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 to you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them who despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45That ye may be the children of your Father who is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them who love you, what reward have ye? do not even the tax collectors the same? 47And if ye greet your brethren only, what do ye more than others ? do not even the tax collectors so? 48Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father who is in heaven 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

• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• ifἐάνean · ifG1437
• loveἀγαπάωagapaō · to loveG25
• whoὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• youὑμᾶςhumas · youG5209
• whatτίςtis · which?G5101
• rewardμισθόςmisthos · wageG3408
• yeἔχωechō · to have/beG2192
• doποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
• notοὐχίouchi · not!G3780
• evenκαίkai · andG2532
• collectorsτελώνηςtelōnēs · tax collectorG5057
• sameαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846

Cross-references for Matthew 5:46

• Matthew 6:1Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen by them: otherwise ye have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
• Luke 6:32For if ye love them who love you, what thanks have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.
• 1 Peter 2:20For what glory is it, if, when ye are buffeted for your faults, ye bear it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye bear it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
• Matthew 9:10And it came to pass, as Jesus sat eating in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples.
• Matthew 11:19The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners. But wisdom is justified by her children.
• Matthew 18:17And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it to the church: but if he shall neglect to hear the church, let him be to thee as an heathen and a tax collector.
• Matthew 21:31Which of the two did the will of his father? They say to him, The first. Jesus saith to them, Verily I say to you, That the tax collectors and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.
• Luke 15:1Then drew near to him all the tax collectors and sinners to hear him.
• Luke 18:13And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes to heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
• Luke 19:2And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, who was the chief among the tax collectors, 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