I give you
The phrase "I give you" underscores the authority of Jesus as the divine lawgiver. In the context of the Last Supper, Jesus is preparing His disciples for His impending departure. The use of "give" (δίδωμι, didōmi) indicates a personal and intentional act, highlighting the importance and personal nature of this commandment. It is a gift from Jesus to His followers, meant to guide their interactions and relationships.

Love one another
"Love one another" is the heart of the commandment. The Greek word for love here is "ἀγαπάω" (agapaō), which refers to a selfless, sacrificial love that seeks the best for others. This type of love is not based on emotions or feelings but is an act of the will, reflecting God's love for humanity. In the historical context, this commandment was radical, as it called for a love that transcended social, ethnic, and religious boundaries, uniting believers in a common bond.

As I have loved you
The phrase "As I have loved you" sets the standard for the love Jesus commands. Jesus' love is the model for Christian love, characterized by humility, service, and sacrifice. This is exemplified in the preceding verses where Jesus washes the disciples' feet, demonstrating servant leadership. The ultimate expression of His love is His sacrificial death on the cross. This phrase challenges believers to emulate Christ's love in their relationships, emphasizing that true love involves self-giving and putting others' needs above one's own.

So you also must love one another
"So you also must love one another" reiterates the command with an emphasis on its necessity and urgency. The use of "must" (δεῖ, dei) indicates an obligation, not a suggestion. This love is to be the defining characteristic of Jesus' disciples, serving as a witness to the world of their relationship with Him. In the early church, this commandment was pivotal in shaping the community's identity and mission, fostering unity and mutual care among believers. It remains a timeless call for Christians to live out their faith through love in action.

For the meaning of the word "commandment," comp. Note on John 10:18.

As I have loved you.--More exactly, Even as I loved you. (Comp. Note on John 13:1.) The punctuation of our version is to be maintained. It is not, as it has sometimes been read, "That ye love one another, as I have loved you . . ." The earlier clause gives the principle of the new commandment. The latter clause repeats this, and prefaces the repetition by words referring to His own acts of love, which should be an example for them. The word "as," or "even as," does not refer to the degree of His love, but to the fact; and the special instance of love then present to the mind was the feet-washing upon which the whole of this discourse has followed.

(2) The demand which this glorification would make on the mutual fidelity and affection of the disciples. Verse 34. - A new commandment I give unto you (with the purpose and scope) that ye love one another; even as (or, seeing that) I loved you, that ye (also) love one another. The interpretation of this verse largely depends on the meaning given to the καθὼς, if, as many translate it, "even as I loved you;" or, "after the manner and type of my love to you;" then an amply sufficient explanation arises of the novelty of the ἐντολή. So new a type of love is given that, as the Greek expositors generally have urged, there is a deeper intensity in the love than can be found in the Mosaic principle, Love thy neighbor as thyself." In this commandment, which embraces the whole law, self-love is assumed, and is made the standard for the love of neighbor. This ἐντολή, on the other hand, would be based on a new principle, and measured by a higher standard, and even mean more than love of self altogether. Christ's love to his disciples was self-abandoning, self-sacrificing love. This view of the passage is urged by Lucke, and really removes all necessity for the varied translations of the καινή, such as "illustrious" (Hammond); "last" (Heumann); "one that is always new" (Olshausen); "renewed commandment," a "renewing commandment" (Augustine and Maldonatus); "the institution of the Eucharist" (Lange). But it is doubtful whether the ideal image of a perfect love constitutes the novelty, and whether the double ἵνα and the transposition of the second ἵνα be found in the simple style of John. If, however, καθώς ἠγάπησα be taken as "seeing that," or "since I loved you" (see John 17:2), Christ's love becomes not so much the manner or type, as the motive, ground, and principle of love to one another. As if he had said, "I have loved each of you unto death; in loving one another you are loving me, you are loving an object of my tender love. The desire of mere imitation, however strong, is not equal to the demand I make, while the bestowment of the 'new' principle of life arising from a response to my love is." For the first interpretation speaks John's own use of the idea (1 John 3:16). There is a third interpretation, which makes καθὼς ἠγάπησα ὑμᾶς a sentence parallel with the δίδωμι. "Even as up to this moment, and up to my death, and to the uttermost, I have loved you, I give," etc., "in order that ye may love one another, and, inspired by me, may imitate my love one towards another" (Westcott). This is an endeavor to combine both interpretations. Alford suggests that the "newness" of the commandment consists in its "unicity," its being the prime injunction of the new covenant, and the first-fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22; 1 Corinthians 13.). Tholuck sees the expression of self-renouncing love - the love of the highest to the sinful, the love which is more blessed to give than to receive, the all-embracing love.

Parallel Commentaries ...