Matthew 5:44

Webster's Bible (1833)

But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat 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 tell you who hear: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you.
• Rom 12:14 : 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless, and don't curse.
• 1 Pet 3:9 : 9 not rendering evil for evil, or reviling for reviling; but instead blessing; knowing that to this were you called, that you may inherit a blessing.
• Rom 12:20-21 : 20 Therefore "If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in doing so, you will heap coals of fire on his head." 21 Don't be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
• Luke 23:34 : 34 Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing." Dividing his garments among them, they cast lots.
• Prov 25:21-22 : 21 If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; If he is thirsty, give him water to drink: 22 For you will heap coals of fire on his head, And Yahweh will reward you.
• 1 Pet 2:23 : 23 Who, when he was cursed, didn't curse back. When he suffered, didn't threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously;
• Acts 7:60 : 60 He kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, "Lord, don't hold this sin against them!" When he had said this, he fell asleep.
• Luke 6:34-35 : 34 If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive back as much. 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil.
• 1 Cor 4:12-13 : 12 We toil, working with our own hands. When people curse us, we bless. Being persecuted, we endure. 13 Being defamed, we entreat. We are made as the filth of the world, the dirt wiped off by all, even until now.
• 1 Cor 13:4-8 : 4 Love is patient and is kind; love doesn't envy. Love doesn't brag, is not proud, 5 doesn't behave itself inappropriately, doesn't seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil; 6 doesn't rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will be done away with. Where there are various languages, they will cease. Where there is knowledge, it will be done away with.
• Exod 23:4-5 : 4 "If you meet your enemy's ox or his donkey going astray, you shall surely bring it back to him again. 5 If you see the donkey of him who hates you fallen down under his burden, don't leave him, you shall surely help him with it.
• 2 Kgs 6:22 : 22 He answered, You shall not strike them: would you strike those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your 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 to him who was at peace with me (Yes, I have delivered him who without cause was my adversary),
• Ps 35:13-14 : 13 But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth. I afflicted my soul with fasting. My prayer returned into my own bosom. 14 I behaved myself as though it had been my friend or my brother. I bowed down mourning, as one who mourns his mother.
• 2 Chr 28:9-9 : 9 But a prophet of Yahweh was there, whose name was Oded: and he went out to meet the host that came to Samaria, and said to them, Behold, because Yahweh, the God of your fathers, was angry with Judah, he has delivered them into your hand, and you have slain them in a rage which has reached up to heaven. 10 Now you purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem for bondservants and bondmaids to you: [but] aren't there even with you trespasses of your own against Yahweh your God? 11 Now hear me therefore, and send back the captives, that you have taken captive of your brothers; for the fierce wrath of Yahweh is on 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 those who came from the war, 13 and said to them, You shall not bring in the captives here: for you purpose that which will bring on us a trespass against Yahweh, to add 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 assembly. 15 The men who have been mentioned by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all who 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 on donkeys, and brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brothers: then they returned to Samaria.