Matthew 5:44

King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use 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 unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, 28 Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
• Rom 12:14 : 14 Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
• 1 Pet 3:9 : 9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
• Rom 12:20-21 : 20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
• Luke 23:34 : 34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
• Prov 25:21-22 : 21 If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: 22 For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee.
• 1 Pet 2:23 : 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
• Acts 7:60 : 60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
• Luke 6:34-35 : 34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
• 1 Cor 4:12-13 : 12 And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it: 13 Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.
• 1 Cor 13:4-8 : 4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
• Exod 23:4-5 : 4 If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again. 5 If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him.
• 2 Kgs 6:22 : 22 And he answered, Thou shalt not smite them: wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink, and go to their master.
• Ps 7:4 : 4 If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me; (yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy:)
• Ps 35:13-14 : 13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom. 14 I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.
• 2 Chr 28:9-9 : 9 But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name was Oded: and he went out before the host that came to Samaria, and said unto them, Behold, because the LORD God of your fathers was wroth with Judah, he hath delivered them into your hand, and ye have slain them in a rage that reacheth up unto heaven. 10 And now ye purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem for bondmen and bondwomen unto you: but are there not with you, even with you, sins against the LORD your God? 11 Now hear me therefore, and deliver the captives again, which ye have taken captive of your brethren: for the fierce wrath of the LORD is upon you. 12 Then certain of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, and Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against them that came from the war, 13 And said unto them, Ye shall not bring in the captives hither: for whereas we have offended against the LORD already, ye intend to add more to our sins and to our trespass: for our trespass is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel. 14 So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the congregation. 15 And the men which were expressed by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all that were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them upon asses, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brethren: then they returned to Samaria.