Matthew 22:38 (WEB)

Passage

This is the first and great commandment.

Nearby Context

Matthew 22:36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?”

Matthew 22:37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’Deuteronomy 6:5

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

Matthew 22:39 A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’Leviticus 19:18

Matthew 22:40 The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "first", "great", and "commandment". 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 "Jesus said to him You shall love..." into verse 39's "A second likewise is this You shall...", 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.