| Audio Cross Study Comm Greek Verse (Click for Chapter)New International VersionThis is the first and greatest commandment.New Living TranslationThis is the first and greatest commandment.English Standard VersionThis is the great and first commandment.Berean Standard BibleThis is the first and greatest commandment.Berean Literal BibleThis is the great and first commandment.King James BibleThis is the first and great commandment.New King James VersionThis is the first and great commandment.New American Standard BibleThis is the great and foremost commandment.NASB 1995“This is the great and foremost commandment.NASB 1977 “This is the great and foremost commandment.Legacy Standard Bible This is the great and foremost commandment.Amplified BibleThis is the first and greatest commandment.Christian Standard BibleThis is the greatest and most important command.Holman Christian Standard BibleThis is the greatest and most important command. American Standard VersionThis is the great and first commandment.Contemporary English VersionThis is the first and most important commandment. English Revised VersionThis is the great and first commandment.GOD'S WORD® TranslationThis is the greatest and most important commandment.Good News TranslationThis is the greatest and the most important commandment. International Standard VersionThis is the greatest and most important commandment. NET BibleThis is the first and greatest commandment.New Heart English BibleThis is the great and first commandment.Webster's Bible TranslationThis is the first and great commandment.Weymouth New TestamentThis is the greatest and foremost Commandment.Majority Text TranslationsMajority Standard BibleThis is the first and greatest commandment.World English BibleThis is the first and great commandment. Literal TranslationsLiteral Standard Versionthis is a first and great command;Berean Literal BibleThis is the great and first commandment.Young's Literal Translation this is a first and great command;Smith's Literal TranslationThis is the first and the great command.Catholic TranslationsDouay-Rheims BibleThis is the greatest and the first commandment. Catholic Public Domain VersionThis is the greatest and first commandment.New American BibleThis is the greatest and the first commandment.New Revised Standard VersionThis is the greatest and first commandment.Translations from AramaicLamsa BibleThis is the greatest and the first commandment.Aramaic Bible in Plain English“This is the great and the first commandment.”NT TranslationsAnderson New TestamentThis is the first and great commandment.Godbey New TestamentThis is the first and great commandment.Haweis New TestamentThis is the first and great commandment.Mace New Testamentthis is the first and most important precept,Weymouth New TestamentThis is the greatest and foremost Commandment.Worrell New TestamentThis is the great and first commandment.Worsley New TestamentAnd the second is like it,Additional Translations ...Audio BibleContextThe Greatest Commandment…37Jesus declared, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’…Berean Standard Bible · DownloadCross ReferencesDeuteronomy 6:5And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.Mark 12:30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’Luke 10:27He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”Matthew 22:37Jesus declared, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’John 14:15If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.1 John 4:19We love because He first loved us.Romans 13:9The commandments “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and any other commandments, are summed up in this one decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”1 John 5:3For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome,Leviticus 19:18Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.1 Corinthians 13:13And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of these is love.Galatians 5:14The entire law is fulfilled in a single decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”James 2:8If you really fulfill the royal law stated in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.John 13:34A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another.1 John 3:23And this is His commandment: that we should believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, and we should love one another just as He commanded us.Deuteronomy 10:12And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,Treasury of Scripture This is the first and great commandment. Jump to PreviousCommand Commandment First Foremost Great Greatest RuleJump to NextCommand Commandment First Foremost Great Greatest RuleMatthew 221. The parable of the marriage of the king's son.9. The vocation of the Gentiles.12. The punishment of him who lacked a wedding garment.15. Tribute ought to be paid to Caesar.23. Jesus confutes the Sadducees for the resurrection;34. answers which is the first and great commandment;41. and puzzles the Pharisees by a question about the Messiah.| Study Bible | Book ◦ Chapter |
This is the firstIn the context of Matthew 22, Jesus is responding to a question posed by a Pharisee about the greatest commandment in the Law. The term "first" here signifies primacy in importance and priority. In Jewish tradition, the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) is central, emphasizing the love for God as foundational. This commandment is not just first in sequence but in significance, setting the tone for all other commandments. It reflects the heart of the Mosaic Law and the covenant relationship between God and Israel.and greatest commandment.The use of "greatest" underscores the comprehensive nature of this commandment. It encapsulates the essence of the Law and the Prophets, as Jesus later summarizes in Matthew 22:40. The commandment to love God with all one's heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37) is the greatest because it demands total devotion and encompasses all aspects of human life. This commandment is echoed in other parts of Scripture, such as Mark 12:29-30 and Luke 10:27, reinforcing its centrality. It also points to the nature of God as deserving of complete love and worship, aligning with the first of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:3). This commandment is prophetic in that it anticipates the new covenant, where the law is written on the hearts of believers (Jeremiah 31:33), fulfilled in Christ, who perfectly loved and obeyed the Father.Persons / Places / Events1. Jesus ChristThe speaker of this verse, Jesus