Matthew 5:46
New International Version
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?

New Living Translation
If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much.

English Standard Version
For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

Berean Standard Bible
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even tax collectors do the same?

Berean Literal Bible
For if you love those loving you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

King James Bible
For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

New King James Version
For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

New American Standard Bible
For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors, do they not do the same?

NASB 1995
“For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

NASB 1977
“For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax-gatherers do the same?

Legacy Standard Bible
For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

Amplified Bible
For if you love [only] those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do that?

Christian Standard Bible
For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same?

American Standard Version
For if ye love them that love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
For if you love those who love you, what benefit is it to you? Behold, do not even the Tax Collectors the same thing?

Contemporary English Version
If you love only those people who love you, will God reward you for this? Even tax collectors love their friends.

Douay-Rheims Bible
For if you love them that love you, what reward shall you have? do not even the publicans this?

English Revised Version
For if ye love them that love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
If you love those who love you, do you deserve a reward? Even the tax collectors do that!

Good News Translation
Why should God reward you if you love only the people who love you? Even the tax collectors do that!

International Standard Version
If you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Even the tax collectors do the same, don't they?

Literal Standard Version
For if you may love those loving you, what reward do you have? Do the tax collectors not also do the same?

Majority Standard Bible
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even tax collectors do the same?

New American Bible
For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same?

NET Bible
For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors do the same, don't they?

New Revised Standard Version
For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

New Heart English Bible
For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

Webster's Bible Translation
For if ye love them who love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

Weymouth New Testament
For if you love only those who love you, what reward have you earned? Do not even the tax-gatherers do that?

World English Bible
For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same?

Young's Literal Translation
'For, if ye may love those loving you, what reward have ye? do not also the tax-gatherers the same?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Love Your Enemies
45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even tax collectors do the same? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even Gentiles do the same?…

Cross References
Matthew 5:47
And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even Gentiles do the same?

Matthew 9:10
Later, as Jesus was dining at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with Him and His disciples.

Matthew 9:11
When the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, "Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"

Matthew 11:19
The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look at this glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' But wisdom is vindicated by her actions."

Matthew 21:31
Which of the two did the will of his father?" "The first," they answered. Jesus said to them, "Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you.

Matthew 21:32
For John came to you in a righteous way and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

Mark 2:15
While Jesus was dining at Levi's house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with Him and His disciples--for there were many who followed Him.


Treasury of Scripture

For if you love them which love you, what reward have you? do not even the publicans the same?

if.

Matthew 6:1
Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.

Luke 6:32-35
For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them…

1 Peter 2:20-23
For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God…

publicans.

Matthew 9:10,11
And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples…

Matthew 11:19
The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.

Matthew 18:17
And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

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Matthew 5
1. Jesus' sermon on the mount:
3. The Beattitudes;
13. the salt of the earth;
14. the light of the world.
17. He came to fulfill the law.
21. What it is to kill;
27. to commit adultery;
33. to swear.
38. He exhorts to forgive wrong,
43. to love our enemies;
48. and to labor after perfection.














(46) The publicans.--An account of the "publicans" of our Lord's time will find a more fitting place in the Notes on Matthew 9:9. Here, it may be remarked that our Lord puts Himself, as it were, on the level of those to whom He speaks. They despised the publicans as below them, almost as a Pariah caste, and He speaks, as if He were using their own familiar language, yet with a widely different application. Were they after all above the publicans, if they confined their love to a reciprocity of good offices?

Verse 46. - Vers. 46, 47; parallel passage: Luke 6:32, 33. For if, etc. The principle of the Law, reciprocity - love your neighbour and him only - is in reality no better than the principle adopted by those who are renegades to true religion (οἱ τελῶναι), or by those who have no knowledge of it (οἱ ἐθνικοί). Such a principle brings with it no other corresponding effect (μισθός, ver. 12, note) than such as even these receive. You aim at more, the privileges belonging to the sons of God; therefore do more. What reward have ye? i.e. already entered in God's book of account (Winer, § 40:2, a). The publicans; Revised Version margin, "That is, collectors or renters of Roman taxes: and so elsewhere." To this short description little need be added. The Roman system of taxation was to put up the country, or certain productions of the country, at auction, and to "sell" them to any who would undertake to pay the greatest amount of revenue from them (cf. also Josephus's account of the Egyptian method, B.C. 250, 'Ant.,' 12:04. 4; and Sayce's article in the Jewish Quarterly, July, 1890, on a Jewish taxgatherer at Thebes, B.C. 140). This contract was in turn divided and subdivided, those who actually drew the money from the people being generally natives. It thus being the interest of every contractor and sub-contractor to squeeze as much as possible from those under him, the whole system was demoralizing to all engaged in it. In the case of Judaea it was especially so, as there was a strong feeling among religious Jews against the lawfulness of paying taxes to a Gentile ruler (cf. Matthew 22:17, note). It is no wonder, therefore, that we find the native collectors (even of districts where the money raised went to Antipas's treasury, Matthew 9:9, note) classed with "harlots" (Matthew 21:31), "sinners" (Matthew 9:11), the heathen (ver. 4:7; Matthew 18:17). Yet out of these one was chosen to be among the twelve, and to write that Gospel which specially describes the relation of Jesus of Nazareth to the religious expectations of the nation.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
If
ἐὰν (ean)
Conjunction
Strong's 1437: If. From ei and an; a conditional particle; in case that, provided, etc.

you love
ἀγαπήσητε (agapēsēte)
Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 25: To love, wish well to, take pleasure in, long for; denotes the love of reason, esteem. Perhaps from agan; to love.

those
τοὺς (tous)
Article - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

who love
ἀγαπῶντας (agapōntas)
Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 25: To love, wish well to, take pleasure in, long for; denotes the love of reason, esteem. Perhaps from agan; to love.

you,
ὑμᾶς (hymas)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

what
τίνα (tina)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 5101: Who, which, what, why. Probably emphatic of tis; an interrogative pronoun, who, which or what.

reward
μισθὸν (misthon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3408: (a) pay, wages, salary, (b) reward, recompense, punishment. Apparently a primary word; pay for service, good or bad.

will you get?
ἔχετε (echete)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 2192: To have, hold, possess. Including an alternate form scheo skheh'-o; a primary verb; to hold.

Do not
οὐχὶ (ouchi)
IntPrtcl
Strong's 3780: By no means, not at all. Intensive of ou; not indeed.

even
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

tax collectors
τελῶναι (telōnai)
Noun - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 5057: A publican, collector of taxes. From telos and oneomai; a tax-farmer, i.e. Collector of public revenue.

do
ποιοῦσιν (poiousin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 4160: (a) I make, manufacture, construct, (b) I do, act, cause. Apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do.

the
τὸ (to)
Article - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

same?
αὐτὸ (auto)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Neuter 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.


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Matthew 5:45
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