Matthew 5:44

Geneva Bible (1560)

But I say vnto you, Loue your enemies: blesse them that curse you: doe good to them that hate you, and pray for them 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: doe well to them which hate you. 28 Blesse them that curse you, and pray for them which hurt you.
• Rom 12:14 : 14 Blesse them which persecute you: blesse, I say, and curse not.
• 1 Pet 3:9 : 9 Not rendring euil for euill, neither rebuke for rebuke: but contrarywise blesse, knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should be heires of blessing.
• Rom 12:20-21 : 20 Therefore, if thine enemie hunger, feede him: if he thirst, giue him drinke: for in so doing, thou shalt heape coales of fire on his head. 21 Bee not ouercome of euill, but ouercome euill with goodnesse.
• Luke 23:34 : 34 Then sayd Iesus, Father, forgiue them: for they know not what they doe; they parted his raiment, and cast lottes.
• Prov 25:21-22 : 21 If hee that hateth thee be hungry, giue him bread to eate, and if he be thirstie, giue him water to drinke. 22 For thou shalt lay coles vpon his head, and the Lord shall recompense thee.
• 1 Pet 2:23 : 23 Who when hee was reuiled, reuiled not againe: when hee suffered, hee threatned not, but comitted it to him that iudgeth righteously.
• Acts 7:60 : 60 And he kneeled downe, and cried with a loude voyce, Lorde, laye not this sinne to their charge; when he had thus spoken, he slept.
• Luke 6:34-35 : 34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receiue, what thanke shall yee haue? for euen the sinners lend to sinners, to receiue the like. 35 Wherefore loue ye your enemies, and doe good, and lend, looking for nothing againe, and your rewarde shalbe great, and ye shalbe the children of the most High: for he is kinde vnto the vnkinde, and to the euill.
• 1 Cor 4:12-13 : 12 And labour, working with our owne handes: we are reuiled, and yet we blesse: we are persecuted, and suffer it. 13 We are euill spoken of, and we pray: we are made as the filth of the world, the offskowring of all things, vnto this time.
• 1 Cor 13:4-8 : 4 Loue suffreth long: it is bountifull: loue enuieth not: loue doeth not boast it selfe: it is not puffed vp: 5 It doeth no vncomely thing: it seeketh not her owne things: it is not prouoked to anger: it thinketh not euill: 6 It reioyceth not in iniquitie, but reioyceth in the trueth: 7 It suffreth all things: it beleeueth all things: it hopeth all things: it endureth all things. 8 Loue doeth neuer fall away, though that prophecyings be abolished, or the tongues cease, or knowledge vanish away.
• Exod 23:4-5 : 4 If thou meete thine enemies oxe, or his asse going astray, thou shalt bring him to him againe. 5 If thou see thine enemies asse lying vnder his burden, wilt thou cease to helpe him? Thou shalt helpe him vp againe with it.
• 2 Kgs 6:22 : 22 And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: doest thou not smite them that thou hast taken with thy sworde, and with thy bowe? but set bread and water before them, that they may eate and drinke and goe to their master.
• Ps 7:4 : 4 If I haue rewarded euill vnto him that had peace with mee, (yea I haue deliuered him that vexed me without cause)
• Ps 35:13-14 : 13 Yet I, when they were sicke, I was clothed with a sacke: I humbled my soule with fasting: and my praier was turned vpon my bosome. 14 I behaued my selfe as to my friend, or as to my brother: I humbled my selfe, mourning as one that bewaileth his mother.
• 2 Chr 28:9-9 : 9 But there was a Prophet of the Lordes, (whose name was Oded) and he went out before the hoste that came to Samaria, & said vnto them, Behold, because the Lord God of your fathers is wroth with Iudah, he hath deliuered them into your hand, and ye haue slaine them in a rage, that reacheth vp to heauen. 10 And nowe ye purpose to keepe vnder the children of Iudah and Ierusalem, as seruants and handmaides vnto you: but are not you such, that sinnes are with you before the Lord your God? 11 Nowe therefore heare me, and deliuer the captiues againe, which ye haue taken prisoners of your brethren: for the fierce wrath of the Lord is toward you. 12 Wherefore certaine of the chiefe of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the sonne of Iehohanan, Berechiah the sonne of Meshillemoth, & Iehizkiah the sonne of Shallum, & Amasa the sonne of Hadlai, stood vp against them that came from the warre, 13 And said vnto them, Bring not in the captiues hither: for this shalbe a sinne vpon vs against the Lord: ye entende to adde more to our sinnes & to our trespasse, though our trespasse be great, & the fierce wrath of God is against Israel. 14 So the armie left the captiues & the spoyle before the princes and all the Congregation. 15 And the men that were named by name, rose vp and tooke the prisoners, and with the spoyle clothed all that were naked among them, and arayed them, and shod them, and gaue them meate, and gaue them drinke, and anoynted them, and caryed all that were feeble of them vpon asses, and brought them to Iericho the citie of Palme trees to their brethren: so they returned to Samaria.