Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Matthew 22:39
And the second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
Verse 39. Thou shalt love thy neighbour] The love of our neighbour springs from the love of God as its source; is found in the love of God as its principle, pattern, and end; and the love of God is found in the love of our neighbour, as its effect, representation, and infallible mark. This love of our neighbour is a love of equity, charity, succour, and benevolence. We owe to our neighbour what we have a right to expect from him – “Do unto all men as ye would they should do unto you,” is a positive command of our blessed Saviour. By this rule, therefore, we should speak, think, and write, concerning every soul of man: – put the best construction upon all the words and actions of our neighbour that they can possibly bear. By this rule we are taught to bear with, love, and forgive him; to rejoice in his felicity, mourn in his adversity, desire and delight in his prosperity, and promote it to the utmost of our power: instruct his ignorance, help him in his weakness, and risk even our life for his sake, and for the public good. In a word, we must do every thing in our power, through all the possible varieties of circumstances, for our neighbours, which we would wish them to do for us, were our situations reversed.
This is the religion of Jesus! How happy would Society be, were these two plain, rational precepts properly observed! Love ME, and love thy FELLOWS! Be unutterably happy in me, and be in perfect peace, unanimity, and love, among yourselves. Great fountain and dispenser of love! fill thy creation with this sacred principle, for his sake who died for the salvation of mankind!
On the nature of self-love, see Mt 19:19.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
And the second is like unto it,…. For there is but a second, not a third: this is suggested in opposition to the numerous commandments in the law, according to the opinion of the Jews, who reckon them in all to be “six hundred and thirteen”: of which there are “three hundred and sixty five” negative ones, according to the number of the days of the year; and “two hundred and forty eight” affirmative ones, according to the members of a man’s body z. Christ reduces all to two, love to God, and love to the neighbour; and the latter is the second in order of nature, time, dignity, and causality; the object of it being a creature; and the act itself being the effect of the former, yet like unto it: for though the object is different, yet this commandment regards love as the former, and requires that it be as that, true, hearty, sincere, and perfect; that it be with singleness of heart, always, and to all men; and that it spring from love to God, and be performed to his glory: and which is expressed in the words written in Le 19:18 “thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself”; as heartily and sincerely, and as a man would desire to be loved by his neighbour; and do all the good offices to him he would choose to have done to himself by him. This law supposes, that men should love themselves, or otherwise they cannot love their neighbour; not in a sinful way, by indulging themselves in carnal lusts and pleasures; some are lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; but in a natural way, so as to be careful of their bodies, families, and estates; and in a spiritual way, so as to be concerned for their souls, and the everlasting happiness of them: and in like manner should men love their neighbours, in things temporal do them all the good they can, and do no injury to their persons or property; and in things spiritual pray for them, instruct them, and advise as they would their own souls, or their nearest and dearest relations. And this is to be extended to every man; though the Jews restrain it to their friend and companion, and one of their own religion.
“”Thy neighbour”; that is, (say they a,) thy friend in the law; and “this is the great comprehensive rule in the law”, to show that it is not fit there should be any division, or separation, between a man and his companion, but one should judge every man in the balance of equity: wherefore, near unto it is, “I am the Lord”: for as I the Lord am one, so it is fit for you that ye should be one nation without division; but a wicked man, and one that does not receive reproof, it is commanded to hate him; as it is said, “do not I hate them that hate me?””
But our Lord intends by it to include, that love, benevolence, and good will, which are due to every man; and suggests, that this comprehends not only all that contained in the second table of the decalogue, but all duties that are reducible thereunto, and are obligatory on men one towards another whatever; all which should spring from love, and be done heartily and sincerely, with a view to the neighbour’s good, and God’s glory: and with this Maimonides agrees, saying b, that
“all the commands, or duties, respecting a man, and his neighbour, , “are comprehended in beneficence.””
z T. Bab. Maccot, fol. 23. 2. a Moses Kotsensis Mitzvot Tora pr. affirm. 9. b In Misn. Peah, c. 1. sect. 1.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
A second. The article omitted. So. Rev.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
39. And the second is like it. He assigns the second place to mutual kindness among men, for the worship of God is first in order. The commandment to love our neighbors, he tells us, is like the first, because it depends upon it. For, since every man is devoted to himself, there will never be true charity towards neighbors, unless where the love of God reigns; for it is a mercenary love (76) which the children of the world entertain for each other, because every one of them has regard to his own advantage. On the other hand, it is impossible for the love of God to reign without producing brotherly kindness among men.
