You have heard that it was saidThis phrase indicates Jesus is addressing common teachings or interpretations of the Law that were prevalent among His audience. It reflects the oral traditions and teachings of the Jewish leaders, such as the Pharisees and scribes, who often expanded upon the written Law with their own interpretations. This introduction sets the stage for Jesus to contrast these teachings with His own authoritative interpretation.
‘Love your neighbor’
This part of the verse referencesLeviticus 19:18, which commands the Israelites to love their neighbors as themselves. In the Jewish context, "neighbor" was often understood to mean fellow Israelites or those within one's own community. Jesus later expands this definition in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), illustrating that "neighbor" includes all people, regardless of ethnicity or social standing.
and ‘Hate your enemy.’
This phrase is not a direct quote from the Old Testament but reflects a common interpretation or attitude that had developed over time. While the Law commanded love for one's neighbor, it did not explicitly instruct hatred for enemies. However, due to historical conflicts and the desire for national purity, some Jewish groups, such as the Qumran community, may have adopted a stance of enmity towards outsiders or those perceived as threats. Jesus challenges this mindset by teaching love for enemies, as seen in the following verses (Matthew 5:44-48), which aligns with the broader biblical theme of God's love and mercy extending to all humanity.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
Jesus ChristThe speaker of this verse, delivering the Sermon on the Mount, a foundational teaching moment in His ministry.
2.
The AudiencePrimarily Jewish listeners familiar with the Old Testament Law and traditional teachings.
3.
The Sermon on the MountA significant event where Jesus expounds on the Law, emphasizing the spirit rather than the letter.
4.
The Pharisees and ScribesReligious leaders of the time who often interpreted the Law in a way that Jesus challenges.
5.
The Old Testament LawThe backdrop against which Jesus is teaching, specifically
Leviticus 19:18, which commands love for one's neighbor.
Teaching Points
Understanding the Law's IntentJesus clarifies that the Law's intent was always about love, not just for neighbors but extending beyond to enemies.
Challenging Cultural NormsThe cultural norm of hating enemies is directly challenged by Jesus, calling for a radical love that mirrors God's love.
The Greek Word for LoveThe word used for love here is "agapao," which denotes a selfless, sacrificial love that seeks the best for others, including enemies.
Reflecting God's CharacterLoving enemies reflects God's character, who shows kindness to both the just and unjust.
Practical Love in ActionThis teaching calls for practical steps in loving enemies, such as praying for them and seeking reconciliation.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Matthew 5:43?
2.How can we practically "love your enemies" in our daily interactions today?
3.What does Matthew 5:43 reveal about God's expectations for our relationships?
4.How does Matthew 5:43 connect with Jesus' teachings in Luke 6:27-28?
5.Why is loving enemies essential for demonstrating Christ's love to the world?
6.How can prayer help us obey the command to "love your enemies"?
7.What does "Love your neighbor and hate your enemy" mean in Matthew 5:43?
8.How does Matthew 5:43 challenge traditional views on love and enmity?
9.Why does Jesus reference "hate your enemy" in Matthew 5:43 if it's not in the Old Testament?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Matthew 5?
11.Should you love your neighbor and hate your enemy?
12.What does "Love Your Enemies" truly mean?
13.Should you love your neighbor and hate your enemy?
14.What did Jesus mean by 'pray for your enemies'?What Does Matthew 5:43 Mean
You have heard that it was said,• Jesus signals a commonly accepted teaching, not His own command.
• This phrase mirrors earlier contrasts in the Sermon on the Mount (cf.Matthew 5:21, 27, 31, 33, 38), showing He is about to correct or deepen their understanding.
• The statement respects the historical fact that Israel’s leaders did pass along truths from Moses, yet also acknowledges the possibility of distortion over time (seeMark 7:8-13).
• Scripture itself foresees the danger of merely “hearing” tradition without testing it against God’s Word (Jeremiah 23:16-17;Acts 17:11).
Love your neighbor• Directly quotesLeviticus 19:18: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
• God’s intent was always comprehensive love:
– Applied to fellow Israelites (Leviticus 19:34).
– Extended even to society’s vulnerable (Deuteronomy 10:18-19;James 1:27).
• Jesus later confirms this as the second great commandment, inseparable from loving God (Matthew 22:37-40;Romans 13:8-10;Galatians 5:14).
• Literal obedience means practical acts—caring, protecting, speaking truth—toward those God places near us (1 John 3:17-18).
and• The conjunction welds “love” to an additional idea the people had accepted.
• By wording it this way, Jesus highlights the subtle shift from God-given law to man-added license.
• Scripture often warns that a single small addition can distort the whole (Deuteronomy 4:2;Proverbs 30:6;Revelation 22:18-19).
• The lesson: examine every “and” we add to God’s commands.
Hate your enemy.• Nowhere does the Law command hatred; this was a human inference—possibly drawn from God’s instructions to separate from pagan practices, but misapplied to personal relationships.
• The Old Testament actually restrains vengeance and enables kindness:
– “If you come across your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering off, you must return it to him” (Exodus 23:4-5).
