Matthew 5:46

Matthew 5:46 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
• New International Version (NIV)If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
• English Standard Version (ESV)For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
• New King James Version (NKJV)For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

Context of Matthew 5:46

44But I say unto you, Love your enemies, [bless those who curse you,] do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who [insult you and] persecute you, 45that ye may be [the] sons of your Father who is in [the] heavens; for he makes his sun rise on evil and good, and sends rain on just and unjust. For if ye should love those who love you, what reward have ye? Do not also the tax-gatherers the same? 47And if ye should salute your brethren only, what do ye extraordinary? Do not also the Gentiles the same? 48Be ye therefore perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Matthew 5:46 word by word

ἐὰν γὰρ ἀγαπήσητε τοὺς ἀγαπῶντας ὑμᾶς, τίνα μισθὸν ἔχετε; οὐχὶ καὶ οἱ τελῶναι τὸ αὐτὸ ποιοῦσιν;Read the interlinear

• loveἀγαπάωagapaō · to loveG25
• rewardμισθόςmisthos · wageG3408
• alsoκαίkai · andG2532
• sameαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846

Cross-references for Matthew 5:46

• Matthew 6:1Take heed not to do your alms before men to be seen of them, otherwise ye have no reward with your Father who is in the heavens.
• Luke 6:32And if ye love those that love you, what thank is it to you? for even sinners love those that love them.
• 1 Peter 2:20For what glory [is it], if sinning and being buffeted ye shall bear [it]? but if, doing good and suffering, ye shall bear [it], this is acceptable with God.
• Matthew 9:10And it came to pass, as he lay at table in the house, that behold, many tax-gatherers and sinners came and lay at table with Jesus and his disciples.
• Matthew 11:19The Son of man has come eating and drinking, and they say, Behold, a man [that is] eating and wine-drinking, a friend of tax-gatherers, and of sinners: — and wisdom has been justified by her children.
• Matthew 18:17But if he will not listen to them, tell it to the assembly; and if also he will not listen to the assembly, let him be to thee as one of the nations and a tax-gatherer.
• Matthew 21:31Which of the two did the will of the father? They say [to him], The first. Jesus says to them, Verily I say unto you that the tax-gatherers and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.
• Luke 15:1And all the tax-gatherers and the sinners were coming near to him to hear him;
• Luke 18:13And the tax-gatherer, standing afar off, would not lift up even his eyes to heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, O God, have compassion on me, the sinner.
• Luke 19:2And behold, [there was] a man by name called Zacchaeus, and he was chief tax-gatherer, and he was rich.

Commentaries on Matthew 5:46

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 46For if ye love them which love you - He who loves only his friends, does nothing for God's sake. He who loves for the sake of pleasure or interest, pays himself. God has no enemy which he hates but sin; we should have no other. The publicans - That is, tax-gatherers, , from a tax, and I buy or farm. A farmer or collector of the taxes or public revenues. Of these there were two classes; the superior, who were Romans of the equestrian order; and the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 46What reward have ye? - The word “reward” seems to be used in the sense of “deserving of praise.” If you only love those that love you, you are selfish; it is not genuine love for the “character,” but love for the “benefit,” and you deserve no commendation. The very “publicans” would do the same. The publicans - The publicans were tax-gatherers. Judea was a province of the Roman empire. The Jews bore this foreign yoke with great impatience, and paid their…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. 4646. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?--The publicans, as collectors of taxes due to the Roman government, were ever on this account obnoxious to the Jews, who sat uneasy under a foreign yoke, and disliked whatever brought this unpleasantly before them. But the extortion practiced by this class made them hateful to the community, who in their current speech ranked them with "harlots." Nor does our…Read the comment

Topics related to Matthew 5:46

• Commandments
• Enemy
• Forgiveness
• Good for Evil
• Instruction
• Love
• Publicans
• Religion
• Tax

In the dictionaries

• Agree
• Communication
• Custom
• Despitefully
• Enemy
• Fornication
• Forswear
• Gift
• Hunger
• Inherit

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