28And one of the scribes, having come up, having heard them reasoning together, and seeing that he answered them well, questioned him: "Which commandment is first of all?" [12:29] Jesus answered him: "The first is: 'Hear, O Israel — the Lord the God of us, the Lord is one, is one. [12:30] And you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. [12:31] The second is this: 'You will love your neighbour as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these — there is not." [12:32] And the scribe said to him: "Right, Teacher — you have said that he is one, and there is not another besides him, besides him. [12:33] And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love the neighbour as oneself, is more excessive than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices — than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices." [12:34] And Jesus, having seen that he answered wisely, said to him: "Not far are you from the kingdom of God." And no one no longer was daring to question him.
MRK 12:28-34
The Greatest Commandment
In the world it was spoken into
In the 1st-century Jewish context, the scribe’s question about the greatest commandment reflects a common rabbinic practice of debating the hierarchy of Torah commandments. The Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-5), which Jesus cites first, was a daily prayer recited by devout Jews, affirming monotheism and total devotion to God. The command to love God with heart, soul, mind, and strength encapsulates the holistic nature of Jewish piety, aligning one’s entire being with divine will. The second command, to love one’s neighbor (Leviticus 19:18), was understood within Jewish communal ethics, emphasizing mutual care and justice. For Jesus’ audience, these commands were not abstract but rooted in covenantal loyalty to God and practical obligations to others. The scribe’s affirmation of Jesus’ response indicates a shared understanding of Torah’s essence, though Jesus’ emphasis on love as the unifying principle challenged legalistic interpretations prevalent among some Jewish leaders. This exchange highlights the centrality of love in Jewish ethical thought, bridging divine and human relationships.
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How other translations render this
MRK 12:28
- KJV
- And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?
- BSB
- Now one of the scribes had come up and heard their debate. Noticing how well Jesus had answered them, he asked Him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?”
- Koinōnos
- And one of the scribes, having come up, having heard them reasoning together, and seeing that he answered them well, questioned him: "Which commandment is first of all?
MRK 12:29
- KJV
- And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
- BSB
- Jesus replied, “This is the most important: ‘Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.
- Koinōnos
- Jesus answered him: "The first is: 'Hear, O Israel — the Lord the God of us, the Lord is one, is one.
MRK 12:30
- KJV
- And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
- BSB
- Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
- Koinōnos
- And you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment.
MRK 12:31
- KJV
- And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
- BSB
- The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”
- Koinōnos
- The second is this: 'You will love your neighbour as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these — there is not.
MRK 12:32
- KJV
- And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:
- BSB
- “Right, Teacher,” the scribe replied. “You have stated correctly that God is One and there is no other but Him,
- Koinōnos
- And the scribe said to him: "Right, Teacher — you have said that he is one, and there is not another besides him, besides him.
MRK 12:33
- KJV
- And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.
- BSB
- and to love Him with all your heart and with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. This is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
- Koinōnos
- And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love the neighbour as oneself, is more excessive than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices — than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.
MRK 12:34
- KJV
- And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.
- BSB
- When Jesus saw that the man had answered wisely, He said, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And no one dared to question Him any further.
- Koinōnos
- And Jesus, having seen that he answered wisely, said to him: "Not far are you from the kingdom of God." And no one no longer was daring to question him.
Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.
Translator's notes
MRK 12:28
- scribes,:The word translated 'scribes' refers to a class of educated Jewish men who were experts in the Law, serving as interpreters and teachers, often holding significant religious and political influence.
MRK 12:30
- heart:The word translated 'heart' in this context refers to the core of a person's being, encompassing intellect, will, and emotion, not just the seat of feelings.
- soul:The word translated 'soul' here denotes the life principle, the animating force of a person, often associated with one's individual existence and vitality.
- mind:The word translated 'mind' emphasizes the faculty of understanding, thought, and intention, highlighting the intellectual and cognitive aspect of devotion.