The Greatest Commandments

When Jesus was asked which is the great commandment by the Pharisee, He said:  “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40

These two commandments came from Deut 6:4–9 and Leviticus 19:18. 

Theological Significance

  • Unity of Law: Loving God (Deut 6:5) and loving neighbor (Lev 19:18) together summarize the Law.

  • Vertical + Horizontal: Love for God (vertical relationship) fuels love for neighbor (horizontal relationship).

  • Practical Ethic: Jesus elevates love as the guiding principle for all moral and relational conduct.

CommandmentSourceFocusJesus’ Teaching
Love GodDeut 6:5Heart, soul, mindGreatest commandment
Love NeighborLev 19:18RelationshipsSecond greatest commandment

When Jesus says “On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets”, He is making a sweeping statement about the foundation of the entire Old Testament teaching. The Greek verb used here (kremannymi) literally means “to hang” or “to be suspended.”

  • Think of a door hanging on its hinges: without the hinges, the door cannot function.

  • In the same way, the Law (Torah) and the Prophets “hang” on the two commandments:

    1. Love God (Deut 6:5)

    2. Love neighbor (Lev 19:18)

Everything else in Scripture flows from, is supported by, and finds its meaning in these two.

Theological Significance

  • Summary Principle: All 613 commandments of the Torah are expressions of either love for God or love for neighbor.

  • Interpretive Lens: These two commandments are the key to understanding how to apply the Law.

  • Unity of Scripture: The Prophets, who called Israel back to covenant faithfulness, were essentially calling them back to love God and love neighbor.

Examples

  1. Sabbath Law → Loving God by trusting His provision and honoring His rhythm.

  2. Justice for the poor → Loving neighbor by protecting the vulnerable.

  3. Prophetic rebukes → Condemning idolatry (failure to love God) and injustice (failure to love neighbor).

In short: Jesus is saying that the whole covenant system—Law and Prophets—is suspended on love. Without love for God and neighbor, the Law collapses into empty ritual and the Prophets into mere warning.

The Law (Torah) was given through Moses, but the Prophets contributed in a different way: they didn’t add new legal codes, but they interpreted, enforced, and called Israel back to the covenant when the people strayed.

What the Prophets Contributed

  • Reminder of Covenant Faithfulness

    • Prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, and Amos rebuked Israel for idolatry and injustice.

    • They reminded the people that the Law wasn’t just ritual—it demanded love for God and neighbor.

  • Application of the Law

    • The Prophets applied Mosaic principles to real-life situations: corruption, oppression of the poor, false worship.

    • Example: Amos 5:21–24 — God rejects empty sacrifices and demands justice and righteousness.

  • Future Hope and Fulfillment

    • They pointed forward to a new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31–34) and a coming Messiah who would embody the Law and bring salvation.

    • Isaiah 53 shows the suffering servant who would bear sins, going beyond animal sacrifices.

  • Interpretive Lens

    • Jesus Himself summarized their role: “On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matt 22:40).

    • The Prophets were essentially saying: “Israel, you’ve broken the Law. Return to God. Love Him. Love your neighbor. And look for His coming salvation.”

In Summary, Moses gave the Law; the Prophets gave the conscience. They didn’t replace the Law but illuminated its heart, showing that obedience without love was empty, and pointing forward to Christ who would fulfill both Law and Prophets.



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