Matthew 5:43-48

Love Your Enemies

43 ¹“You have heard that it was said, ²‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. ’

44 But I say to you, ³Love your enemies and ⁴pray for those who persecute you,

45 ⁵so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and ⁶sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

46 ⁷For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

47 And if you greet only your brothers, ^[a] what more are you doing than others? Do not even ⁸the Gentiles do the same?

48 ⁹You therefore must be ¹⁰perfect, ¹¹as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Cross References

• 1. 5:43 See ver. 21
• 2. 5:43 Cited from Lev. 19:18; See ch. 19:19
• 3. 5:44 Luke 6:27, 28; Rom. 12:20; [Ex. 23:4; Job 31:29, 30; Ps. 7:4]
• 4. 5:44 Luke 23:34; Acts 7:60; 2 Tim. 4:16; 1 Pet. 3:9
• 5. 5:45 Luke 6:35; [Eph. 5:1; Phil. 2:15]
• 6. 5:45 Acts 14:17
• 7. 5:46 Luke 6:32
• 8. 5:47 ch. 6:7, 32
• 9. 5:48 [Luke 6:36]
• 10. 5:48 ch. 19:21; 1 Cor. 2:6 (Gk.); Phil. 3:15 (Gk.); Col. 1:28; 4:12 (Gk.); James 1:4; 3:2; See Gen. 17:1
• 11. 5:48 [Lev. 19:2; 1 Pet. 1:15]

Footnotes

• [a] 5:47 Or 'brothers and sisters'. The plural Greek word 'adelphoi' (translated “brothers”) refers to siblings in a family. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, 'adelphoi' may refer either to 'brothers' or to 'brothers and sisters'