is addressing the Pharisees and Sadducees, providing clarity on the greatest commandment.2. Pharisees and SadduceesReligious leaders of the time who often challenged Jesus with questions about the law.3. The LawRefers to the Mosaic Law, which the Pharisees and Sadducees were experts in and often debated over.4. JerusalemThe setting of this discourse, where Jesus was teaching in the temple courts.5. The Great CommandmentThe context of this verse is Jesus summarizing the law with the command to love God with all one's heart, soul, and mind.Teaching PointsThe Primacy of Love for GodThe command to love God is not just the first in order but the greatest in importance. It should be the foundation of all our actions and decisions.Holistic LoveLoving God with all your heart, soul, and mind involves every aspect of our being—emotions, will, intellect, and spirit.Love as a CommandThis love is not merely a feeling but a command, requiring intentionality and commitment.Relationship with GodOur love for God is a response to His love for us, fostering a deep, personal relationship with Him.Integration with Neighborly LoveLoving God naturally extends to loving others, as these commandments are interconnected and reflect God's character.Bible Study Questions and Answers1. What is the meaning of Matthew 22:38?2. How can we prioritize the "greatest commandment" in our daily lives?3. What does loving God with "all your heart" look like practically?4. How does Matthew 22:38 connect to the Ten Commandments?5. In what ways can we demonstrate love for God in our community?6. Why is this commandment considered the "greatest" by Jesus in Matthew 22:38?7. What does "This is the first and greatest commandment" imply about the importance of love in faith?8. How does Matthew 22:38 shape our understanding of the Old Testament commandments?9. Why is love prioritized as the greatest commandment in Matthew 22:38?10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Matthew 22?11. What were the teachings of Jesus?12. What should be your top priority according to the Bible?13. Matthew 22:34-40: If loving God and neighbor is the greatest commandment, why does the Old Testament contain many laws that appear unloving or harsh?14. What defines Christian behavior?What Does Matthew 22:38 MeanThis Matthew 22:38 begins with a demonstrative that reaches back to Jesus’ quotation of Deuteronomy 6:5: “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength”. • By saying “This,” He singles out wholehearted love for God as the central point of reference. • Exodus 20:3 lays the groundwork—“You shall have no other gods before Me”—showing Scripture’s continuous focus on exclusive devotion. • Joshua 22:5 reminds Israel to “love the LORD your God … and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul”, underscoring that love is meant to guide every era of God’s people. is The verb nails down certainty. No guesswork, no debate—Jesus states a settled fact. • Psalm 119:160 insists, “The entirety of Your word is truth”, so when Jesus says something “is,” believers receive it as fixed reality. • John 17:17: “Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth”. What He declares shapes how we think, feel, and act. the first “First” speaks of rank and priority. • Matthew 6:33: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness”. Pursuing God comes before every pursuit. • Colossians 1:18 affirms Christ “so that in all things He may have preeminence”. Loving God sits at the top of every believer’s agenda. • Revelation 2:4 warns, “You have forsaken your first love”. Losing this priority leads to spiritual drift. and greatest Jesus pairs priority with magnitude. • 1 Corinthians 13:13: “But the greatest of these is love”. No virtue outshines love. • Deuteronomy 10:12 backs this up: “What does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God … and to love Him”. • When love for God is “greatest,” every other command finds its rightful place (Matthew 22:39). commandment This is not advice; it carries divine authority. • John 14:15: “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments”. Obedience demonstrates genuine love. • 1 John 5:3: “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome”. • Practical outworking: – Heart: affections oriented to God (Psalm 73:25). – Soul: inner life consecrated (Psalm 42:1). – Mind: thoughts shaped by truth (Romans 12:2). – Strength: actions energized for His honor (Colossians 3:23). summary Matthew 22:38 exalts the call to love God above every other directive. Jesus declares it certain (“is”), places it first in order and importance, labels it the greatest in weight and influence, and frames it as an authoritative command. When believers give God undivided, wholehearted love, every other command—loving neighbor, pursuing holiness, spreading the gospel—falls beautifully into place.Pulpit CommentaryVerse 38. - The first and great commandment; or better, the great and first commandment; Vulgate, Hoc est maximum et primum mandatum. Here was a plain answer to the question of the scribe, which no one could gainsay (comp. Luke 10:27). They who repeated daily in their devotions, "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord" (see Mark), could not help acknowledging that love of him whom they thus confessed was the chief duty of man - one which was superior to every other obligation. Parallel Commentaries ...GreekThisαὕτη (hautē)Demonstrative Pronoun - Nominative Feminine SingularStrong's 3778: This; he, she, it. isἐστὶν (estin)Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularStrong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.theἡ (hē)Article - Nominative Feminine SingularStrong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.firstπρώτη (prōtē)Adjective - Nominative Feminine SingularStrong's 4413: First, before, principal, most important. Contracted superlative of pro; foremost.andκαὶ (kai)ConjunctionStrong's 2532: And, even, also, namely. greatestμεγάλη (megalē)Adjective - Nominative Feminine SingularStrong's 3173: Large, great, in the widest sense. commandment.ἐντολή (entolē)Noun - Nominative Feminine SingularStrong's 1785: An ordinance, injunction, command, law. From entellomai; injunction, i.e. An authoritative prescription.LinksMatthew 22:38 NIVMatthew 22:38 NLTMatthew 22:38 ESVMatthew 22:38 NASBMatthew 22:38 KJVMatthew 22:38 BibleApps.comMatthew 22:38 Biblia ParalelaMatthew 22:38 Chinese BibleMatthew 22:38 French BibleMatthew 22:38 Catholic BibleNT Gospels: Matthew 22:38 This is the first and great commandment (Matt. Mat Mt) |
