Luke 6:32
New International Version
“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.

New Living Translation
“If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them!

English Standard Version
“If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.

Berean Standard Bible
If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.

Berean Literal Bible
And if you love those loving you, what credit is it to you? For even sinners love those loving them.

King James Bible
For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.

New King James Version
“But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.

New American Standard Bible
If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.

NASB 1995
“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.

NASB 1977
“And if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.

Legacy Standard Bible
And if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.

Amplified Bible
If you [only] love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.

Christian Standard Bible
If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.

American Standard Version
And if ye love them that love you, what thank have ye? for even sinners love those that love them.

Contemporary English Version
If you love only someone who loves you, will God praise you for that? Even sinners love people who love them.

English Revised Version
And if ye love them that love you, what thank have ye? for even sinners love those that love them.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"If you love those who love you, do you deserve any thanks for that? Even sinners love those who love them.

Good News Translation
"If you love only the people who love you, why should you receive a blessing? Even sinners love those who love them!

International Standard Version
"If you love those who love you, what thanks do you deserve? Why, even sinners love those who love them.

Majority Standard Bible
If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.

NET Bible
"If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.

New Heart English Bible
If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.

Webster's Bible Translation
For if ye love them who love you, what thanks have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.

Weymouth New Testament
"If you love those who love you, what credit is it to you? Why, even bad men love those who love them.

World English Bible
“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and—if you love those loving you, what grace is it to you? For also the sinful love those loving them;

Berean Literal Bible
And if you love those loving you, what credit is it to you? For even sinners love those loving them.

Young's Literal Translation
and -- if ye love those loving you, what grace have ye? for also the sinful love those loving them;

Smith's Literal Translation
And if ye love them loving you, what grace is to you? for also the sinful would love those loving them.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And if you love them that love you, what thanks are to you? for sinners also love those that love them.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And if you love those who love you, what credit is due to you? For even sinners love those who love them.

New American Bible
For if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them.

New Revised Standard Version
“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
For if you love those who love you, what is your favor? for even sinners love those who love them.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“For if you love those who love you, what goodness do you have? Even sinners love those who love them.”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And if you love them that love you, what thanks have you? for even sinners love those who love them.

Godbey New Testament
If you love those who love you, what grace is there to you? for even sinners love those who love them.

Haweis New Testament
And if ye love them that love you, what thanks are due to you? for even sinners love those who love them.

Mace New Testament
for if you only love those, who love you, where's the obligation? the very heathen return love for love.

Weymouth New Testament
"If you love those who love you, what credit is it to you? Why, even bad men love those who love them.

Worrell New Testament
"And, if ye love those who love you, what charm have you? for even the sinners love those who love them.

Worsley New Testament
If ye love only them that love you, what thanks are due to you? for even the wicked love those that love them:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Love Your Enemies
31Do to others as you would have them do to you. 32 If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same.…

Cross References
Matthew 5:46
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even tax collectors do the same?

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 5:43-45
You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘Hate your enemy.’ / But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, / that 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.

Romans 12:9
Love must be sincere. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good.

Romans 12:14
Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse.

Romans 12:17
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody.

Romans 12:20-21
On the contrary, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head.” / Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

1 Corinthians 13:3
If I give all I possess to the poor and exult in the surrender of my body, but have not love, I gain nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. / It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no account of wrongs. / Love takes no pleasure in evil, but rejoices in the truth. ...

1 Peter 3:9
Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.

1 John 4:7-8
Beloved, let us love one another, because love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. / Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

1 John 4:19-21
We love because He first loved us. / If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. / And we have this commandment from Him: Whoever loves God must love his brother as well.

Proverbs 25:21-22
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. / For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you.

Proverbs 24:17
Do not gloat when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart rejoice when he stumbles,

Proverbs 3:27-28
Do not withhold good from the deserving when it is within your power to act. / Do not tell your neighbor, “Come back tomorrow and I will provide”—when you already have the means.


