Mark 12:29-34

12:29 Jesus answered, “The most important is: ‘Listen, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 12:30 Love ¹  the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ ²  12:31 The second is: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ³  There is no other commandment greater than these.” 12:32 The expert in the law said to him, “That is true, Teacher; you are right to say that he is one, and there is no one else besides him. ⁴  12:33 And to love him with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your strength ⁵  and to love your neighbor as yourself ⁶  is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 12:34 When Jesus saw that he had answered thoughtfully, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” Then no one dared any longer to question him.

[12:30]  ¹ tn Grk “You will love.” The future indicative is used here with imperatival force (see ExSyn 452 and 569).

[12:30]  ² sn A quotation from Deut 6:4-5 and Josh 22:5 (LXX). The fourfold reference to different parts of the person says, in effect, that one should love God with all one’s being.

[12:31]  ³ sn A quotation from Lev 19:18.

[12:32]  ⁴ sn A quotation from Deut 4:35.

[12:33]  ⁵ sn A quotation from Deut 6:5.

[12:33]  ⁶ sn A quotation from Lev 19:18.