# Matthew 22.37-40

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-05-06 | updated: 2026-05-06 -->

**Book:** [Matthew](/codex/matthew-the-apostle/) · ASV / WEB / KJV / YLT

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 35. <span class="rl-speech">And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, trying him:</span> 36. Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?
>
> **37. And he said unto him, <span class="rl-speech">Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.</span> 38. <span class="rl-speech">This is the great and first commandment.</span> 39. <span class="rl-speech">And a second like unto it is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.</span> 40. <span class="rl-speech">On these two commandments the whole law hangeth, and the prophets.</span>**
>
> 41. Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, 42. <span class="rl-speech">saying, What think ye of the Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David.</span> (Matthew 22:35-42, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 35. <span class="rl-speech">One of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, testing him.</span> 36. “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?”
>
> **37. Jesus said to him, <span class="rl-speech">“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’</span> 38. <span class="rl-speech">This is the first and great commandment.</span> 39. <span class="rl-speech">A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’</span> 40. <span class="rl-speech">The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”</span>**
>
> 41. Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, 42. saying, “What do you think of the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “Of David.” (Matthew 22:35-42, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 35. <span class="rl-speech">Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,</span> 36. Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
>
> **37. Jesus said unto him, <span class="rl-speech">Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.</span> 38. <span class="rl-speech">This is the first and great commandment.</span> 39. <span class="rl-speech">And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.</span> 40. <span class="rl-speech">On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.</span>**
>
> 41. While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42. <span class="rl-speech">Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David.</span> (Matthew 22:35-42, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 35. <span class="rl-speech">and one of them, a lawyer, did question, tempting him, and saying,</span> 36. 'Teacher, which [is] the great command in the Law?'
>
> **37. And Jesus said to him, <span class="rl-speech">'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thine understanding</span> 38. <span class="rl-speech">this is a first and great command;</span> 39. <span class="rl-speech">and the second [is] like to it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself;</span> 40. <span class="rl-speech">on these, the two commands, all the law and the prophets do hang.'</span>**
>
> 41. <span class="rl-speech">And the Pharisees having been gathered together, Jesus did question them,</span> 42. <span class="rl-speech">saying, 'What do ye think concerning the Christ? of whom is he son?' They say to him, 'Of David.'</span> (Matthew 22:35-42, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** Matthew (traditionally) the tax-collector-apostle / narrator + Jesus's direct teaching
- **Audience:** Jewish-Christian audience (heavy OT-fulfillment emphasis)
- **Location:** first-century Palestine (events); possibly Antioch (composition)
- **Time period:** events c. 4 BC, AD 30/33; composed c. AD 60-80

## Theological reading

## Key words

- [G2316 - theos](/codex/g2316-theos/), *theos* (Strong's G2316). Also appears in: [Matthew 1.23](/codex/matthew-1-23/), [Matthew 3.16](/codex/matthew-3-16/), [Matthew 5.9](/codex/matthew-5-9/).
- [G2424 - Iesous](/codex/g2424-iesous/), *Iesous* (Strong's G2424). Also appears in: [Matthew 1.1](/codex/matthew-1-1/), [Matthew 1.16](/codex/matthew-1-16/), [Matthew 1.18](/codex/matthew-1-18/).
- [G2588 - kardia](/codex/g2588-kardia/), *kardia* (Strong's G2588). Also appears in: [Matthew 5.28](/codex/matthew-5-28/), [Matthew 6.21](/codex/matthew-6-21/), [Matthew 9.4](/codex/matthew-9-4/).
- [G2962 - kyrios](/codex/g2962-kyrios/), *kyrios* (Strong's G2962). Also appears in: [Matthew 1.20](/codex/matthew-1-20/), [Matthew 1](/codex/matthew-1/), [Matthew 6.24](/codex/matthew-6-24/).
- [G3551 - nomos](/codex/g3551-nomos/), *nomos* (Strong's G3551). Also appears in: [Matthew 5.17](/codex/matthew-5-17/), [Matthew 5.17-18](/codex/matthew-5-17-18/), [Matthew 23](/codex/matthew-23/).
- [G5590 - psyche](/codex/g5590-psyche/), *psyche* (Strong's G5590). Also appears in: [Matthew 6.25-26](/codex/matthew-6-25-26/), [Matthew 10.28](/codex/matthew-10-28/), [Matthew 10.37-39](/codex/matthew-10-37-39/).

## Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.

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## Quoted in

**Arguments and defeaters:**

- [Argument from Love](/codex/argument-from-love/)
- [Atheism Cannot Justify Compassion](/codex/atheism-cannot-justify-compassion/)
- [Atheism Promotes Hatred Lies and Self-Idolatry](/codex/atheism-promotes-hatred-lies-and-self-idolatry/), via [Matthew 22.39](/codex/matthew-22-39/)
- [Biblical Sexual Ethics Objection Defeater](/codex/biblical-sexual-ethics-objection-defeater/), via [Matthew 22.39](/codex/matthew-22-39/)
- [Christians Not Under Mosaic Law](/codex/christians-not-under-mosaic-law/)
- [Free Will Argument from Love](/codex/free-will-argument-from-love/), via [Matthew 22.37-39](/codex/matthew-22-37-39/), [Matthew 22.39](/codex/matthew-22-39/)
- [Hypatia Murder Objection Defeater](/codex/hypatia-murder-objection-defeater/), via [Matthew 22.39](/codex/matthew-22-39/)
- [Moral Anti-Realism Defeater](/codex/moral-anti-realism-defeater/)
- [Mosaic Law Binding for True Israelites Objection Defeater](/codex/mosaic-law-binding-for-true-israelites-objection-defeater/)
- [Ritual Purity Laws Objection Defeater](/codex/ritual-purity-laws-objection-defeater/), via [Matthew 22.34-40](/codex/matthew-22-34-40/), [Matthew 22.39](/codex/matthew-22-39/)
- [Sabbath Breaking Stoning Objection Defeater](/codex/sabbath-breaking-stoning-objection-defeater/), via [Matthew 22.34-40](/codex/matthew-22-34-40/)

**Concepts:**

- [Anthropology and Ethics](/codex/anthropology-and-ethics/)
- [Anti-Muslim Polemic Quality-Control](/codex/anti-muslim-polemic-quality-control/), via [Matthew 22.39](/codex/matthew-22-39/)
- [Atheism](/codex/atheism/), via [Matthew 22.39](/codex/matthew-22-39/)
- [Biblical Love](/codex/biblical-love/), via [Matthew 22.37-39](/codex/matthew-22-37-39/)
- [Christianity](/codex/christianity/)
- [Critical Thinking Christian Framework](/codex/critical-thinking-christian-framework/), via [Matthew 22.39](/codex/matthew-22-39/)
- [Jesus Said](/codex/jesus-said/), via [Matthew 22](/codex/matthew-22/)
- [Mosaic Law](/codex/mosaic-law/)
- [Ritual Purity Laws Objection](/codex/ritual-purity-laws-objection/), via [Matthew 22.34-40](/codex/matthew-22-34-40/)

**Lexicon:**

- [G0025 - agapao](/codex/g0025-agapao/), via [Matthew 22.37-39](/codex/matthew-22-37-39/)
- [G0026 - agape](/codex/g0026-agape/)
- [G2588 - kardia](/codex/g2588-kardia/), via [Matthew 22.37](/codex/matthew-22-37/)
- [G3551 - nomos](/codex/g3551-nomos/), via [Matthew 22.36-40](/codex/matthew-22-36-40/)
- [G3563 - nous](/codex/g3563-nous/), via [Matthew 22.37](/codex/matthew-22-37/)
- [H3820 - lev](/codex/h3820-lev/), via [Matthew 22.37](/codex/matthew-22-37/)
- [H3824 - lebab](/codex/h3824-lebab/), via [Matthew 22.37](/codex/matthew-22-37/)
- [H8451 - torah](/codex/h8451-torah/), via [Matthew 22.36-40](/codex/matthew-22-36-40/)

**Passages:**

- [1 Corinthians 7.39](/codex/1-corinthians-7-39/)
- [Acts 15.24](/codex/acts-15-24/)
- [Ephesians 2.15](/codex/ephesians-2-15/)
- [Galatians 2.15-16](/codex/galatians-2-15-16/)
- [Galatians 3.10](/codex/galatians-3-10/)
- [Galatians 3.24-25](/codex/galatians-3-24-25/)
- [Galatians 4.4](/codex/galatians-4-4/)
- [Galatians 5](/codex/galatians-5/)
- [Galatians 5.22-23](/codex/galatians-5-22-23/)
- [James 2.10](/codex/james-2-10/)
- [James 2.9](/codex/james-2-9/)
- [John 1.1-18](/codex/john-1-1-18/)
- [John 1.44-49](/codex/john-1-44-49/)
- [John 10.34](/codex/john-10-34/)
- [John 10.34-35](/codex/john-10-34-35/)
- [John 10.34-36](/codex/john-10-34-36/)
- [John 7.53-8](/codex/john-7-53-8/)
- [John 8.14-19](/codex/john-8-14-19/)
- [John 8.16-18](/codex/john-8-16-18/)
- [Luke 10.25-28](/codex/luke-10-25-28/)
- [Matthew 5.17-20](/codex/matthew-5-17-20/)
- [Micah 6.8](/codex/micah-6-8/)
- [Romans 10](/codex/romans-10/)
- [Romans 2.15](/codex/romans-2-15/)
- [Romans 3.21](/codex/romans-3-21/)
- [Romans 3.28](/codex/romans-3-28/)
- [Romans 5.12-15](/codex/romans-5-12-15/)
- [Romans 6.15](/codex/romans-6-15/)
- [Romans 7](/codex/romans-7/)
- [Romans 7.14-25](/codex/romans-7-14-25/)
- [Romans 8](/codex/romans-8/)

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