Matthew 5:44 (GNV)

Passage

But I say vnto you, Loue your enemies: blesse them that curse you: doe good to them that hate you, and pray for them which hurt you, and persecute you,

Nearby Context

Matthew 5:42 Giue to him that asketh, and from him that would borowe of thee, turne not away.

Matthew 5:43 Ye haue heard that it hath bin said, Thou shalt loue thy neighbour, and hate your enemie.

Matthew 5:44 But I say vnto you, Loue your enemies: blesse them that curse you: doe good to them that hate you, and pray for them which hurt you, and persecute you,

Matthew 5:45 That ye may be the children of your father that is in heauen: for he maketh his sunne to arise on the euill, and the good, and sendeth raine on the iust, and vniust.

Matthew 5:46 For if ye loue them, which loue you, what rewarde shall you haue? Doe not the Publicanes euen the same?

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "vnto", "loue", "enemies", "blesse", "curse", "good", "hate", and "pray". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "vnto" and "loue", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 43's "Ye haue heard that it hath bin..." into verse 45's "That ye may be the children of...", so "vnto" and "loue" 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 "vnto" and "loue" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.