American Standard Version
Matthew 5:44
44but I say unto you, Love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute you;
Matthew 5:44 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
- New International Version (NIV)But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
- English Standard Version (ESV)But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
- New King James Version (NKJV)But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
Context of Matthew 5:44
42Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. 43Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy: but I say unto you, Love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute you; 45that ye may be sons of your Father who is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust. 46For if ye love them that love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
Read all of Matthew 5Matthew 5:44 word by word
ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν· ἀγαπᾶτε τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑμῶν καὶ προσεύχεσθε ὑπὲρ τῶν διωκόντων ὑμᾶς,Read the interlinear
Cross-references for Matthew 5:44
- Exodus 23:4If thou meet thine enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.
- 2 Kings 6:22And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.
- 2 Chronicles 28:9But a prophet of Jehovah was there, whose name was Oded: and he went out to meet the host that came to Samaria, and said unto them, Behold, because Jehovah, the God of your fathers, was wroth with Judah, he hath delivered them into your hand, and ye have slain them in a rage which hath reached up unto heaven.
- Psalms 7:4If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me (Yea, I have delivered him that without cause was mine adversary);
- Psalms 35:13But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I afflicted my soul with fasting; And my prayer returned into mine own bosom.
- Proverbs 25:21If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:
- Luke 6:27But I say unto you that hear, Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you,
- Luke 23:34And Jesus said, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And parting his garments among them, they cast lots.
- Acts 7:60And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
- Romans 12:14Bless them that persecute you; bless, and curse not.
- 1 Corinthians 4:12and we toil, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure;
- 1 Corinthians 13:4Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
- 1 Peter 2:23who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
- 1 Peter 3:9not rendering evil for evil, or reviling for reviling; but contrariwise blessing; for hereunto were ye called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
Commentaries on Matthew 5:44
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 44Love your enemies - This is the most sublime piece of morality ever given to man. Has it appeared unreasonable and absurd to some? It has. And why? Because it is natural to man to avenge himself, and plague those who plague him; and he will ever find abundant excuse for his conduct, in the repeated evils he receives from others; for men are naturally hostile to each other. Jesus Christ design's to make men happy. Now he is necessarily miserable who hates…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 44Love your enemies - There are two kinds of love, involving the same general feeling, or springing from the same fountain of good-will to all mankind, but differing so far as to admit of separation in idea. The one is that feeling by which we approve of the conduct of another, commonly called the love of complacency; the other, that by which we wish well to the person of another, though we cannot approve his conduct. This is the love of benevolence, and…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 43-48Verses 43-48 The Jewish teachers by "neighbour" understood only those who were of their own country, nation, and religion, whom they were pleased to look upon as their friends. The Lord Jesus teaches that we must do all the real kindness we can to all, especially to their souls. We must pray for them. While many will render good for good, we must render good for evil; and this will speak a nobler principle than most men act by. Others salute their…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 43-47Hate your enemy: Jesus is not rejecting the Old Testament. Instead, he is correcting a traditional interpretation that was mistaken (see Exodus 23:4–5). The Old Testament never commands people to “hate your enemy.” The closest verses are in Psalm 139:21–22, where hatred is expressed toward God’s enemies.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4444. But I say unto you, Love your enemies--The word here used denotes moral love, as distinguished from the other word, which expresses personal affection. Usually, the former denotes "complacency in the character" of the person loved; but here it denotes the benignant, compassionate outgoings of desire for another's good. bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you--The best…Read the comment
Topics related to Matthew 5:44
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Matthew 5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Catena Aurea
- Illustrated New Testament
- Burkitt’s Expository Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Family Bible Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- John Lightfoot Commentary
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- The People’s New Testament
- Robertson’s Word Pictures
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries