Passage
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Matthew 22:40 (KJV)
Nearby Context
Matthew 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.
Matthew 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Matthew 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Matthew 22:41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them,
Matthew 22:42 Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David.
Study Lenses
The verse centers on "commandments", "hang", and "prophets". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "commandments" and "hang", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.
The nearby context moves from verse 39's "And the second is like unto it..." into verse 41's "While the Pharisees were gathered together Jesus...", so "commandments" and "hang" 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 "commandments" and "hang" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.