Is ‘Love Thy Neighbor’ One of the Ten Commandments?
1. The Question of the Commandment
The Ten Commandments, given at Mount Sinai (Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 5), are central to biblical law. They outline God’s covenant relationship with Israel, divided between duties to God (no other gods, no idols, keeping the Sabbath) and duties to others (honor parents, do not murder, commit adultery, steal, bear false witness, or covet).
But where does the command “Love thy neighbor as thyself” fit? It is not listed in the Decalogue itself. Instead, it appears later in the Torah: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord” (Leviticus 19:18). Though separate from the Ten Commandments, this command was so important that Jesus Christ declared it to be one of the two greatest commandments (Matthew 22:37–40).
2. The Place of “Love Thy Neighbor” in the Old Testament
The phrase comes from Leviticus 19, within a section often called the “Holiness Code.” The passage shows that God’s people are to be holy as He is holy (Leviticus 19:2). Loving one’s neighbor flows from God’s character and covenant.
The command has three features:
Practical Care – Love was expressed through honesty, justice, and generosity toward others (Leviticus 19:9–18).
Covenant Community – Israel was called to love their fellow Israelites, but other passages extend love to the foreigner (Leviticus 19:34).
Holiness Rooted in God – Love was not mere emotion but obedience to the God who declared, “I am the Lord.”
Thus, even though “love thy neighbor” was not carved on the stone tablets, it stood at the heart of the covenant law.
3. Jesus’ Teaching on the Greatest Commandments
When asked to identify the greatest commandment, Jesus gave a twofold answer:
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Deuteronomy 6:5).
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18).
He concluded: “On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:40).
This means the Ten Commandments are summed up in these two great loves—love for God (commandments 1–4) and love for neighbor (commandments 5–10). Jesus was not adding a new law but revealing the essence of all law.
4. The Apostle Paul and Fulfillment of the Law
Paul took up Jesus’ teaching and explained its implications for the Christian life. In Romans 13:8–10, he wrote:
“The commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,’ and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”
Here Paul directly connects “love thy neighbor” to the Ten Commandments. While it is not listed as one of them, it encapsulates their spirit.
In Galatians 5:14, Paul adds: “For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” Love is not a replacement for law but the true meaning of it.
5. Love Thy Neighbor and the Gospel of the Kingdom
From the perspective of the bigger gospel, the command to love one’s neighbor is not simply about moral behavior—it is about life in God’s kingdom. Jesus proclaimed the gospel as the arrival of God’s reign (Mark 1:15). To live in that kingdom means to embody its values.
The Kingdom Ethic – Love is the ethic of God’s reign, binding together worship of God and justice for others (Micah 6:8; Matthew 5–7).
The Cross and Resurrection – Jesus demonstrated love by laying down His life for His people (John 15:13). His resurrection power enables believers to love as He loves.
Community Witness – The church embodies the gospel by its love for one another (John 13:34–35).
“Love thy neighbor,” therefore, is not a side note—it is the visible sign of God’s kingdom breaking into the present age.
6. Why “Love Thy Neighbor” Matters as Much as the Ten Commandments
Although not one of the Ten Commandments, the call to love one’s neighbor is just as binding, perhaps even more comprehensive. It captures the very spirit of God’s law.
Reasons why it matters deeply:
Summation of the Law – It gathers together multiple commandments under one principle.
Moral Transformation – It shifts focus from external rule-keeping to inner transformation of the heart.
Gospel Witness – It displays the love of Christ in action to the world.
Eschatological Hope – It anticipates life in the new creation, where love perfectly governs all relationships.
7. Is “Love Thy Neighbor” One of the Ten Commandments?
In a narrow sense, the answer is no—it does not appear in the Decalogue. But in the broader sense of biblical theology, it is inseparably linked to them. The Ten Commandments reveal how to love God and neighbor, while “love thy neighbor” reveals the spirit in which they must be kept.
Thus, the command belongs to the very heart of Scripture’s teaching. Jesus, Paul, and the apostles consistently elevated it as essential to the life of faith.
Conclusion
“Love thy neighbor” is not one of the Ten Commandments, but it is the key to understanding them. Rooted in Leviticus 19:18, affirmed by Jesus as the second greatest commandment, and expounded by Paul as the fulfillment of the law, it points us to the essence of God’s kingdom.
The gospel is bigger than mere rule-keeping—it is about living under Christ’s reign. Loving God and loving neighbor sum up the whole law and anticipate the world to come, when perfect love will define all creation.
Bible Verses About Loving Your Neighbor
Leviticus 19:18 – “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Deuteronomy 6:5 – “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”
Matthew 22:39 – “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Luke 10:27 – “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
John 13:34 – “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another.”
Romans 13:10 – “Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.”
Galatians 5:14 – “The whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”
James 2:8 – “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing well.”
1 John 3:18 – “Let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”
1 John 4:21 – “Whoever loves God must also love his brother.”
