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“Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you”

Luke 6:27–28
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Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. (Luke 6:27–28 BSB)

What it sounds like today

Like Jesus is quoting the Old Testament, but no verse commands hating enemies.

The cultural key

'Love your neighbor' is Leviticus 19:18; 'hate your enemy' is not Scripture but a live contemporary teaching. The closest known parallel is from the Qumran community (Dead Sea Scrolls), whose Community Rule commanded members to 'love all the sons of light and hate all the sons of darkness.' 'You have heard that it was said' targets what was taught, not what was written. Luke lacks Matthew's 'you have heard that it was said... hate your enemy' frame (the Qumran-style teaching his Jewish readers knew); instead he unfolds the command into four concrete verbs: love, do good, bless, pray.

Recovered meaning

Jesus corrects an inference his generation drew: if love is for neighbors, hate must be for outsiders. He erases the second clause; the Father sends sun and rain on both.

Parallels: Matthew 5:43
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