TheWay BibleHome›Bible›Mark›Mark 12›Mark 12:30-31
Mark 12:30-31 KJV
Mark · chapter 12 · verses 30–31
30And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 31And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.Mark 12:30-31 · King James Version
What Mark 12:30-31 means
A scribe asked which commandment was first and Jesus gave him two. The first takes in heart, soul, mind and strength — every part of a person, with nothing held back. The second is measured against something you already do well, which is loving yourself. He ends it flat: there is none other commandment greater than these.
Study note provided by TheWay Bible App, separate from the KJV text. Read the full chapter in context and compare interpretations. Report a correction.
Mark 12:30-31 in context
28And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?
29And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
30And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
31And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
32And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:
33And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.
Commentary
Cross references
- Deuteronomy 6:5
- Romans 13:8-9
- Matthew 22:39
- Leviticus 19:18
- Luke 10:27
- 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
- Matthew 7:12
- Galatians 5:14
- 1 John 4:21
Key words (Strong's)
- commandmententolēan order, command, charge, precept, injunction, that which is prescribed to one by reason…G1785 →
- neighbourplēsiona neighbour, a friend, any other person, and where two are concerned, the other…G4139 →
- strengthischysability, force, strength, mightG2479 →
- thyselfseautouthyself, theeG4572 →
- greatermeizōngreater, larger, elder, strongerG3187 →
- seconddeuterosthe second, the other of twoG1208 →
- heartkardiathe heart, that organ in the animal body which is the centre of the circulation of the…G2588 →
- firstprōtosfirst in time or place, in any succession of things or persons, first in rank, influence…G4413 →
Topics
Keep reading in TheWay Bible App
Read, study, memorize, journal, and pray — tap any word for its Greek or Hebrew definition, save verses to memorize, and keep a journal. Free on the web and iOS.
The scribes and Pharisees were (however bad otherwise) enemies to the Sadducees; now one would have expected that, when they heard Christ argue so well against the Sadducees, they would have countenanced him, as they did Paul when he appeared against the Sadducees (Act 23:9);
— Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on verses 28-34