# Matthew 5:43

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Matthew_5:43
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Matthew_5:43.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_5%3A43
> Source revision: 1340797346
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

**Matthew 5:43** is the forty-third verse of [the fifth chapter](/source/Matthew_5) of the [Gospel of Matthew](/source/Gospel_of_Matthew) in the [New Testament](/source/New_Testament) and is part of the [Sermon on the Mount](/source/Sermon_on_the_Mount). This verse is the opening of the final [antithesis](/source/Matthew_5#Antitheses), that on the commandment to "[Love thy neighbour as thyself](/source/Great_Commandment#Love_thy_neighbour_as_thyself)".

## Content

In the [King James Version](/source/King_James_Version) of the [Bible](/source/Bible) the text reads:

- Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou
- shalt [love](/source/Religious_views_on_love#Christian) thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

The [World English Bible](/source/World_English_Bible) translates the passage as:

- "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall
- love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.'"

The [Novum Testamentum Graece](/source/Novum_Testamentum_Graece) text is:

- Ἠκούσατε ὅτι ἐρρέθη
- Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου καὶ μισήσεις τὸν ἐχθρόν σου.

## Analysis

This verse begins like the other [antitheses](/source/Matthew_5#Antitheses) with a reference to the [Old Testament](/source/Old_Testament). "Love your neighbour" comes from [Leviticus 19](/source/Leviticus_19):18 and is part of the [Great Commandment](/source/Great_Commandment).[1] In [Jesus](/source/Jesus_in_Christianity)' time neighbour was interpreted to mean fellow [Israelites](/source/Israelites), and to exclude all others. In full the [Leviticus](/source/Book_of_Leviticus) verse states that you should love your neighbour "as you love yourself." Leaving out this last phrase somewhat reduces its demands. As the second part makes clear, however, Jesus was probably not making a reference to scripture, but rather to a common interpretation.

Nowhere in the Old Testament does it directly state that one should hate one's enemies, but it is implied by several verses, such as in [Psalm 137](/source/Psalm_137) that calls for vengeance. However at several places in the Old Testament there are also limited calls to love one's enemies such as [1 Samuel](/source/1_Samuel) 24:19.[2] At the time Jewish thinkers were thus divided, some extolled universal love, others hatred of enemies. One of the clearest hatred commands is found in the rules of the [Qumran](/source/Qumran) community, which stated that believers should love everyone [God](/source/God_in_Christianity) has elected and hate everyone he has cast aside.[3] Nolland notes that the idea of reciprocity, doing good to those who do you good, and evil to those who do you evil was also a central doctrine of Greco-Roman ethics, addressed by scholars such as [Plato](/source/Plato).[4]

## See also

- [Brotherly love (philosophy)#Hate thy enemy?](/source/Brotherly_love_(philosophy)#Hate_thy_enemy?)
- [Jewish ethics](/source/Jewish_ethics)
- [Judaism and peace](/source/Judaism_and_peace)
- [Judaism and war](/source/Judaism_and_war)

## References

1. France, R.T. *The Gospel According to Matthew: an Introduction and Commentary.* Leicester: Inter-Varsity, 1985. pg. 128

1. Nolland, John. *The Gospel of Matthew: a commentary on the Greek text.* Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2005 pg. 265

## Bibliography

- Morris, Leon. *The Gospel According to Matthew.* Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1992.
- Sabourin, Leopold. *The Gospel According to Matthew.* Bombay: St. Paul Publications, 1983.
- [Schweizer, Eduard](/source/Eduard_Schweizer). *The Good News According to Matthew.* Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1975

## External links

- [BibleHub Matthew 5:43](http://biblehub.com/matthew/5-43.htm) - Collection of other versions

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Matthew 5:43](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_5%3A43) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_5%3A43?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.