New Testament · Gospel

Mark 12:31

The Widow's Offering

The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” Mark 12:31 · Berean Standard Bible

What It Means

Mark 12:31, in plain English

Then Jesus added a second: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' And He said no other commandment is greater than these two.

Why it's here

Jesus wove together love for God and love for people into one fabric. You can't truly have one without the other.

Who's speaking

Jesus completes His answer by adding the second commandment.

Where it sits in the story

This is the beautiful simplicity at the heart of faith: love God with everything, and love people the way you love yourself. That's it. That covers everything.

A Closer Look

The scholarly reading

Jesus pairs Deuteronomy 6:5 with Leviticus 19:18 ('Love your neighbor as yourself'), uniting vertical devotion and horizontal ethics as inseparable twin obligations.

Language and setting

While other rabbis identified important commandments, Jesus' innovation was pairing these two as a unified summary of the entire Torah — love of God and love of neighbor as one reality.

Voice

Jesus adds the second greatest commandment from Leviticus 19:18.

Significance

Jesus declares that no commandment surpasses these two, establishing love as the interpretive key to the entire Law and the Prophets.

In context

Mark 12:29–33

29Jesus replied, “This is the most important: ‘Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.

30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

31The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

32“Right, Teacher,” the scribe replied. “You have stated correctly that God is One and there is no other but Him,

33and to love Him with all your heart and with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. This is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

Read all of Mark 12 — Trick questions from every direction, a scribe who almost gets it, and a poor widow who gives everything — two small coins that outweigh them all.

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