Matthew 5:43 (DBY)

Passage

Ye have heard that it has been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy.

Nearby Context

Matthew 5:41 And whoever will compel thee to go one mile, go with him two.

Matthew 5:42 To him that asks of thee give, and from him that desires to borrow of thee turn not away.

Matthew 5:43 Ye have heard that it has been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy.

Matthew 5:44 But *I* say unto you, Love your enemies, [bless those who curse you,] do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who [insult you and] persecute you,

Matthew 5:45 that ye may be [the] sons of your Father who is in [the] heavens; for he makes his sun rise on evil and good, and sends rain on just and unjust.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "heard", "been", "said", "thou", "shalt", "love", "neighbour", and "hate". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "heard" and "been", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 42's "To him that asks of thee give..." into verse 44's "But I say unto you Love your...", so "heard" and "been" 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 "heard" and "been" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.