command isn't just to love your neighbor, but to love them 'as yourself.' What does this radical standard actually mean for our lives?
The phrase 'as yourself' sets the standard for our love towards others. It’s not about a weak, diluted affection, but a robust, self-aware compassion.
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Genuine Care, Not Selfishness
This doesn't mean we should love ourselves in a flawed, selfish way. Instead, it calls us to recognize our own inherent worth and need for care, and then extend that same recognition and care to our neighbor. We are to have a sincere concern for their well-being, just as we naturally do for our own.
Action and Empathy
This love is meant to be active. It involves thinking well of our neighbor, speaking kindly, bearing with their faults, rejoicing in their successes, mourning in their difficulties, and actively seeking their prosperity. It's about putting ourselves in their shoes and treating them with the dignity and respect we expect for ourselves, regardless of who they are.
Understand the original words
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.
This commandment, while seemingly simple, was deeply embedded in the context of Jewish law and tradition. Jesus elevates it by grounding it in the love for God and expanding its scope, challenging the narrow interpretations often held by religious leaders of his day.
c. 1500 BC
Ten Commandments Given
God delivers the Ten Commandments to Moses on Mount Sinai, including foundational principles for loving God and neighbor. These form the core of Israel's law.
c. 1400 BC - 500 BC
Torah and Prophets Written
The Law (Torah) and the writings of the Prophets are compiled, containing detailed instructions and exhortations regarding justice, mercy, and love for fellow Israelites.
c. 500 BC - 1 BC
Period of Second Temple Judaism
Following the return from exile, Jewish society rebuilds under a complex system of law and tradition, with varying interpretations of religious obligations.
c. AD 25-35
Jesus' Ministry Begins
Jesus begins his public ministry, teaching, healing, and challenging the religious authorities, often focusing on the core principles of God's law.
c. AD 30-33— this verse
Jesus Encounters Scribes and Lawyers
During his ministry, Jesus is repeatedly questioned by religious leaders, including scribes and lawyers, who attempt to trap him with complex legal and theological questions.
This is the Old Testament passage from which Jesus directly quotes, highlighting the foundational nature of this command for loving others.
Luke 10:27This verse quotes both the command to love God and to love your neighbor, showing how Jesus emphasized these two great commandments when asked about inheriting eternal life.
Romans 13:9-10Paul explicitly states that the entire Law is summed up in the commands to love God and love your neighbor, reinforcing Jesus' teaching on the centrality of these commands.
1 John 4:7-8This passage connects the command to love one another directly with God's own love for us, asserting that genuine love for God is demonstrated through love for fellow believers.
Matthew 22:40Jesus states that the entire Law and the Prophets hang on these two commands, underscoring that loving your neighbor as yourself is not a minor suggestion but a core principle of all biblical teaching.
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…
The phrase "as yourself" doesn't mean we should love ourselves first and then extend that love outward. Instead, it's a radical correction to our natural self-centeredness, demanding we place our neighbor on the same level of importance as our own well-being. This highlights how the love of God compels us to bridge the gap between self-concern and genuine care for others.
Jesus has just silenced the Sadducees and is now facing a new challenge from the Pharisees, who, prompted by a lawyer, attempt to trap him by asking about the greatest commandment. Jesus responds by quoting the Shema from Deuteronomy and then declares the second, equally vital commandment: to love one's neighbor as oneself, citing Leviticus. This exchange ultimately leads to Jesus telling the parable of the Good Samaritan to illustrate what it truly means to be a neighbor.
Jesus has just silenced the Sadducees and is now facing a new challenge from the Pharisees, who, prompted by a lawyer, attempt to trap him by asking about the greatest commandment. Jesus responds by quoting the Shema from Deuteronomy and then declares the second, equally vital commandment: to love one's neighbor as oneself, citing Leviticus. This exchange ultimately leads to Jesus telling the parable of the Good Samaritan to illustrate what it truly means to be a neighbor.
"And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." — The phrase "as yourself" doesn't mean we should love ourselves first and then extend that love outward. Instead, it's a radical correction to our natural self-centeredness, demanding we place our n…
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Last reviewed October 2026