Treasury of Scripture

For if you love them which love you, what thank have you? for sinners also love those that love them.

if.

Matthew 5:46,47
For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? …

what.

1 Peter 2:19,20
For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully…

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Luke 6
1. Jesus reproves the Pharisees;
12. chooses apostles;
17. heals the diseased;
20. preaches to his disciples before the people: the beattitudes;
27. Love your Enemy
37. Do not Judge
43. A Tree and Its Fruit
46. The House on the Rock














If you love those who love you
This phrase challenges the natural human inclination to reciprocate affection only to those who show us love. The Greek word for "love" here is "agapate," derived from "agape," which signifies a selfless, sacrificial love that seeks the best for others without expecting anything in return. In the historical context of Jesus' time, this teaching was radical, as societal norms often revolved around reciprocal relationships. Jesus calls His followers to a higher standard, one that reflects God's unconditional love for humanity.

what credit is that to you?
The word "credit" in Greek is "charis," which can also mean "grace" or "favor." This rhetorical question implies that there is no divine reward or recognition for loving only those who love us back. The concept of "charis" in the New Testament often relates to God's grace, which is unearned and freely given. Thus, Jesus is urging His disciples to extend grace to others, just as God extends grace to us.

Even sinners love those who love them
Here, "sinners" refers to those who are outside the covenant community or those who live in habitual sin. The term "sinners" in the Jewish context often included tax collectors and Gentiles, who were seen as outside the bounds of God's chosen people. By stating that even "sinners" love those who love them, Jesus emphasizes that such behavior is common and expected, not extraordinary or commendable. The call is to rise above the ordinary and reflect the extraordinary love of God, which transcends human limitations and prejudices.

(32) For if ye love them which love you.--See Note on Matthew 5:46, and note St. Luke's use, as writing for Gentiles, of the wider term "sinners," instead of the more specific "publicans," which pointed the maxim, perhaps, for those who originally heard it, and certainly for St. Matthew's Jewish readers. There is also a slight variation in the form of the closing questions--St. Luke's "what thank have ye" pointing to the expectation of gratitude in return for good offices, St. Matthew's "what reward" to a more concrete and solid payment.

Verses 32, 33. - For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. There are three manners of return, as Augustine - quoted by Archbishop Trench in his 'Exposition of the Sermon on the Mount' - observes, which men may make one to another: the returning good for good and evil for evil, - this is the ordinary rule of man; then beneath this there is the returning of evil for good, which is devilish; while above it there is the returning of good for evil, which is Divine, - and this is what is commanded for the followers of Jesus here. On the words, "sinners also love those that love them," Augustine's words are singularly terse and quaint: "Amas amantes te filios et parentes. Amat et latro, amat et draco, amant et lupi, amant et ursi" (quoted by Archbishop Trench, 'Exposition of the Sermon on the Mount,' p. 234, note).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
If
εἰ (ei)
Conjunction
Strong's 1487: If. A primary particle of conditionality; if, whether, that, etc.

you love
ἀγαπᾶτε (agapate)
Verb - Present Indicative 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 who
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.

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
ποία (poia)
Interrogative / Indefinite Pronoun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 4169: Of what sort. From the base of pou and hoios; individualizing interrogative what sort of, or which one.

credit
χάρις (charis)
Noun - Nominative Feminine Singular
Strong's 5485: From chairo; graciousness, of manner or act.

is that
ἐστίν (estin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1510: I am, exist. The first person singular present indicative; a prolonged form of a primary and defective verb; I exist.

to you?
ὑμῖν (hymin)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

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

sinners
ἁμαρτωλοὶ (hamartōloi)
Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural
Strong's 268: Sinning, sinful, depraved, detestable. From hamartano; sinful, i.e. A sinner.

love
ἀγαπῶσιν (agapōsin)
Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd 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 who
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.

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.

them.
αὐτοὺς (autous)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
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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NT Gospels: Luke 6:32 If you love those who love you (Luke Lu Lk)
Luke 6:31
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