Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 22:38
This is the first and great commandment.
Verse 38. This is the first and great commandment.] It is so,
1. In its antiquity, being as old as the world, and engraven originally on our very nature.
2. In dignity; as directly and immediately proceeding front and referring to God.
3. In excellence; being the commandment of the new covenant, and the very spirit of the Divine adoption.
4. In justice; because it alone renders to God his due, prefers him before all things, and secures to him his proper rank in relation to them.
5. In sufficiency; being in itself capable of making men holy in this life, and happy in the other.
6. In fruitfulness; because it is the root of all commandments, and the fulfilling of the law.
7. In virtue and efficacy; because by this alone God reigns in the heart of man, and man is united to God.
8. In extent; leaving nothing to the creature, which it does not refer to the Creator.
9. In necessity; being absolutely indispensable.
10. In duration; being ever to be continued on earth, and never to be discontinued in heaven.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
This is the first and great commandment. Whether the object of it is considered, who is the first and chief good; or the manner in which it is to be observed, which requires and engrosses the whole heart, soul, and mind, and all the strength and power of man; or its being the principle from whence all the duties, and actions of men should flow, and the end to which all are to be referred; and is not only a compendium of the duties of the first table of the decalogue, but of all others that can be thought to, and do, belong to God. This is the first command in order of nature, time, dignity, and causality; God being the first cause of all things, infinitely above all creatures, and love to him being the source, spring and cause of love to the neighbour; and it is the greatest in its object, nature, manner, and end. That this command, and these words our Lord cites, are so full and comprehensive, the Jews themselves cannot deny. A noted writer of their’s x says,
“the root of “all the commandments” is, when a man loves God with all his soul, and cleaves unto him.”
And, says y another,
“in this verse only, “thou shalt love the Lord thy God”, &c.
, “the ten words, or decalogue, are comprehended”.”
x Aben Ezra in Exod. xxxi. 18. y Tzeror Hammor, fol. 138. 1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The great and first. With the definite article.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
“This is the great and first commandment.”
Then Jesus emphasised the centrality of this commandment. This, He said, is the great commandment, and comes before all others. All else pales beside it. For if we truly love God then our behaviour will be God-like and all else will fall into place. It is also the first because it must come before all others in importance.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Mat 22:38-39. This is the first and great commandment, &c. From this head are to be deduced all the service, worship, and honour, which we owe and pay to our Creator and Redeemer. Of the love of God, our Saviour says, that it is the first and great commandment; and the love of our neighbour he stiles the second, like unto it. Now perhaps it may hence be inferred, that the love of God, which is the first and great commandment, is a law of superior obligation to that which is only the second, and may therefore, in some instances, controul and overrule it. Whence it should follow, that we might lawfully overlook the love of our neighbour, in obedience to the superior obligation that we are under to love God: but our Saviour’s saying the love of God is the first commandment, is no manner of reason to think, that it ever is or ever can be inconsistent with the second. The love of God is properly styled the first commandment, in respect to God, who is the object of the love, and because it is indeed the fountain of all religion, and the ground even of that commandment which is styled the second. But this is so far from shewing that the love of God may ever clash with the love of our neighbour, that it proves the contrary; for if the love of our neighbour is deducible from the love of God, it must ever be consistent with it. No man who thinks himself bound to love and obey God, can think himself at liberty to hurt or oppress those whom God has taken under his protection. No man who believes it his interest as well as his duty to please God, but must likewise believe it is his interest and duty to be kind and tender to those who are the children of God, and in whose happiness he is not an unconcerned spectator. For this reason the love of God is called the first commandment, and for this reason it never can be inconsistent with the love of our neighbour, which is the second.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
38 This is the first and great commandment.
Ver. 38. This is the first and great commandment ] In respect of order, quantity, and dignity. The second table is fulfilied in the first, and Luther is bold to say, Primo praecepto reliquorum omnium observantia praecipitur; in the first commandment is commanded the keeping of all the rest. We rightly love our very selves no further than we love God. And for others, we are bound to love our friends in him, our foes for him.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Mat 22:38. , first) This commandment is not only the greatest in necessity, extent, and duration, but it is also the first in nature, order, time, and evidence.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Reciprocal: Deu 30:16 – to love Joh 5:23 – all men Joh 13:17 – happy
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2:38
The Lord did not say that even this was the greatest, only that it was great. And it was great because it was the first one, which was proper since it pertained to God, and everyone would agree that God comes before all other beings.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mat 22:38. This is the great and first Commandment. Great as embracing all the others; first as preceding the other table in the Decalogue. Our Lord here declares the unity of the first table of the law, its absolute greatness. Hence no part of this table (the first five commandments) can be regarded as abrogated. This unqualified surrender of our whole being to God is to be the aim of our strivings after holiness. Gods essential perfections and His manifested grace alike demand this.