Matthew 5:44

Bishops' Bible (1568)

But I saye vnto you, loue your enemies, blesse them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, pray for the which hurt you, and persecute you:

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

Ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν, Ἀγαπᾶτε τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑμῶν, εὐλογειτε τοὺς καταρωμένους ὑμᾶς, καλῶς ποιεῖτε τοὺς μισοῦντας ὑμᾶς, καὶ προσεύχεσθε ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐπηρεαζόντων ὑμᾶς, καὶ διωκόντων ὑμᾶς·

Transliteration

Egō de legō to-you, Agapate the echthrous of-you, eulogeite the katarōmenous you, kalōs poieite to-the misountas you, and proseuchesthe for the epēreazontōn you, and diōkontōn you;

Grammar Details

• *Egō*: nominative personal pronoun - I
• *de*: postpositive conjunction - but/and
• *legō*: present active indicative, 1st person singular - I say/tell
• *Agapate*: present active imperative, 2nd person plural - love!
• *echthrous*: accusative masculine plural - enemies
• *eulogeite*: present active imperative, 2nd person plural - bless!
• *katarōmenous*: present middle/passive participle, accusative masculine plural - cursing
• *kalōs*: adverb - well/good
• *poieite*: present active imperative, 2nd person plural - do!
• *misountas*: present active participle, accusative masculine plural - hating
• *proseuchesthe*: present middle/passive imperative, 2nd person plural - pray!
• *epēreazontōn*: present active participle, genitive masculine plural - mistreating/insulting
• *diōkontōn*: present active participle, genitive masculine plural - persecuting

Word Meanings

• *Egō*: I/myself
• *legō*: say/tell/speak
• *Agapate*: love (agape - selfless, sacrificial love)
• *echthrous*: enemies/foes/opponents
• *eulogeite*: bless/speak well of
• *katarōmenous*: cursing/pronouncing evil against
• *kalōs*: well/good/nobly
• *poieite*: do/perform/act toward
• *misountas*: hating/detesting
• *proseuchesthe*: pray/petition
• *epēreazontōn*: mistreating/insulting/abusing
• *diōkontōn*: persecuting/pursuing/harassing

Referenced Verses

• Luke 6:27-28 : 27 But I say vnto you which heare: Loue your enemies, Do good to them which hate you. 28 Blesse them that curse you: And pray for the which wrongfully trouble you.
• Rom 12:14 : 14 Blesse them which persecute you, blesse, and curse not.
• 1 Pet 3:9 : 9 Not rendryng euyl for euyll, or rebuke for rebuke: but contrarywyse blesse, knowyng that ye are therevnto called, euen that ye shoulde be heyres of the blessyng.
• Rom 12:20-21 : 20 Therfore, yf thyne enemie hunger, feede hym: yf he thyrst, geue him drinke. For in so doyng, thou shalt heape coales of fyre on his head. 21 Be not ouercome of euyll, but ouercome euyll with good.
• Luke 23:34 : 34 Then said Iesus, Father forgeue the, for they wote not what they do. And they parted his rayment, & cast lottes.
• Prov 25:21-22 : 21 If thyne enemie hunger, feede hym, if he thirst, geue him drinke: 22 For so shalt thou heape coles of fire vpon his head, and the Lorde shall rewarde thee.
• 1 Pet 2:23 : 23 Whiche when he was reuiled, reuiled not agayne: when he suffred, he threatned not, but committed the vengeaunce to him that iudgeth righteously.
• Acts 7:60 : 60 And he kneeled downe, and cryed with a loude voyce: Lorde lay not this sinne to their charge. And when he had thus spoken, he fell a sleepe.
• Luke 6:34-35 : 34 And yf ye lende to them, of whom ye hope to receaue, what thanke haue ye? For synners also lende to sinners, to receaue such lyke agayne. 35 But loue ye your enemies, & do good, and lende, lokyng for nothyng agayne: and your rewarde shalbe great, and ye shalbe the chyldren of the hyest: for he is kynde vnto the vnkynde, & to the euyll.
• 1 Cor 4:12-13 : 12 And labour, working with our owne handes. We are reuyled, and we blesse. We are persecuted, and suffer it. 13 We are euyll spoken of, and we praye: we are made as the fylthynesse of the worlde, the ofscowryng of all thynges vnto this day.
• 1 Cor 13:4-8 : 4 Loue suffreth long, and is curteous: Loue enuieth not, loue doth not frowardely, swelleth not, 5 Dealeth not dishonestlie, seeketh not her owne, is not prouoked to anger, thynketh none euyll, 6 Reioyceth not in iniquitie: bur reioyceth in the trueth: 7 Suffreth all thynges, beleueth all thynges, hopeth all thynges, endureth all thynges. 8 Though ye prophesiynges fayle, other tongues ceasse, or knowledge vanishe away, yet loue falleth neuer away.
• Exod 23:4-5 : 4 If thou meete thyne enemies oxe or asse goyng astray, thou shalt bryng them to him agayne. 5 If thou see the asse of him that hateth thee sincke vnder his burthen, thou shalt not passe by and let him alone, but shalt helpe hym to lyft hym vp agayne.
• 2 Kgs 6:22 : 22 And he aunswered, Thou shalt not smyte them: But smyte those that thou hast taken with thine owne sworde, and with thyne owne bowe: But rather set bread and water before them, that they may eate & drinke, & go to their maister.
• Ps 7:4 : 4 If I haue done euyll vnto hym that had peace with me: and if I haue not deliuered hym that is without a cause myne aduersarie?
• Ps 35:13-14 : 13 Neuerthelesse, when they were sicke I did put on sackcloth: I afflicted my soule with fasting, and my prayer returned into myne owne bosome. 14 I kept them company whersoeuer they went, as though they had ben my frende or brother: I went heauyly, as one that mourned for his mother.
• 2 Chr 28:9-9 : 9 But there was a prophet of the Lordes, whose name was Obed: and he went out before the hoast that came to Samaria, & saide vnto them: Beholde, because the Lorde God of your fathers is wroth with Iuda, he hath deliuered them into your hande, and ye haue slaine them with cruelnesse, that reacheth vp to heauen. 10 And nowe ye purpose to keepe vnder the children of Iuda and Hierusalem, and to make them bondmen and bondwomen: And do ye not lade your selues with sinne in the sight of the Lord your God? 11 Now heare me therefore, and deliuer the captiues againe which ye haue taken of your brethren: for els shall the great wrath of God be vpon you. 12 Wherfore certayne of the heads of the children of Ephraim, as Azariahu the sonne of Iehohanan, Berechiahu the sonne of Mesillemoth, and Iehezkiahu the sonne of Sallum, & Amasa the sonne of Hadlai, stoode vp against them that came from the warre, 13 And saide vnto them, Bryng not in the captiues hither: for where as we haue offended toward God alredy, ye entende to adde more to our sinnes and trespasse: For our trespasse is great alredie, and there is a fierce wrath against Israel. 14 And vpon that, the men of armes left the captiues and the spoyle before the lordes and all the congregation: 15 And the men that were now rehearsed by name, rose vp, and toke the prisoners, and with the spoyle clothed all that were naked among them, & arayed them, & shoed them, and gaue them to eate and to drinke, and annoynted them, and carryed al that were feeble of them vpon asses, & brought them to Iericho the citie of Paulme trees, to their brethren: and then they returned to Samaria againe.