Matthew 22:38 Meaning and Explanation
“This is the first and great commandment.”
King James Version (KJV)
This study note uses an AI-assisted editorial workflow with source, duplication, and quality checks. See how verse explanations are prepared.
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Of everything God asks, loving Him with our whole self stands first.
The Context of Matthew 22:38
Spoken in the temple in the last week before the cross. A teacher of the law had asked Jesus which commandment is greatest, testing Him. Jesus answered with the words of Deuteronomy, 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart' (verse 37), and then said of it, 'This is the first and great commandment.'
What Does Matthew 22:38 Mean?
Among the hundreds of commands in the law, someone asks Jesus which one rises above the rest. He does not hesitate. Quoting words every faithful Israelite knew by heart, He points to loving God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and then names it: this is the first and great commandment. First in order, and greatest in weight. Everything else God asks grows out of this one root. If we get this right, the rest finds its proper place; if we miss it, no amount of religious effort can make up the difference.
It is striking that the heart of the law turns out to be love. God does not lead with a list of prohibitions but with an invitation to love Him fully. And Jesus, who named this commandment, also kept it perfectly in our place, loving the Father with everything He had, all the way to the cross. When our own love runs thin, we can look to Him, both for the example and for the help. He loved God first, so that He might draw our hearts to do the same.
Matthew 22:38 in the Original Language
agapao (ἀγαπάω), 'love' -- a love of the whole will and self, choosing and treasuring God above all.
Where Matthew 22:38 Echoes in Scripture
Jesus is quoting the Shema, Israel's daily confession: 'thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart' (Deuteronomy 6:5). He binds it at once to a second, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself' (Leviticus 19:18).
How to Apply Matthew 22:38 Today
This verse sets our deepest priority in order. Loving God with our whole self comes first, and every other good thing grows out of it. When our love feels small, we can look to Jesus, who loved the Father perfectly for us and helps us learn to love Him too.