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OET (OET-LV) And he answering said:
You_will_be_loving the_master the god of_you, with all the_heart of_you, and with all the soul of_you, and with all the strength of_you, and with all the mind of_you, and:
The neighbour of_you as yourself.
OET (OET-RV) “You must love your God Yahweh with all your heart and all your soul, and all your strength and all your mind,” he replied. “Also, you must love your neighbour as yourself.”
One day as Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, he stopped to teach people. An expert in the Jewish law was there and asked him a question. The expert asked what he should do to obtain eternal life. He and Jesus discussed this question and agreed that a person must love God and love his neighbor. Then the expert asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus answered him with a story that was a parable.
In the story robbers attacked a man and left him bleeding on a road. Two Jewish religious leaders passed the man without helping him. Then a man from the province of Samaria came and helped the man. People from Samaria were called Samaritans. The Jews despised Samaritans, so Jesus’ story surprised the Jews.
The person who treated the injured man with love, as a neighbor should, was a Samaritan. The Jewish religious leaders did not show love to the man. Most Jews considered only their fellow Jews to be their neighbors, but by this parable Jesus taught that all human beings are neighbors. We must love every other human being.
Some other possible section headings are:
The parable about the good foreigner
Who is my neighbor?
The Good Samaritan
Luke is the only gospel writer who includes this parable.
The command in 10:27a–b is a quote from Deuteronomy 6:5. The command in 10:27c is a quote from Leviticus 19:18. Leviticus and Deuteronomy are part of the Law that God gave Moses. The two commands are also quoted in Matthew 22:37 and Mark 12:30. If you use footnotes, you may want to cross-reference these verses.
In some languages it may be necessary to make explicit that these words were a quote from the Law. For example:
The Law says, “Love the Lord your God….” It also says, “Love your neighbor…”
The written word of God says this: “Love the Lord your God…” and “Love your neighbor…”
In some languages it is not natural to use a quotation within another quotation as the BSB does. If that is true in your language, it may be necessary to use an indirect quotation. For example:
The Law says that you/one must love the Lord your/his God…and your/his neighbor…
‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’: In some languages it may not be possible to speak of loving God with various things. Some other ways to express this meaning are:
You should love the Lord your God entirely, using all your heart, soul, strength, and mind.
You must concentrate all your thoughts/mind, intelligence, and strength on loving God, who is your Lord.
You must love the Lord your God in all of your life. In everything you think or feel or do, you must show that you love him very much.
In this quote from Deuteronomy 6:5, the expert added the phrase with all your mind. The four Greek terms that the BSB translates as heart, soul, strength, and mind function together here to refer to a person’s entire being. Each of these terms is also preceded by the word all. This emphasizes that a person should use all his will, emotions, ability, and intelligence to love the Lord in every way that is possible.
In some languages it may be helpful to make this clear by supplying a summary phrase. For example:
with all that you are: heart, soul, strength, and mind
He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God
And the teacher of the law answered, “This is what is written: ‘Love(sing) the Lord your(sing) God with your whole self. That is,
And he said to Jesus, “Moses wrote, ‘You(plur) must each completely love the Lord who is your(plur) God.
The man answered, “Moses wrote that each of us must love the Lord his God
Love the Lord your God: The Greek verb that the BSB translates as Love is literally “you shall love.” In this context it is a command. It expresses what a person should do. Another way to translate this is:
You must love the Lord your God (NLT)
This command is singular, both here in Greek and in the Old Testament in Hebrew. The command was to the Jewish people, and it applied to each Jewish person. In some languages, people do not use a singular form to give a general command like this. Use whatever form is natural in your language for giving this type of general command. For example:
You(plur) must love the Lord your(plur) God with all your(plur) heart
We(incl) must love the Lord our God with all our(incl) heart
Each of us must love the Lord his God with all his heart
Love: The Greek word that the BSB translates as Love means that a person values and reverences God with gratitude and affection. He is devoted and loyal to God. He wants to please God because he loves him, and he will think about the things that God is interested in.
the Lord your God: The phrase the Lord your God indicates that the Lord is the God with whom people have a relationship. It implies that the Lord guides and cares for them as God, and they worship and serve him.
Some ways to translate the Lord your God are:
the Lord, who is your God
your Lord/Master God
God who is your Lord/Master
In some languages, the phrase your God is not natural. If that is true in your language, here are some other ways to translate the Lord your God:
the Lord God, whom you worship/serve
God the Lord, who cares for you
the Lord, the God whom you worship
Lord: In Hebrew the word that is translated as Lord here was the personal name of God. In Greek, Lord is used as a title that means “master, one who has authority over others.” If there is a personal name for God in your language, it is probably good to use it in your translation of “the Lord your God.” See Lord, Context 2, in the Glossary.
