Loading the publication-approved passages and connections for this study.
Love God and Neighbor: The Great Commandments
Matthew 22 keeps testing Jesus from every direction—kingdom invitation, Roman taxes, resurrection, Torah, and Messiah. Jesus refuses every false choice. Caesar's coin may go back to Caesar, but God's claim remains ultimate; resurrection hope is argued from God's own words to Moses; and the heart of Torah is love of God and neighbor. Then Psalm 110 pushes the Messiah question beyond 'David's son' alone.
Jesus joins Deuteronomy’s command to love God with all one’s being to Leviticus’ command to love one’s neighbor. “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” The answer does not shrink Scripture to sentiment; it identifies the love-centered orientation holding covenant ethics together.
Where this fits in the story: the Shema stands at the heart of Israel’s covenant confession, and Leviticus embeds neighbor-love within concrete justice, honesty, generosity, and rejection of vengeance.
Where Scripture takes it next: apostolic writings repeatedly describe love as fulfilling or summing up the law’s neighbor-directed demands.
Evidence boundary: “love” in these passages is covenant loyalty enacted in life, not mere emotion.
Jesus directly quotes Leviticus 19:18 in Matthew 22 when he names love of neighbor as the second great commandment beside love of God from Deuteronomy 6. He then says the whole Law and Prophets hang on these two commands, giving the Levitical neighbor-love command a central place in his summary of faithful obedience.
Jesus directly quotes the Shema’s command to love YHWH with the whole person and identifies it as the greatest commandment, joining Israel’s central confession to his summary of the law.
Jesus identifies love of God and neighbor as the great commandments; James calls love of neighbor the royal law.
Jesus and Paul both identify Leviticus 19:18 as a summary command governing neighbor-love; Jesus joins it to love of God, while Paul says the law is fulfilled in it.
Additional KJV-centered Bible study is available for this passage, including explanations behind its Scripture connections. The full study is available with Plus.
This passage has deeper historical and biblical research available. Full sources and explanations require Deep Study.