Matthew · Chapter 22 · Love

Matthew 22:37 — Bible Verse Meaning & Context

Love is the centre of Scripture's story. Read this one slowly.

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Read in chapter context · Matthew 22

Both translations, side by side

WEB · World English Bible

"Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’"

KJV · King James Version

"1161 Jesus2424 said2036 unto him846, Thou shalt love25 the Lord2962 thy4675 God2316 with1722 all3650 thy4675 heart2588, and2532 with1722 all3650 thy4675 soul5590, and2532 with1722 all3650 thy4675 mind1271."

How the translations differ: The WEB is a modern public-domain revision of the 1901 ASV; the KJV dates to 1611. The KJV uses unto, thou, shalt, thy, while the WEB renders these as you, shall, your. Both translate the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text — the differences are stylistic, not theological.

In context

Matthew 22:37 in Matthew 22

A Bible verse rarely stands alone. Here is Matthew 22:37 read with the verses immediately before and after — the surrounding flow of Matthew 22. Read the full chapter →

v.35 One of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, testing him.
v.36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?”
v.37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
v.38 This is the first and great commandment.
v.39 A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

Book background

About the Book of Matthew

Testament: New Testament
Genre: Gospel
Author: Matthew (Levi), tax collector turned apostle
Date written: c. 50–70 AD
Audience: Primarily Jewish Christians
Chapters: 28

Matthew presents Jesus as the long-awaited King in the line of David, structuring his Gospel around five major teaching blocks — most famously the Sermon on the Mount (chapters 5–7). He repeatedly shows how Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecy. The Great Commission (28:18-20) closes the book.

Setting: Written to demonstrate Jesus as Israel's promised Messianic King.

Key themes: kingdom of heaven · fulfillment · discipleship · authority · mission

Read Matthew from the beginning →

Memorisation aid

How to memorise Matthew 22:37

Matthew 22:37 contains 24 words in 4 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

Jesus said to him

JSTH
2

“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart

YSLTLY
3

with all your soul

WAYS
4

and with all your mind.’

AWAYM

Frequently asked

FAQ about Matthew 22:37

What does Matthew 22:37 say?

Matthew 22:37 reads: "Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’" — from the New Testament, Matthew (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 Matthew 22:37 in?

Matthew 22:37 is in the book of Matthew, traditionally attributed to Matthew (Levi), tax collector turned apostle and written around c. 50–70 AD. Matthew is gospel in the New Testament, originally addressed to Primarily Jewish Christians. Best known for the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes.

What is Matthew 22:37 about?

Matthew 22:37 is primarily a Bible verse about Love. Within Matthew, Matthew presents Jesus as the long-awaited King in the line of David, structuring his Gospel around five major teaching blocks — most famously the Sermon on the Mount (chapters 5–7). Read the full passage above with surrounding context.

What is the difference between Matthew 22:37 in WEB and KJV?

Matthew 22:37 in the World English Bible (WEB) reads: "Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’". The King James Version (KJV) reads: "1161 Jesus2424 said2036 unto him846, Thou shalt love25 the Lord2962 thy4675 God2316 with1722 all3650 thy4675 heart2588, and2532 with1722 all3650 thy4675 soul5590, and2532 with1722 all3650 thy4675 mind1271.". 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 Matthew 22:37?

Matthew 22:37 is 24 words in the WEB translation (119 characters), broken into 4 clauses. It is short and well-suited to memorisation. Estimated reading time is about 7 seconds.

How can I memorise Matthew 22:37?

To memorise Matthew 22:37, split it into its 4 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 Matthew 22:37 matter in Matthew?

How can I apply Matthew 22:37 today?

Many readers use Matthew 22:37 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 Matthew 22:37 on 52 different backgrounds for free. Pair the verse with the surrounding chapter context shown above to understand its full meaning before applying it.

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