Loving thy neighbor is the second great commandment: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself (Matthew 22:39; Leviticus 19:18). Jesus pairs it with loving God (Luke 10:27), and the Good Samaritan shows who a neighbor is (Luke 10:36-37). Love worketh no ill to his neighbour (Romans 13:10).
"Love thy neighbour" is not a slogan—it is the second commandment like unto the first. These twelve King James passages teach neighbor-love as God's law fulfilled in mercy, the Good Samaritan's care, and practical love that does no harm—distinct from enemy-love and from general charity lists.
The second great commandment
1. Matthew 22:39
"And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Neighbor-love ranks next to loving God with heart, soul, and mind.
2. 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."
Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge… but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD. The command is ancient and rooted in who God is.
3. 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."
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. Jesus elevates neighbor-love beside love for God.
4. 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."
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God… and thy neighbour as thyself. The lawyer's summary becomes Jesus' teaching ground for mercy.
Who is my neighbour?
5. Luke 10:36-37
"Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise."
Which… was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? He that shewed mercy… Go, and do thou likewise. A neighbor is defined by mercy given, not by tribe alone.
6. Matthew 7:12
"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets."
Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them. The golden rule is neighbor-love in daily practice.
7. Romans 15:2
"Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification."
Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. Neighbor-love builds up; it is not people-pleasing without purpose.
8. Galatians 6:2
"Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ."
Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. Carrying burdens is how Christ's law of love looks on the ground.
Love fulfills the law
9. Romans 13:9-10
"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. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law."
Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Neighbor-love summarizes the commandments against harm.
10. Galatians 5:14
"For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."
For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Paul echoes Jesus: one word fulfills the law.
11. James 2:8
"If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:"
If ye fulfil the royal law… Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well. James calls neighbor-love the royal law.
12. 1 John 4:20-21
"If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also."
He that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? Visible love for people tests claimed love for God.
A short prayer
Lord, teach me to love my neighbor as myself. Open my eyes like the Samaritan's; help me bear burdens, do no harm, and show mercy for my neighbor's good. In Jesus' name, amen.
Go deeper: a SOAP study prompt
Pick one verse above and write: - Scripture: copy the verse by hand. - Observation: what does it say? Who is speaking, to whom? - Application: what does it mean for you today? - Prayer: turn it into a two-line prayer.
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Frequently asked questions
What Bible verse says love thy neighbour?
Matthew 22:39, Mark 12:31, Leviticus 19:18, and Luke 10:27 all state: love thy neighbour as thyself.
Who is my neighbor according to Jesus?
In Luke 10:36-37, the neighbor is the one who showed mercy—the Good Samaritan pattern: go and do likewise.
What is the royal law?
James 2:8 calls "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" the royal law.
How is this different from loving your enemy?
Neighbor-love is the second commandment toward those near you. Enemy-love (Matthew 5:44) stretches mercy even to opponents—see our love-your-enemy page.
Sources: All Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (KJV), public domain in the United States. References were checked against the KJV text from bible-api.com.
Related: Bible verses about loving your enemy · Bible verses about love · Bible verses about forgiveness · Bible verses about friendship · Bible verses about humility
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