Matthew 22:39 (YLT)

Passage

and the second <FI>is<Fi> like to it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself;

Nearby Context

Matthew 22:37 And Jesus said to him, `Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thine understanding--

Matthew 22:38 this is a first and great command;

Matthew 22:39 and the second <FI>is<Fi> like to it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself;

Matthew 22:40 on these--the two commands--all the law and the prophets do hang.'

Matthew 22:41 And the Pharisees having been gathered together, Jesus did question them,

Study Lenses

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

The nearby context moves from verse 38's "this is a first and great command..." into verse 40's "on these--the two commands--all the law and...", so "second" and "like" 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 "second" and "like" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.