Meaning, commentary and cross references
Matthew 22:37
“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.”In other translations
KJV · King James Version
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
NIV · New International Version
Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
WEB · World English Bible
Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
What does Matthew 22:37 mean?
John Gill · Exposition of the Entire Bible, on Matthew 22:37
Jesus said unto him,.... Directly, without taking time to think of it; and though he knew with what design it was put to him, yet, as an answer to it might be useful and instructive to the people, as well as silence and confound his adversaries, he thought fit to give one; and is as follows, being what is expressed in Deuteronomy 6:5. thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind; that is, with all the powers and faculties of the soul, the will, the understanding, and the affections; in the most sincere, upright, and perfect manner, without any dissimulation and hypocrisy, and above all objects whatever, for this the law requires; and…
John Gill, Exposition of the Entire Bible (1746–63). Public domain. Digital text: Free Use Bible API (bible.helloao.org).
John Calvin · Commentaries, on Matthew 22:34–40
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. This is the first and great commandment. 39. And the second is like it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as much as thyself. 40. On these two commandments the whole law and the prophets depend. 28.
John Calvin, Commentaries (Calvin Translation Society English text). Public domain. Digital text: Free Use Bible API (bible.helloao.org).
Context: Matthew 22:34–40 (WEB)
34But the Pharisees, when they heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, gathered themselves together. 35One of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, testing him. 36“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?” 37Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38This is the first and great commandment. 39A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”
Cross references
- Mark 12:29–30
Jesus answered, “The greatest is: ‘Hear, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.
- Luke 10:27
He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”
- Deuteronomy 6:5
You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.
- Deuteronomy 10:12
Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,
- Mark 12:33
and to love him with all the heart, with all the understanding, all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
- Deuteronomy 30:6
The LORD your God will circumcise your heart, and the heart of your offspring, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.
- 1 John 5:2–5
By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep his commandments.
- Hebrews 10:16–17
“This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days,” says the Lord, “I will put my laws on their heart, I will also write them on their mind;” then he says,
Key words
In the Baptist Catechism
- Q48. What is the sum of the Ten Commandments?
The sum of the Ten Commandments is, to love the Lord our God, with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind; and our neighbor as ourselves.