Again, when Moses commanded us to love our neighbors as ourselves, he did not intend to put the love of ourselves in the first place, so that a man may first love himself and then love his neighbors; as the sophists of the Sorbonne are wont to cavil, that a rule must always go before what it regulates. But as we are too much devoted to ourselves, Moses, in correcting this fault, places our neighbors in an equal rank with us; thus forbidding every man to pay so much attention to himself as to disregard others, because kindness unites all in one body. And by correcting the self-love ( φιλαυτίαν) which separates some persons from others, he brings each of them into a common union, and—as it were—into a mutual embrace. Hence we conclude, that charity is justly pronounced by Paul to be
the bond of perfection, (Col 3:14,)
and, in another passage, the
fulfilling of the law, (Rom 13:10😉
for all the commandments of the second table must be referred to it.
(76) “ Car l’amour qu’ont les enfans de ce monde les uns envers les autres n’est point une vray amour, mais est une amour mercenaire;” — “for the love which the children of the world have for each other is not a true love, but is mercenary love.”
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(39) Thou shalt love thy neighbour.The words were found, strangely enough, in the book which is, for the most part, pre-eminently ceremonial (Lev. 19:18), and it is to the credit of the Pharisees, as ethical teachers, that they, too, had drawn the law, as our Lord now drew it, from its comparative obscurity, and gave it a place of dignity second only to that of the first and great commandment.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
39. Second is like unto it Like in being founded in love; like in being in fact included in the first. For, if we love God completely, we shall perform all our duties to his creatures. As thyself So that we may love ourselves. The Scriptures teach self-denial, but they do not teach self-annihilation. They forbid selfishness, but they do not forbid self-love. The love of our neighbor may not be of the same kind with the love of ourself. It may have more of a moral and less of an instinctive nature. Thus the love we have for our neighbour is different from the love we have for our nearest connections. The parental and conjugal relations require of us peculiar duties and peculiar feelings.
If I would love my neighbour as myself, I must not require him to do for me or my family the duties I do to myself or my family; since I do not desire to do such duties for him or his family. If I love my neighbour as myself, I shall be willing to do all my duties in my own proper place, and allow him to do the duties and reap the enjoyments of his proper place.
This law is therefore the same as the golden rule, the former being stated as the law of the inner man, the latter his rule of external action.
The observance of this law would put an end to all injustice, violence, oppression, and war.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“And a second like to it is this, You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”
But Jesus then adds a second so as to ensure that love for each other is given its rightful place and not overlooked (for man can be guilty of such insensitivity that in his supposed love for God he neglects his neighbour), and that was ‘you shall love your neighbour as yourself’. This second, which is ‘like to the first’, also emphasises love, and is taken from Lev 19:18 (compare Mat 5:42; Mat 19:19). It especially has in mind there complete honesty, fair judgment, non-talebearing, and avoiding all hatred, vengeance, and the bearing of grudges (compare Mat 5:21-48), while at the same time allowing for the rebuking of a neighbour in love (Mat 7:1-5), although always without permanent rancour (Lev 19:13-18) Thus love for God, resulting also in love for one another, are to be seen as the two central features of the Law, paralleling and lying behind the two sections of the ten commandments, the Godward and the manward.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Mat 22:39 . But a seeond is like unto it , of the same nature and character, possessing to an equal extent the ( , , Chrysostom), which is the necessary condition of greatness, and therefore no less radical and fundamental. Comp. 1Jn 4:16 ; 1Jn 4:20-21 ; Mat 25:40 ; Mat 25:45 . Euthymius Zigabenus: . . We should not adopt the reading , recommended by Griesbach, following many Uncials and min. (but in opposition to the vss.); nor again that of Fritzsche, , (conjecture). The former was presumed (comp. Mar 12:31 ) to be a necessary emendation, because from the commandment being immediately added, the demonstrative seemed requisite by way of introducing it. Moreover, according to the context, there would be no need for the dative in the case of . The commandment is quoted from Lev 19:18 , after the Sept.
] This, the inward, moral esteem, and the corresponding behaviour, may form the subject of a command, though the same cannot be said of , which is love as a matter of feeling . Comp. on Mat 5:44 , and see in general Tittmann, Syn. p. 50 ff. The (Jas 4:4 ), on the other hand, may be forbidden ; comp. Rom 8:7 ; the of one’s own (Joh 12:25 ), and the (1Co 16:22 ), may be condemned , comp. also Mat 10:37 .
