Matthew 22:37

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.

{G1161} Jesus {G2424} said {G2036} unto him {G846}, Thou shalt love {G25} the Lord {G2962} thy {G4675} God {G2316} with {G1722} all {G3650} thy {G4675} heart {G2588}, and {G2532} with {G1722} all {G3650} thy {G4675} soul {G5590}, and {G2532} with {G1722} all {G3650} thy {G4675} mind {G1271}.

He told him, "`You are to love ADONAI your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.'

Jesus declared, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’

And he said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

Commentary

Commentary on Matthew 22:37

In this pivotal verse, Jesus delivers what He identifies as the "first and great commandment." This declaration comes in response to a lawyer (or scribe) who sought to test Him by asking about the greatest commandment in the Law (Matthew 22:36).

Context

This exchange occurs during Jesus' final days in Jerusalem, a period marked by intense questioning and challenges from religious leaders like the Pharisees and Sadducees. Their aim was often to trap Him in His words. Jesus' answer here is not new teaching but a profound affirmation of a central truth from the Old Testament, specifically from the *Shema* found in Deuteronomy 6:5. By quoting this foundational text, Jesus demonstrated His continuity with the Law while also revealing its deepest spiritual essence.

Key Themes and Messages

  • Supreme Love for God: The verse unequivocally establishes that loving God is the highest priority for humanity. It is not merely one commandment among many, but the very foundation upon which all other commandments rest.
  • Holistic Devotion: Jesus emphasizes that this love must encompass every facet of a person's being:
    • Heart: Refers to the inner core of a person – the emotions, desires, will, and moral compass. It signifies genuine affection and commitment.
    • Soul: Pertains to one's life, personality, and very essence. It means dedicating one's entire existence and vitality to God.
    • Mind: This inclusion, more explicit in Matthew's account (compared to "strength" in Mark and Luke's parallels and the Septuagint of Deuteronomy), highlights the intellectual aspect of faith. It calls for thoughtful understanding, meditation, and a reasoned devotion to God.
  • Foundation of the Law: As Jesus further explains in Matthew 22:40, this commandment, along with the second (to love one's neighbor), summarizes "all the Law and the Prophets." This signifies that true obedience flows from a heart of love.

Linguistic Insights

The Hebrew word for "heart" (*levav*) in Deuteronomy 6:5 encompasses the whole inner person, including intellect and will. The Greek words used here further elaborate:

  • Kardia (heart): The seat of emotions, will, and thought.
  • Psyche (soul): The life-force, self, and individual personality.
  • Dianoia (mind): The faculty of understanding, intellect, and reasoning. This specific choice by Jesus in Matthew underscores the importance of actively engaging one's thoughts and intellect in loving God, not just emotions or actions.

Practical Application

Matthew 22:37 challenges believers to examine the depth and breadth of their love for God. It's a call to:

  • Unreserved Devotion: To hold nothing back from God, dedicating every part of one's being to Him.
  • Intellectual Engagement: To actively seek to know God through His Word and creation, using one's mind to understand His character and will.
  • Integrated Faith: To live a life where love for God is the driving force behind thoughts, feelings, and actions, leading to a truly holistic spiritual life. This holistic love for God is the wellspring from which all other aspects of Christian living, including loving your neighbor, flow naturally.

Note: Commentary was generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please remember that only the commentary section is AI-generated. The main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are sourced from trusted and verified materials.
The Great Commission: A Closer Look at Matthew 28:18-20 10 Parables of Jesus about the Kingdom of God The Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and Zealots The Golden Rule: Do Unto Others... The Use of the Old Testament in the New Testament

Cross-References

  • Mark 12:29

    And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments [is], Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

  • Mark 12:30

    And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this [is] the first commandment.

  • Luke 10:27

    And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

  • Deuteronomy 6:5

    And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

  • Deuteronomy 10:12

    ¶ And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,

  • Mark 12:33

    And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love [his] neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.

  • Deuteronomy 30:6

    And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.
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