Neighbor

A lawyer once asked Jesus a question that people still ask: “And who is my neighbour?” (Luke 10:29). Jesus answered with a story about a Samaritan who stopped for a wounded stranger, then turned the question around and asked which of three men was neighbour to the one who fell among thieves. The command behind it is old. Leviticus says, “thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Leviticus 19:18), and Jesus and Paul both treat it as the heart of the law. The rest of these verses are practical: no defrauding, no talebearing, no false witness. Luke 10 is the place to begin.

247 verses

Genesis

Genesis 1:26

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

Genesis 1:27

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

Genesis 1:28

And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Genesis 2:7

And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

Genesis 2:19

And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

Genesis 2:20

And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

Genesis 5:1

This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;

Genesis 5:2

Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.

Genesis 9:2

And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.

Genesis 9:3

Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.

Genesis 9:6

Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

Exodus

Exodus 20:16

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

Exodus 23:4

If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.

Exodus 23:5

If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him.

Leviticus

Leviticus 6:2

If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the LORD, and lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbour;

Leviticus 6:3

Or have found that which was lost, and lieth concerning it, and sweareth falsely; in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein:

Leviticus 6:4

Then it shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took violently away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he found,

Leviticus 6:5

Or all that about which he hath sworn falsely; he shall even restore it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his trespass offering.

Leviticus 19:13

Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.

Leviticus 19:16

Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD.

Leviticus 19:17

Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.

Leviticus 19:18

Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy 4:32

For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it?

Deuteronomy 6:5

And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

Deuteronomy 10:12

And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,

Deuteronomy 10:13

To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?

Deuteronomy 11:1

Therefore thou shalt love the LORD thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway.

Deuteronomy 22:1

Thou shalt not see thy brother's ox or his sheep go astray, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt in any case bring them again unto thy brother.

Deuteronomy 22:2

And if thy brother be not nigh unto thee, or if thou know him not, then thou shalt bring it unto thine own house, and it shall be with thee until thy brother seek after it, and thou shalt restore it to him again.

Deuteronomy 22:3

In like manner shalt thou do with his ass; and so shalt thou do with his raiment; and with all lost thing of thy brother's, which he hath lost, and thou hast found, shalt thou do likewise: thou mayest not hide thyself.

Deuteronomy 22:4

Thou shalt not see thy brother's ass or his ox fall down by the way, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt surely help him to lift them up again.

Deuteronomy 30:15

See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;

Deuteronomy 30:16

In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.

Deuteronomy 30:17

But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them;

Deuteronomy 30:18

I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it.

Deuteronomy 30:19

I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

Deuteronomy 30:20

That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

Joshua

Joshua 22:5

But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Joshua 23:11

Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the LORD your God.

Job

Job 4:17

Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?

Job 4:18

Behold, he put no trust in his servants; and his angels he charged with folly:

Job 4:19

How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, which are crushed before the moth?

Job 4:20

They are destroyed from morning to evening: they perish for ever without any regarding it.

Job 4:21

Doth not their excellency which is in them go away? they die, even without wisdom.

Job 10:2

I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with me.

Job 10:3

Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?

Job 10:8

Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me.

Job 10:9

Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again?

Job 15:14

What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?

Job 22:2

Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself?

Job 22:3

Is it any pleasure to the Almighty, that thou art righteous? or is it gain to him, that thou makest thy ways perfect?

Job 22:4

Will he reprove thee for fear of thee? will he enter with thee into judgment?

Job 22:5

Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite?

Job 25:4

How then can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?

Job 25:5

Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not pure in his sight.

Job 25:6

How much less man, that is a worm? and the son of man, which is a worm?

Job 31:13

If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;

Job 31:14

What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?

Job 31:15

Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?

Job 32:8

But there is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.

Job 33:4

The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.

Job 35:2

Thinkest thou this to be right, that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than God's?

Job 35:3

For thou saidst, What advantage will it be unto thee? and, What profit shall I have, if I be cleansed from my sin?

Job 35:4

I will answer thee, and thy companions with thee.

Job 35:5

Look unto the heavens, and see; and behold the clouds which are higher than thou.

Job 35:6

If thou sinnest, what doest thou against him? or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him?

Job 35:7

If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand?

Job 35:8

Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art; and thy righteousness may profit the son of man.

Job 35:10

But none saith, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night;

Job 38:4

Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding.

Job 38:12

Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days; and caused the dayspring to know his place;

Job 38:13

That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it?

Psalms

Psalms 8:3

When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;

Psalms 8:4

What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

Psalms 8:5

For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

Psalms 8:6

Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:

Psalms 8:7

All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;

Psalms 8:8

The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.

Psalms 15:1

A Psalm of David. LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?

Psalms 15:2

He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.

Psalms 15:3

He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.

Psalms 31:5

Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.

Psalms 31:23

O love the LORD, all ye his saints: for the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.

Psalms 33:13

The LORD looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men.

Psalms 33:14

From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth.

Psalms 33:15

He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works.

Psalms 100:3

Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Psalms 119:73

JOD. Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments.

Psalms 138:8

The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.

Psalms 139:14

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

Proverbs

Proverbs 3:28

Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee.

Proverbs 3:29

Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.

Proverbs 16:4

The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

Proverbs 20:27

The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of the belly.

Proverbs 22:2

The rich and poor meet together: the LORD is the maker of them all.

Proverbs 23:26

My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.

Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 1:8

All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it: the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.

Ecclesiastes 2:14

The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all.

Ecclesiastes 2:15

Then said I in my heart, As it happeneth to the fool, so it happeneth even to me; and why was I then more wise? Then I said in my heart, that this also is vanity.

Ecclesiastes 3:20

All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.

Based on Nave's Topical Bible by Orville J. Nave (1896). Public domain. KJV scripture text, public domain.