.] as thou shouldst love thyself , so as to cherish toward him no less than toward thyself that love which God would have thee to feel, and to act toward him (by promoting his welfare, etc., comp. Mat 7:12 ) in such a manner that your conduct may be in accordance with this loving spirit. Love must do away with the distinction between I and Thou. Bengel: “Qui Deum amat, se ipsum amabit ordinate, citra philautiam ,” Eph 5:28 .
Fuente: Heinrich August Wilhelm Meyer’s New Testament Commentary
39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Ver. 39. And the second is like unto it ] For it hath, 1. The same author, God “spake all these words.” 2. The same tic. 3. The same sanction and punishment of the violation. 4. It requires the same kind of love and service; for the love of our neighbour is the service of God.
Love thy neighbour as thyself ] Now, thou lovest thyself truly, really, fervently, freely, constantly, hiding thine own defects and deformities as much as may be. Thou wouldst have others rejoice with thee and condole with thee as occasion serves. Go thou now and do likewise to others. Howbeit our Saviour strains us up a peg higher, Joh 13:34 . His new commandment of the gospel is, that we love one another not only as we love ourselves, but as he loved us. This form hath something in it that is more express (in which respect partly it is called a new commandment), and for the incomparable sufficiency of the precedent is matchless, and more full of incitation to fire affection.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Mat 22:39 . : a second commandment is added from Lev 19:18 , enjoining loving a neighbour as ourselves. According to T. R., this second is declared like to the first ( ). The laconic reading of [127] ( . ) amounts to the same thing = the second is also a great, first commandment, being, though formally subordinate to the first, really the first in another form: love to God and love to man one. Euthy. Zig. suggests that Jesus added the second commandment in tacit rebuke of their lack of love to Himself.
[127] Codex Vaticanus (sc. iv.), published in photographic facsimile in 1889 under the care of the Abbate Cozza-Luzi.
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
the second, &c. Quoted from Lev 19:18.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Mat 22:39. , second) Corresponding with , first.-, like) sc. of that same character as contrasted with sacrifice; see Mar 12:33. The love of our neighbour resembles the love of God more than all the other duties, just as the moon resembles the sun more than the stars do: see Genesis 1. The lawyer might easily omit the latter, whilst anxious about the former. Our Lord guards him from that danger, and answers more than he had asked.-, as) sc. as thou lovest thyself. Self-love needs not to be enjoined separately. He who loves God will love himself in a proper degree without selfishness. God loves me as He does thee; and thee as He does me: therefore I ought to love thee, my neighbour, as myself; and thou me as thyself: for our love to each other ought to correspond to Gods love towards us both.
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Thou: Mat 19:19, Lev 19:18, Mar 12:31, Luk 10:27, Luk 10:28, Rom 13:9, Rom 13:10, Gal 5:14, Jam 2:8
neighbour: Luk 10:29-37, Rom 15:2, Gal 6:10
Reciprocal: Mat 5:43 – Thou Mat 7:12 – for Luk 6:31 – General Rom 13:8 – Owe 1Th 3:12 – love 1Th 4:9 – for ye 1Jo 3:23 – love
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2:39
If the lawyer thought he had caught something by the word great on which to make an ado, he was soon deprived of that motive because Jesus said the next one was like it. He then stated the commandment to love one’s neighbor as one’s self.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Mat 22:39. And a second like unto it is this. Our Lord thus exalts the second table to an equality with the first Gods moral law has unity: though one table is great and first, the second is like unto it Pharisaism puts the second in a lower place, thinking that seeming service of God can atone for want of charity to men. But supreme love to God is to manifest itself in love to men. Alike binding, the two are correspondent, not contradictory. The mistake of humanitarianism is making the second the great and first commandment.
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. From Lev 19:18. Man ought to love his neighbor, 1. not as he does love himself, but as he ought to love himself; 2. not in the same degree, but after the same manner, i.e., freely and readily, sincerely and unfeignedly, tenderly and compassionately, constantly and perseveringly (W. Burkitt). Cases arise where man ought to love his neighbor more than his life, physical life, and has done so, sacrificing it for his fellows, his country, and the church, in imitation of the example of Christ and the martyrs.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
22:39 And the second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt love thy {q} neighbour as thyself.
(q) Another man.