What is the Great Commandment?
Asked which command was greatest, Jesus quoted two: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength" and "Love your neighbor as yourself." On these two hang all the law and the prophets (Matthew 22:37–40).
Jesus joins the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:5) with Leviticus 19:18. Love of God and love of neighbor are the whole moral life in two lines.
They are not separable. "If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar" (1 John 4:20). And love of neighbor without love of God collapses into sentimentality.
Every other command is a footnote to these two. They are also their own examination — if I cannot love God or neighbor right now, I have my next step.
Original BibleDawn answer · reviewed 2026-06. Drafted with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy.