Matthew 22:39-40
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This verse isn't just about liking people; it's a radical call to action. "Like it" means this second commandment is equal in importance to loving God, not a lesser version. It challenges us to see our neighbor, whoever they are, as worthy of the same deep concern and care we naturally give ourselves.
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)
Jesus has just silenced the Sadducees and is now being questioned by a Pharisee who asks about the greatest commandment in the Law. Jesus responds by quoting Deuteronomy 6:5 and then immediately offers this second commandment, which he states is "like it" in importance. This entire exchange is part of a series of attempts by religious leaders to trap Jesus, but he consistently turns their questions into powerful teachings, culminating in this summary of all righteousness.
Jesus declares the second commandment 'like' the first. But how can loving people be compared to loving God?
Jesus doesn't just say we should love our neighbor; he says this second commandment is like the first. This isn't just about being nice to people. The ancient commentators understood that our love for our neighbor is deeply connected to our love for God. It's like the moon reflecting the sun's light – our love for others is meant to reflect God's own love for us. If we truly love God, that love naturally overflows towards the people He created. It's not a separate duty, but a natural outflow and expression of our relationship with God. This love for neighbor isn't just a standalone ethical rule; it's bound up with our devotion to the Creator.
What does it really mean to 'love your neighbor as yourself'? Is it just a pleasant thought, or something more?
The command to love our neighbor isn't just about having warm fuzzy feelings. It's about active, practical care. Think about it: we naturally look out for our own well-being, we desire good things for ourselves, and we seek to meet our own needs. Jesus tells us to extend that same level of concern and action towards others. This means putting the best construction on their actions, bearing with their faults, rejoicing in their successes, mourning their struggles, and actively working for their good. It even means potentially risking our own comfort or safety for their benefit. It's a demanding, outward-focused love that prioritizes the welfare of others, mirroring the care we instinctively have for ourselves.
Ask a follow-up
Who is our neighbor? The religious leaders had a very narrow view, but Jesus expanded it dramatically.
When the question of loving our neighbor arose, many in Jesus' day had a very limited definition, often excluding those they disliked or those outside their social or religious group. Jesus, however, completely reframes it. Through the parable of the Good Samaritan, He shows that a 'neighbor' is anyone in need. The priest and the Levite, who should have helped, passed by. It was the Samaritan—a group deeply despised by the Jews—who demonstrated true neighborly love. This teaches us that our obligation to love extends to everyone, regardless of their background, beliefs, or our relationship with them. It's about recognizing the shared humanity that binds us all, a bond established by God.
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.
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 Old Testament source for Jesus' command, showing that the principle of loving your neighbor was foundational even in the Law.
Luke 10:29-37This passage directly follows Jesus explaining who qualifies as a 'neighbor,' illustrating the expansive and unconditional nature of this commandment through the parable of the Good Samaritan.
Romans 13:8-10Paul directly connects loving your neighbor to fulfilling the law, echoing Jesus' teaching and emphasizing that love is the ultimate expression of God's will.
1 John 4:7-11This passage highlights that love for one another is a direct outflow of God's love for us, framing neighborly love as a sign of true spiritual life and connection to God.
Galatians 5:13-14Here, Paul emphasizes that freedom in Christ is to be used for serving one another in love, reiterating that love for neighbor fulfills the whole law.
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…
This verse isn't just about liking people; it's a radical call to action. "Like it" means this second commandment is equal in importance to loving God, not a lesser version. It challenges us to see our neighbor, whoever they are, as worthy of the same deep concern and care we naturally give ourselves.
Jesus has just silenced the Sadducees and is now being questioned by a Pharisee who asks about the greatest commandment in the Law. Jesus responds by quoting Deuteronomy 6:5 and then immediately offers this second commandment, which he states is "like it" in importance. This entire exchange is part of a series of attempts by religious leaders to trap Jesus, but he consistently turns their questions into powerful teachings, culminating in this summary of all righteousness.
Jesus has just silenced the Sadducees and is now being questioned by a Pharisee who asks about the greatest commandment in the Law. Jesus responds by quoting Deuteronomy 6:5 and then immediately offers this second commandment, which he states is "like it" in importance. This entire exchange is part of a series of attempts by religious leaders to trap Jesus, but he consistently turns their questions into powerful teachings, culminating in this summary of all righteousness.
"And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”" — This verse isn't just about liking people; it's a radical call to action. "Like it" means this second commandment is equal in importance to loving God, not a lesser version. It challenges us to see…
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Last reviewed October 2026