– “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat” (Proverbs 25:21-22), later echoed inRomans 12:20.
• By attributing hatred to tradition rather than Scripture, Jesus exposes how cultural bias can slip into theology.
• His next words (Matthew 5:44) will overturn the distortion, commanding love even for foes, aligning with God’s own character (Luke 6:27-36).
summaryMatthew 5:43 reveals a two-part saying the crowds had absorbed: the genuine command to “Love your neighbor” coupled with the illegitimate add-on “Hate your enemy.” Jesus affirms the original Scripture yet prepares to correct the man-made addition. The verse reminds us to measure every teaching against the literal Word of God, love those around us faithfully, and refuse any tradition that would excuse bitterness or revenge.
(43)
Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.--In form the latter clause was a Rabbinic addition to the former; and this is important as showing that our Lord deals throughout not with the Law as such, but with the scribes' exposition of it. But it can hardly be said these words, as far as national enemies were concerned, were foreign to the spirit of the Law. The Israelites were practically commanded to hate the Canaanites and Amalekites, whom they were commissioned to destroy. The fault of the scribes was that they stereotyped the Law, which was in its nature transitory, and extended it in a wrong direction by making it the plea for indulgence in private enmities. Our Lord cancels the Rabbinic gloss as regards national and,
a fortiori, private hatreds, and teaches us to strive after the ideal excellence which He realised, and to love,
i.e., to seek the good of those who have shown us the most bitter hostility. So He taught men to find a neighbour even in a Samaritan, and so He prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."
Verses 43-48. -
Thetreatment of those who injure us. (Cf.
supra,
ver. 38.) Our Lord now turns from the reception of injuries to the treatment of those who injure us. We are not to injure them in return, nor merely to keep aloof from them, but to show them positive kindness. The Law, in the natural development of it current at the time, taught very differently.
Verse 43.. - Matthew only.
Yehave heard (ver. 21, note).
Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. The first clause is found in
Leviticus 19:18, the second is the natural, and, from one point of view, legitimate, deduction from it. "The whole precept, as it stands, undoubtedly represents, and is a summary of, the sense of the Law" (Mozley,
vide infra). The meaning of the words "neighbour" and "enemy" has been much discussed. In Leviticus, indeed, the meaning of "neighbour" is clear; it answers to "the children of thy people" in the preceding clause,
i.e. it refers to members of the nation; all Israelites are termed "neighbours." The primary sense, therefore, of this whole precept is love to an Israelite, hatred to a non-Israelite (cf.
Deuteronomy 25:17-19). As such, the precept was of value in cementing the unity of the nation and preventing greater exposure to the evils, moral and religious, found outside it. But as quoted by our Lord, it has evidently a more private reference. He treats the precept as referring to personal friends (those who act in a neighbourly way) and enemies, and even this is, in some respects, a legitimate summary of the teaching of the Law, in so far as it forms another side of the law of retaliation. In days when public justice was weak much had to be left to the action of the individual, and he who was wronged was bid satisfy justice by retaliating on his enemy. That, however, it was not the only teaching of the Law is evident from
Exodus 23:4 (cf.
Job 31:29). But as regards both aspects of the precept the time had come for a change. The Jews only too gladly showed obedience to the second part of the precept, making themselves proverbial (cf. Tacitus, 'Hist.,' 5:5. 2; Juvenal, 'Sat.,' 14:103) for their more than incivility to Gentiles, and they seem to have also zealously carried it out towards their personal enemies (cf.
Psalm 109.). On the whole subject,
vide especially Mozley ('Ruling Ideas,' pp. 188-200), who, however, hardly allows enough weight to passages like
Exodus 23:4.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Greek
You have heardἨκούσατε(Ēkousate)Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 191:To hear, listen, comprehend by hearing; pass: is heard, reported. A primary verb; to hear.thatὅτι(hoti)Conjunction
Strong's 3754:Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.it was said,ἐρρέθη(errethē)Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2046:Probably a fuller form of rheo; an alternate for epo in certain tenses; to utter, i.e. Speak or say.‘LoveἈγαπήσεις(Agapēseis)Verb - Future Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 25:To love, wish well to, take pleasure in, long for; denotes the love of reason, esteem. Perhaps from agan; to love.yourσου(sou)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4771:You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.neighborπλησίον(plēsion)Adverb
Strong's 4139:Near, nearby, a neighbor. Neuter of a derivative of pelas; close by; as noun, a neighbor, i.e. Fellow.andκαὶ(kai)Conjunction
Strong's 2532:And, even, also, namely.hateμισήσεις(misēseis)Verb - Future Indicative Active - 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 3404:To hate, detest, love less, esteem less. From a primary misos; to detest; by extension, to love less.yourσου(sou)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 2nd Person Singular
Strong's 4771:You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.enemy.’ἐχθρόν(echthron)Adjective - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2190:Hated, hostile; subst: an enemy. From a primary echtho; hateful; usually as a noun, an adversary.
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NT Gospels: Matthew 5:43 You have heard that it was said (Matt. Mat Mt) 
