Albert Barnes Commentary Matthew 19:18-19

"He saith unto him, Which? And Jesus said, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honor thy father and mother; and, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." — Matthew 19:18-19 (ASV)

In reply to the inquiry of the young man, Jesus directed him to the sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and fifth commandments (Exodus 20:12–16) as containing the substance of the whole—as containing particularly what He intended to show him that he had not kept. (See Barnes on Matthew 5:21 and Matthew 5:27.)

Not steal. To steal is to take the property of another without his knowledge or consent.

Bear false witness. To give testimony contrary to truth. This may be done in a court of justice, or by private or public slander. It means to say things about another person that are not true.

Honour thy father, etc. (Exodus 20:12). That is:

1. Obey them; keep their commands (Colossians 3:20; Ephesians 6:1–3).
2. Respect them; show them reverence.
3. Treat their opinions with regard—do not despise or ridicule them.
4. Treat their habits with respect. These habits may be different from ours; they may be antiquated and appear strange, odd, or whimsical to us; but they are the habits of a parent and are not to be ridiculed.
5. Provide for them when they are sick, weary, old, and infirm. Bear with their weakness, comply with their wishes, speak to them kindly, and deny yourselves rest, sleep, and ease to promote their welfare.

To this He added another commandment—the duty of loving our neighbor as ourselves (Leviticus 19:18).

This Christ declared to be the second great commandment of the law (Matthew 22:39). A neighbor means:

1. Any person who lives near to us.
2. Any person with whom we have dealings.
3. A friend or relative (Matthew 5:43).
4. Any person—friend, relative, countryman, or foe (Mark 12:31). It also means any person who does us good or confers a favor on us (Luke 10:27–37).

This commandment evidently means:

1. That we should not injure our neighbor in his person, property, or character.
2. That we should not be supremely selfish, and should seek to do him good.
3. That in a case of debt, difference, or debate, we should do what is right, regarding his interest as much as our own, and not being influenced by a love of self.
4. That we should treat his character, property, etc., as we do our own, according to what is right.
5. That in order to benefit him we should practice self-denial, or do as we would wish him to do to us (Matthew 7:12).

It does not mean:

1. That the love of ourselves, according to what we are, or according to truth, is improper. My happiness is as important as that of any other person, and it is proper that it should be sought.
2. It does not mean that I am to neglect my own business to take care of my neighbor's. My happiness, salvation, health, and family are committed particularly to me; and, provided I do not interfere with my neighbor's rights or violate my obligations to him, it is my duty to seek my own welfare as my first duty (1 Timothy 5:8; Titus 2:5).

Mark adds to these commandments, Defraud not; by which he meant, doubtless, to express the substance of this: to love our neighbor as ourselves. It means, literally, to take away the property of another by violence or by deceiving him, thus showing that he is not loved as we love ourselves.