Matthew 22:38 (GNV)

Passage

This is the first and the great commandement.

Nearby Context

Matthew 22:36 Master, which is ye great commandement in the Lawe?

Matthew 22:37 Iesus sayd to him, Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart, with all thy soule, and with all thy minde.

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

Matthew 22:39 And the second is like vnto this, Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe.

Matthew 22:40 On these two commandements hangeth the whole Lawe, and the Prophets.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "first", "great", and "commandement". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "first" and "great", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 37's "Iesus sayd to him Thou shalt loue..." into verse 39's "And the second is like vnto this...", so "first" and "great" 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 "first" and "great" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.