Luke · Chapter 6 · Love
Luke 6:27 — Bible Verse Meaning & Context
Love is the centre of Scripture's story. Read this one slowly.
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Both translations, side by side
WEB · World English Bible
"“But I tell you who hear: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,"
KJV · King James Version
"But235 I say3004 unto you5213 which3588 hear191, Love25 your5216 enemies2190, do4160 good2573 to them which3588 hate3404 you5209,"
How the translations differ: The WEB is a modern public-domain revision of the 1901 ASV; the KJV dates to 1611. The KJV uses say, unto, which, them, while the WEB renders these as tell, who, those. Both translate the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text — the differences are stylistic, not theological.
In context
Luke 6:27 in Luke 6
A Bible verse rarely stands alone. Here is Luke 6:27 read with the verses immediately before and after — the surrounding flow of Luke 6. Read the full chapter →
- v.25 Woe to you, you who are full now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.
- v.26 Woe, when men speak well of you, for their fathers did the same thing to the false prophets.
- v.27 “But I tell you who hear: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
- v.28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who mistreat you.
- v.29 To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer also the other; and from him who takes away your cloak, don’t withhold your coat also.
Book background
About the Book of Luke
- Testament
- New Testament
- Genre
- Gospel
- Author
- Luke, the physician and travelling companion of Paul
- Date written
- c. 60–62 AD
- Audience
- Theophilus and Gentile Christians broadly
- Chapters
- 24
Luke, the only Gentile biblical author, wrote the longest Gospel as a historically careful account for outsiders. He uniquely records the parables of the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, and the rich man and Lazarus; the Magnificat and Benedictus; and Jesus' special concern for women, the poor, and the marginalised.
Setting: A careful historical investigation (1:1-4); paired with Acts.
Key themes: saviour for all · compassion · prayer · Holy Spirit · reversal
Memorisation aid
How to memorise Luke 6:27
Luke 6:27 contains 16 words in 2 clauses. Learn one clause at a time, then chain them. The first-letter mnemonic (FLM) under each clause is a memory hook — once you can speak the FLM from memory, the full clause follows.
- 1
“But I tell you who hear: love your enemies
BITYWH
- 2
do good to those who hate you,
DGTTWH
Frequently asked
FAQ about Luke 6:27
What does Luke 6:27 say?
Luke 6:27 reads: "“But I tell you who hear: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you," — from the New Testament, Luke (Gospel). The full verse is shown above with both the World English Bible (WEB) and King James Version (KJV) translations side by side.
What book of the Bible is Luke 6:27 in?
Luke 6:27 is in the book of Luke, traditionally attributed to Luke, the physician and travelling companion of Paul and written around c. 60–62 AD. Luke is gospel in the New Testament, originally addressed to Theophilus and Gentile Christians broadly. Best known for the parables of the Good Samaritan and the Prodigal Son.
What is Luke 6:27 about?
Luke 6:27 is primarily a Bible verse about Love. Within Luke, Luke, the only Gentile biblical author, wrote the longest Gospel as a historically careful account for outsiders. Read the full passage above with surrounding context.
What is the difference between Luke 6:27 in WEB and KJV?
Luke 6:27 in the World English Bible (WEB) reads: "“But I tell you who hear: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,". The King James Version (KJV) reads: "But235 I say3004 unto you5213 which3588 hear191, Love25 your5216 enemies2190, do4160 good2573 to them which3588 hate3404 you5209,". The WEB is a modern public-domain translation that updates the KJV's 1611 English while keeping a similar formal-equivalence style. Both render the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text.
How long is Luke 6:27?
Luke 6:27 is 16 words in the WEB translation (75 characters), broken into 2 clauses. It is short and well-suited to memorisation. Estimated reading time is about 5 seconds.
How can I memorise Luke 6:27?
To memorise Luke 6:27, split it into its 2 natural clauses and learn one at a time. Repeat the full verse out loud five times, then write it from memory. Saving the verse as a photo wallpaper using our verse image studio helps daily review — the visual association with a memorable background dramatically improves recall.
Why does Luke 6:27 matter in Luke?
Luke, the only Gentile biblical author, wrote the longest Gospel as a historically careful account for outsiders. He uniquely records the parables of the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, and the rich man and Lazarus; the Magnificat and Benedictus; and Jesus' special concern for women, the poor, and the marginalised. Luke 6:27 sits within this larger story — Luke as a whole emphasises saviour for all, compassion, prayer.
How can I apply Luke 6:27 today?
Many readers use Luke 6:27 as a daily reminder verse — saving it as a phone wallpaper, sharing it on Pinterest, or memorising it for prayer. The verse studio on this page lets you download Luke 6:27 on 52 different backgrounds for free. Pair the verse with the surrounding chapter context shown above to understand its full meaning before applying it.
More designs
10 verses to read next
A fresh set of verses every visit — each on its own photo background. Tap any card to open the full study page.
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John 3:16
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”
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Romans 8:28
“We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
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1 John 4:8
“He who doesn't love doesn't know God, for God is love.”
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1 Corinthians 13:4-7
“Love is patient and is kind. Love doesn't envy. Love doesn't brag, is not proud, doesn't behave itself inappropriately, doesn't seek its own way, is not pr…”
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Matthew 22:39
“A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”
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John 13:34
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also love one another.”
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1 Corinthians 13:13
“But now faith, hope, and love remain — these three. The greatest of these is love.”
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Romans 5:8
“But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
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Ephesians 4:32
“And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.”
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Deuteronomy 6:5
“You shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.”
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More featured verses in Luke 6
Read full chapter → Luke 6:31
““As you would like people to do to you, do exactly so to them.”
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Luke 6:37
“Don’t judge, and you won’t be judged. Don’t condemn, and you won’t be condemned. Set free, and you will be set free.”
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Luke 6:38
““Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be given to you. For with the same measure you meas…”
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Luke 1:37
“For nothing spoken by God is impossible.””
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Luke 10:27
“He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor a…”
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Luke 11:9
““I tell you, keep asking, and it will be given you. Keep seeking, and you will find. Keep knocking, and it will be opened to you.”
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