Love Thy Neighbor
The commandment to love one's neighbor is one of the most recognized moral teachings in all of Scripture. First given in Leviticus 19:18, it was elevated by Jesus to one of the two greatest commandments, second only to loving God with one's whole being. When a lawyer asked Jesus "Who is my neighbor?", Jesus responded with the Parable of the Good Samaritan, dramatically expanding the definition of neighbor to include enemies and strangers across ethnic and social boundaries. The apostle Paul echoed this teaching, declaring that all the law is fulfilled in this single command. For Christians, loving the neighbor is not merely a social ethic but an expression of the love of God received and reflected outward toward all people.
Type
verse
Biblical verse
Significance
Loving one's neighbor is presented in the New Testament as the summary and fulfillment of the entire moral law. Jesus taught that how we treat the least and most overlooked persons is ultimately how we treat him (Matthew 25:40). This command dismantles every excuse for indifference and calls believers into active, sacrificial love for all people regardless of background or relationship.
About Love Thy Neighbor
The commandment to love one's neighbor is one of the most recognized moral teachings in all of Scripture. First given in Leviticus 19:18, it was elevated by Jesus to one of the two greatest commandments, second only to loving God with one's whole being. When a lawyer asked Jesus "Who is my neighbor?", Jesus responded with the Parable of the Good Samaritan, dramatically expanding the definition of neighbor to include enemies and strangers across ethnic and social boundaries. The apostle Paul echoed this teaching, declaring that all the law is fulfilled in this single command. For Christians, loving the neighbor is not merely a social ethic but an expression of the love of God received and reflected outward toward all people.
Why It Matters
Loving one's neighbor is presented in the New Testament as the summary and fulfillment of the entire moral law. Jesus taught that how we treat the least and most overlooked persons is ultimately how we treat him (Matthew 25:40). This command dismantles every excuse for indifference and calls believers into active, sacrificial love for all people regardless of background or relationship.
Key Verses
The most important scripture passages relating to Love Thy Neighbor.
Leviticus 19:18
“Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.”
Context
The original Old Testament commandment, foundational to Israel's social law.
Matthew 22:39
“And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”
Context
Jesus names love of neighbor as the second greatest commandment.
Mark 12:31
“And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”
Context
Mark's account of Jesus elevating love of neighbor alongside love of God.
Luke 10:27
“And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.”
Context
The lawyer's correct answer, which prompts Jesus to tell the Parable of the Good Samaritan.
Luke 10:29-30
“But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.”
Context
The opening of the Good Samaritan parable, Jesus's definitive answer on who qualifies as a neighbor.
Romans 13:9
“For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”
Context
Paul teaches that the love command summarizes the entire second table of the Ten Commandments.
Romans 13:10
“Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”
Context
Paul's conclusion that neighbor-love is the fulfillment of all moral law.
Galatians 5:14
“For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”
Context
Paul's compressed statement of the gospel's ethical demand.
James 2:8
“If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well.”
Context
James calls neighbor-love "the royal law," pointing to its kingly dignity and priority.
John 13:34
“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”
Context
Jesus raises the standard: love not merely as you love yourself, but as Christ has loved you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does "love thy neighbor" come from in the Bible?
The command first appears in Leviticus 19:18: "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD." Jesus quotes this in Matthew 22:39 and Mark 12:31, declaring it the second greatest commandment. Paul cites it in Romans 13:9 and Galatians 5:14 as the summary of the moral law, and James calls it "the royal law" in James 2:8.
Who is my neighbor according to the Bible?
When a lawyer asked Jesus this question, He answered with the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). A Samaritan, a member of a despised ethnic group, showed compassion to a wounded Jewish stranger. Jesus then asked who had been a neighbor, and the answer was clear: the one who showed mercy. This teaching radically expands "neighbor" to mean anyone in need, regardless of ethnicity, religion, or social standing.
How is loving your neighbor connected to loving God?
Jesus explicitly links the two commandments as inseparable (Matthew 22:37-40). The apostle John makes this connection explicit in 1 John 4:20: "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar." Loving God without loving people is impossible in authentic Christian faith. The two commands form a single integrated response to God, vertical devotion expressed horizontally in community.
Does loving your neighbor mean agreeing with everything they do?
No. The biblical concept of neighbor-love is rooted in seeking the genuine good of another person. Leviticus 19:17, in the same passage as the love command, actually requires honest rebuke of a neighbor's sin. True love, as Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 13, "rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth." Love can correct, confront, and speak hard truths while still being motivated by care for the other person's soul.