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 those who ask, and don’t turn away from those who want to borrow. 43“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! 45In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. 46If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much.

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 come upon your enemy’s ox or donkey that has strayed away, take it back to its owner.
• 2 Kings 6:22“Of course not!” Elisha replied. “Do we kill prisoners of war? Give them food and drink and send them home again to their master.”
• 2 Chronicles 28:9But a prophet of the Lord named Oded was there in Samaria when the army of Israel returned home. He went out to meet them and said, “The Lord, the God of your ancestors, was angry with Judah and let you defeat them. But you have gone too far, killing them without mercy, and all heaven is disturbed.
• Psalms 7:4if I have betrayed a friend or plundered my enemy without cause,
• Psalms 35:13Yet when they were ill, I grieved for them. I denied myself by fasting for them, but my prayers returned unanswered.
• Proverbs 25:21If your enemies are hungry, give them food to eat. If they are thirsty, give them water to drink.
• Luke 6:27“But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you.
• Luke 23:34Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.
• Acts 7:60He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died.
• Romans 12:14Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them.
• 1 Corinthians 4:12We work wearily with our own hands to earn our living. We bless those who curse us. We are patient with those who abuse us.
• 1 Corinthians 13:4Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud
• 1 Peter 2:23He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.
• 1 Peter 3:9Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his 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