Matthew 5:44

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 the one who asks you, and do not reject the one who wants to borrow from you. 43“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you, 45so that you may be like your Father in heaven, since he causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors do the same, don’t they?

Matthew 5:44 word by word

ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν· ἀγαπᾶτε τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑμῶν καὶ προσεύχεσθε ὑπὲρ τῶν διωκόντων ὑμᾶς,Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Butδέde · thenG1161
• Iἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• sayλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• unto youσύsu · youG4771
• Loveἀγαπάωagapaō · to loveG25
• enemiesὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• enemiesἐχθρόςechthros · enemyG2190
• blessεὐλογέωeulogeō · to praise/blessG2127
• them that curseκαταράομαιkataraomai · to curseG2672
• doποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
• goodκαλῶςkalōs · wellG2573
• to them that hateμισέωmiseō · to hateG3404
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• prayπροσεύχομαιproseuchomai · to prayG4336
• forὑπέρhuper · above/forG5228
• them which despitefully useἐπηρεάζωepēreazō · to mistreatG1908
• persecuteδιώκωdiōkō · to pursueG1377

Cross-references for Matthew 5:44

• Exodus 23:4“If you encounter your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering off, you must by all means return it to him.
• 2 Kings 6:22He replied, “Do not strike them down! You did not capture them with your sword or bow, so what gives you the right to strike them down? Give them some food and water, so they can eat and drink and then go back to their master.”
• 2 Chronicles 28:9Oded, a prophet of the Lord, was there. He went to meet the army as they arrived in Samaria and said to them: “Look, because the Lord God of your ancestors was angry with Judah he handed them over to you. You have killed them so mercilessly that God has taken notice.
• Psalms 7:4or have wronged my ally, or helped his lawless enemy,
• Psalms 35:13When they were sick, I wore sackcloth, and refrained from eating food. (If I am lying, may my prayers go unanswered!)
• Proverbs 25:21If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,
• Luke 6:27“But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
• Luke 23:34[But Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”] Then they threw dice to divide his clothes.
• Acts 7:60Then he fell to his knees and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” When he had said this, he died.
• Romans 12:14Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse.
• 1 Corinthians 4:12We do hard work, toiling with our own hands. When we are verbally abused, we respond with a blessing, when persecuted, we endure,
• 1 Corinthians 13:4Love is patient, love is kind, it is not envious. Love does not brag, it is not puffed up.
• 1 Peter 2:23When he was maligned, he did not answer back; when he suffered, he threatened no retaliation, but committed himself to God who judges justly.
• 1 Peter 3:9Do not return evil for evil or insult for insult, but instead bless others because you were called to 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

• Commandments
• Cursing
• Enemy
• Forgiveness
• Good for Evil
• Hatred
• Instruction
• Intercession
• Judaism
• Law
• Love
• Persecution
• Religion
• Retaliation

In the dictionaries

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

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