God: The Greek word that the BSB translates as God refers here to the eternal spirit who created everything. He is more powerful than any other spirit, and he is perfectly good and wise. In many languages there will already be an established term for God. If that is not true in your language, here are some ways to translate God:
Use a name or title for God that people in your culture already use.
Use a descriptive term that fits the truth about God that is revealed in the Bible. Be sure to combine this term meaningfully in the phrase “the Lord your God.” For example:
the Lord who is your Creator
your Lord, the Great Spirit
the Ruler of the universe who is your Lord
Use a borrowed word from the national or trade language Bible.
Choose a term that is acceptable to the believers and churches in your area. For more detailed information, see God in the Glossary.
with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’
love him with your(sing) whole heart, your(sing) whole personality, your(sing) whole strength, and your(sing) whole intellect/understanding,’
You(plur) must use all your determination/will and all your(plur) emotions, all your(plur) strength/body, and all your(plur) mind to love him.’
in everything that he feels, believes, does, and thinks,
with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’: The Greek terms that the BSB translates as heart, soul, strength, and mind have many similarities. For example, the words translated as heart and soul both refer to a person’s inner being. The words translated as heart and mind are also similar. Both are the source of a person’s thoughts and decisions.The Hebrew word for “heart” denotes primarily the mental faculties (mind and will) but also includes the emotions. So the primary meaning of the Hebrew word (mind and will) is synonymous with the word “mind” used here. The Greek word for “heart” denotes the center of a person’s inner life. It includes his thinking, feeling, and decision-making.
It is important to understand that these four terms are not intended to describe distinct parts of a human being. They function together to describe all of a person’s personality and abilities. In some languages, there may be more or fewer than four terms to describe this. Use natural terms in your language.
your: See the note on “Love the Lord your God” in 10:27a.
heart: The Greek word that the BSB translates as heart is used here in a figurative way. The Jews often spoke of the heart as the part of a person in which thoughts and feelings occur. It referred to the ability to think, feel, and make decisions.
In some languages people use a different part of the body, such as the mind, throat, liver, or stomach, in this way. In other languages it may be more natural to use a different term that is not figurative. For example:
thoughts/feelings
You should use the expression that is natural in your language.
Remember that the word heart is not used in a literal sense here to refer to the physical organ that pumps blood through the body.
This word first occurred in Luke in 2:19.
soul: The Greek word that the BSB translates as soul refers to a person’s inner self or life. It includes his personality, his thinking, and his feeling.
strength: The Greek word that the BSB translates as strength refers to a person’s ability to do something. It may also include his physical strength or power.
mind’: The Greek word that the BSB translates as mind refers to the intellect or understanding, his ability to think and reason.
and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
and it is also written, ‘You(sing) must love your neighbor as you love yourself.'"
Moses also wrote, ‘Love your(plur) fellow/companion as much as you love yourselves.'"
and that he must love his fellows/companions in the same way that/as he loves himself.”
Love your neighbor as yourself: This part of the verse is a quote from Leviticus 19:18. The Greek text does not repeat the verb Love here, because it already occurred in the first part of this verse. However, in many languages it is clearer to repeat it, as many English versions do.
In some languages, a phrase such as “It is also written” may be necessary before this part of the verse.
Love: The verb Love is supplied from 10:27a. In this context it refers to the concern and affection that people should have toward other people. They should treat them kindly and try to help them.
Consider the most appropriate term to describe this type of love. Some languages may have an idiom for it. It is possible that you may need to use different expressions to refer to love for people and love for God.
your neighbor: The word neighbor means “someone who lives nearby.” It was also used to refer to people who were of the same social group or who spoke the same language. To the Jews the phrase “Love your neighbor” meant to love your fellow Jew.
In the verses that follow, Jesus indicated that a neighbor could be any fellow human being. In your translation, try to use a word or phrase that can be understood in either a limited way or in a more general way. Do not say “fellow Jew,” for then the law expert’s question “Who is my neighbor?” would not make sense. Some ways to translate the phrase your neighbor are:
your companion
people who are near you
In this verse the word neighbor is singular, but it refers to any and all neighbors. In some languages it may be more natural to use a plural form to express this.
as yourself: The Greek phrase that the BSB translates as as yourself means “in the same way that you love yourself.”
Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / hendiadys
ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν
he (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὁ Δέ ἀποκριθείς εἶπεν Ἀγαπήσεις Κύριον τόν Θεόν σοῦ ἐξ ὅλης καρδίας σοῦ καί ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ ψυχῇ σοῦ καί ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ ἰσχύϊ σοῦ καί ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ διανοίᾳ σοῦ καί Τόν πλησίον σοῦ ὡς σεαυτόν)
Together answering and said mean that the lawyer responded to the question that Jesus asked him. Alternate translation: [The lawyer responded]
Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / youcrowd
ἀγαπήσεις
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὁ Δέ ἀποκριθείς εἶπεν Ἀγαπήσεις Κύριον τόν Θεόν σοῦ ἐξ ὅλης καρδίας σοῦ καί ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ ψυχῇ σοῦ καί ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ ἰσχύϊ σοῦ καί ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ διανοίᾳ σοῦ καί Τόν πλησίον σοῦ ὡς σεαυτόν)
Here it may not be clear whether to use the singular or plural form of You because this is a short quotation from the Scriptures and the context is not given. The word is actually singular because, even though Moses said this to the Israelites as a group, each individual person was supposed to obey this command. So in your translation, use the singular forms of You your, and yourself in this verse, if your language marks that distinction.
Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / declarative
ἀγαπήσεις
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὁ Δέ ἀποκριθείς εἶπεν Ἀγαπήσεις Κύριον τόν Θεόν σοῦ ἐξ ὅλης καρδίας σοῦ καί ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ ψυχῇ σοῦ καί ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ ἰσχύϊ σοῦ καί ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ διανοίᾳ σοῦ καί Τόν πλησίον σοῦ ὡς σεαυτόν)
The Scriptures are using a statement to give a command. Alternate translation: [You must love]
Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / merism
ἐξ ὅλης καρδίας σου, καὶ ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ ψυχῇ σου, καὶ ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ ἰσχύϊ σου, καὶ ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ διανοίᾳ σου
with all ˓the˒_heart (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὁ Δέ ἀποκριθείς εἶπεν Ἀγαπήσεις Κύριον τόν Θεόν σοῦ ἐξ ὅλης καρδίας σοῦ καί ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ ψυχῇ σοῦ καί ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ ἰσχύϊ σοῦ καί ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ διανοίᾳ σοῦ καί Τόν πλησίον σοῦ ὡς σεαυτόν)
Moses is using a figure of speech that describes something by listing its parts. Alternate translation: [with your entire being]
Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / metaphor
ἐξ ὅλης καρδίας σου, καὶ ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ ψυχῇ σου
with all ˓the˒_heart (Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὁ Δέ ἀποκριθείς εἶπεν Ἀγαπήσεις Κύριον τόν Θεόν σοῦ ἐξ ὅλης καρδίας σοῦ καί ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ ψυχῇ σοῦ καί ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ ἰσχύϊ σοῦ καί ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ διανοίᾳ σοῦ καί Τόν πλησίον σοῦ ὡς σεαυτόν)
The words heart and soul represent a person’s inner being. If you do not translate all four of the terms here with a single phrase, you could represent these two together. Alternate translation: [with all of your inner self]
Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis
καὶ, τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν
(Some words not found in SR-GNT: ὁ Δέ ἀποκριθείς εἶπεν Ἀγαπήσεις Κύριον τόν Θεόν σοῦ ἐξ ὅλης καρδίας σοῦ καί ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ ψυχῇ σοῦ καί ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ ἰσχύϊ σοῦ καί ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ διανοίᾳ σοῦ καί Τόν πλησίον σοῦ ὡς σεαυτόν)
The lawyer is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. These words can be supplied from earlier in the sentence. Alternate translation (filling in ellipsis): [and you must also love your neighbor as much as you love yourself]
10:27 You must love the Lord your God: Jesus identified Deut 6:5 and Lev 19:18 as the two greatest commandments (Mark 12:28-34). Deuteronomy 6:5 is part of the prayer known as the Shema, which every Jew was to repeat daily.
OET (OET-LV) And he answering said:
You_will_be_loving the_master the god of_you, with all the_heart of_you, and with all the soul of_you, and with all the strength of_you, and with all the mind of_you, and:
The neighbour of_you as yourself.
OET (OET-RV) “You must love your God Yahweh with all your heart and all your soul, and all your strength and all your mind,” he replied. “Also, you must love your neighbour as yourself.”
Note: The OET-RV is still only a first draft, and so far only a few words have been (mostly automatically) matched to the Hebrew or Greek words that they’re translated from.
Acknowledgements: The SR Greek text, lemmas, morphology, and VLT gloss are all thanks to the CNTR.
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