Matthew 22:39 (ASV)

Passage

And a second like [unto it] is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

Nearby Context

Matthew 22:37 And he said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

Matthew 22:38 This is the great and first commandment.

Matthew 22:39 And a second like [unto it] is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

Matthew 22:40 On these two commandments the whole law hangeth, and the prophets.

Matthew 22:41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question,

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "second", "like", "thou", "shalt", "love", "neighbor", and "thyself". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "second" and "like", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 38's "This is the great and first commandment..." into verse 40's "On these two commandments the whole law...", so "second" and "like" belong inside that flow. In Matthew context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "second" and "like" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.