What does Mark 12:31 mean?
“The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.””
Quick answer
"You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Jesus puts neighbor-love right beside love for God as the two commandments above all others.
What it means
Jesus is quoting Leviticus 19:18. Neighbor-love is not a New Testament invention; it is the heart of the law.
"As yourself" assumes a basic self-care and stretches it outward. Love your neighbor with the same energy you naturally apply to yourself.
Jesus says no commandment is greater than these two. Christian ethics will not boil down past this.
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Original BibleDawn explanation · reviewed 2026-06-07. Drafted with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy.