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Matthew 22:40

On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

KJV

ἐν ταύταις ταῖς δυσὶν ἐντολαῖς ὅλος ὁ νόμος κρέμαται καὶ οἱ προφῆται.

Greek NT

In his duobus mandatis universa lex pendet, et prophetæ.

Vulgate

On these two commandments the whole law hangeth, and the prophets.

ASV

On these two commandments dependeth the whole law and the prophets.

Douay-Rheims

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In the original Greek

10 distinct Greek words appear in this verse.

δύο
duo
adjective · 132×
καί
kai
conjunction · 8973×
κρεμάννυμι
kremannumi
verb · 7×
νόμος
nomos
noun · 196×
οὗτος
outos
demonstrative · 1380×
προφήτης
prophetes
noun · 145×
ἐν
en
preposition · 2743×
ἐντολή
entole
noun · 66×
o
article · 19778×
ὅλος
olos
adjective · 109×

Textual variants

1 variant unit attested by manuscript witnesses and modern critical editions.

minor
SBLGNT: κρέμαται καὶ οἱ προφῆται | WH/Treg/NIV: κρέμαται καὶ οἱ προφῆται | RP: καὶ οἱ προφῆται κρέμανται
  • κρέμαται καὶ οἱ προφῆταιSBLGNT
  • κρέμαται καὶ οἱ προφῆταιWestcott-Hort, Tregelles, Reader's GNT (NA27)
  • καὶ οἱ προφῆται κρέμανταιRobinson-Pierpont
source: sblgnt-apparatus

Historic Christian voices

13 passages from patristic writers, Reformers, and church catechisms citing this verse.

§1824Fruit of the Spirit and fullness of the Law, charity keeps the commandments of God and his Christ: "Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love."99
§2055When someone asks him, "Which commandment in the Law is the greatest?"8 Jesus replies: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. and a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the prophets."9 The Decalogue mu…
§2196In response to the question about the first of the commandments, Jesus says: "The first is, 'Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' the second is this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater…
Homilies on Matthew · 3 passages
2. Reflect then how great an evil it is for us, who ought to live so purely as not even to need written words, but to yield up our hearts, as books, to the Spirit; now that we have lost that honor, and have come to have need of these, to fail again in duly employing even this second remedy. For if it be a blame to stand in need of written words, and not to have brought down on …
2. Then, after His reproach, what says He? There shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. Now is He striking the first note of the doctrine of His resurrection, and confirming it by the type. What then? One may say; was no sign given it? None was given to it on asking. For not to bring in them did He work His signs (for He knew them to be hardened), but …
Source. Translated by George Prevost and revised by M.B. Riddle. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 10. Edited by Philip Schaff. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1888.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/200171.htm>. Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email a…
1. All things good then have their reward, when they arrive at their proper end, but if they be cut off midway, shipwreck ensues. And as a vessel of immense burden, if it reach not the harbor in time, but founder in the midst of the sea, gains nothing from the length of the voyage, but even makes the calamity greater, in proportion as it has endured more toils; so are those sou…
Chapter 5.—Of the Sacrifices Which God Does Not Require, But Wished to Be Observed for the Exhibition of Those Things Which He Does Require. And who is so foolish as to suppose that the things offered to God are needed by Him for some uses of His own? Divine Scripture in many places explodes this idea. Not to be wearisome, suffice it to quote this brief saying from a psalm: “I …
The duty which God requireth of man is obedience to his revealed will.
Does perfection bear any relation to charity? Can one be perfect in this life? Does the perfection of this life consist chiefly in observing the counsels or the commandments? Is whoever is perfect in the state of perfection? Are prelates and religious especially in the state of perfection? Are all prelates in the state of perfection? Which is the more perfect, the episcopal or …
Heidelberg Catechism · 2 passages
Q. What does God's law require of us? A. Christ teaches us this in summary in Matthew 22: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.
Q. How are these commandments divided? A. Into two tables. The first has four commandments, teaching us what our relation to God should be. The second has six commandments, teaching us what we owe our neighbor.

Cross-references

  • 1John 4:7 — Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
  • 1John 4:19 — We love him, because he first loved us.
  • 1Tim 1:5 — Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:
  • Jas 2:8 — If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
  • John 1:17 — For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
  • Matt 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.
  • Rom 13:9 — 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 compr