Matthew 22:34-40

Expanded Bible

The Most Important Command^(A)

³⁴ When the Pharisees learned that ·the Sadducees could not argue with Jesus’ answers to them [^LJesus had silenced the Sadducees], the Pharisees met together. ³⁵ One Pharisee, who was an expert on the law of Moses, asked Jesus this question to ·test [trap] him: ³⁶ “Teacher, which command in the law is the ·most important [greatest]?”

³⁷ Jesus answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind [Deut. 6:5].’ ³⁸ This is the first and ·most important [greatest] command. ³⁹ And the second command is like the first: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself [Lev. 19:18].’ ⁴⁰ All the law and the ·writings of the prophets [^Lprophets] ·depend [are based; ^Lhang] on these two commands.”