Matthew · Chapter 5 · Love

Matthew 5:44 — Bible Verse Meaning & Context

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

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Topics #love #forgiveness

Read in chapter context · Matthew 5

Both translations, side by side

WEB · World English Bible

"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,"

KJV · King James Version

"But1161 I1473 say3004 unto you5213, Love25 your5216 enemies2190, bless2127 them that curse2672 you5209, do4160 good2573 to them that hate3404 you5209, and2532 pray4336 for5228 them which3588 despitefully use1908 you5209, and2532 persecute1377 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, them, that, while the WEB renders these as tell, those, who, mistreat. Both translate the same underlying Greek or Hebrew text — the differences are stylistic, not theological.

In context

Matthew 5:44 in Matthew 5

A Bible verse rarely stands alone. Here is Matthew 5:44 read with the verses immediately before and after — the surrounding flow of Matthew 5. Read the full chapter →

v.42 Give to him who asks you, and don’t turn away him who desires to borrow from you.
v.43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
v.44 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,
v.45 that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.
v.46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same?

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 5:44

Matthew 5:44 contains 29 words in 5 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

BITY
2

love your enemies

LYE
3

bless those who curse you

BTWCY
4

do good to those who hate you

DGTTWH
5

and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you,

APFTWM

Frequently asked

FAQ about Matthew 5:44

What does Matthew 5:44 say?

Matthew 5:44 reads: "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," — 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 5:44 in?

Matthew 5:44 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 5:44 about?

Matthew 5:44 is primarily a Bible verse about Love, with related themes including Forgiveness. 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 5:44 in WEB and KJV?

Matthew 5:44 in the World English Bible (WEB) reads: "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,". The King James Version (KJV) reads: "But1161 I1473 say3004 unto you5213, Love25 your5216 enemies2190, bless2127 them that curse2672 you5209, do4160 good2573 to them that hate3404 you5209, and2532 pray4336 for5228 them which3588 despitefully use1908 you5209, and2532 persecute1377 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 Matthew 5:44?

Matthew 5:44 is 29 words in the WEB translation (147 characters), broken into 5 clauses. It is a longer verse, often broken into smaller phrases for memorisation. Estimated reading time is about 9 seconds.

How can I memorise Matthew 5:44?

To memorise Matthew 5:44, split it into its 5 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 5:44 matter in Matthew?

How can I apply Matthew 5:44 today?

Many readers use Matthew 5:44 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 5:44 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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