Topical Bible: Neighbour's

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Topical Encyclopedia

In biblical terms, the concept of "neighbour" extends beyond mere geographical proximity to encompass a broader moral and ethical responsibility towards others. The Bible provides numerous teachings and commandments regarding how one should treat their neighbour, emphasizing love, respect, and justice.

Old Testament Context

The Hebrew word for neighbour, "rea," appears frequently in the Old Testament, often in the context of social and legal obligations. One of the most significant references is found in Leviticus 19:18, which states, "Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD." This commandment underscores the importance of love and forgiveness in relationships with others.

The Ten Commandments also address the treatment of one's neighbour. Exodus 20:16-17 instructs, "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." These commandments highlight the importance of honesty, integrity, and contentment in maintaining harmonious relationships.

New Testament Teachings

In the New Testament, the Greek word "plēsion" is used for neighbour, and the teachings of Jesus Christ further expand on the Old Testament principles. The parable of the Good Samaritan, found in Luke 10:25-37, is a profound illustration of who qualifies as a neighbour and how one should act towards them. Jesus concludes the parable by instructing, "Go and do likewise," emphasizing that love and compassion should extend to all, regardless of social or ethnic boundaries.

Jesus reiterates the commandment to love one's neighbour in Matthew 22:39 , stating, "And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’" This commandment is presented as second only to loving God, indicating its critical importance in Christian ethics.

Ethical Implications

The biblical concept of a neighbour carries significant ethical implications. It calls for believers to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8). This includes refraining from actions that harm others, such as bearing false witness or coveting, and actively seeking the welfare of others through acts of kindness and charity.

The Apostle Paul echoes these sentiments in Romans 13:9-10 , "The commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not covet,' and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one decree: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' Love does no wrong to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."

Conclusion

The biblical teachings on neighbours emphasize a comprehensive approach to love and justice, urging believers to transcend cultural and social barriers in their interactions with others. Through the lens of Scripture, the treatment of one's neighbour becomes a reflection of one's relationship with God, underscoring the interconnectedness of divine and human relationships.

Library

General Commandments.
... For it is written in the law, "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his
field, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass ...
/.../various/constitutions of the holy apostles/sec i general commandments.htm

Judging, Asking, and Giving
... For in God's eyes the man who covers not his neighbour's faults with the mantle
of charity has not his own blotted out by divine forgiveness. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/judging asking and giving.htm

The Ten Commandments.
... VI. Thou shalt not kill. VII. Thou shalt not commit adultery. VIII. Thou shalt not
steal. IX. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/moody/weighed and wanting/the ten commandments.htm

Christian Doctrine of God and his Law.
... Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness
against thy neighbour. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's ...
/.../theophilus/theophilus to autolycus/chapter ix christian doctrine of god.htm

Three Condensed Parables
... The keenness of men's criticism of their neighbour's faults is in inverse
proportion to their familiarity with their own. It is ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture e/three condensed parables.htm

Which is the Tenth Commandment?
... A79: The Tenth Commandment is, "thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou
shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant ...
/.../anonymous/the westminster shorter catechism/question 79 0 0 which is the.htm

What is the Law of God?
... 8th commandment: Thou shalt not steal. 9th commandment: Thou shalt not
bear false witness against thy neighbour. 10th commandment ...
/.../various/the heidelberg catechism /question 92 what is the.htm

The Eternal Goodness
... SERMON V. THE ETERNAL GOODNESS. Matthew 22:39. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as
thyself. Why are wrong things wrong? Why, for instance, is it wrong to steal? ...
/.../kingsley/the good news of god/sermon v the eternal goodness.htm

The Decalogue: ii. --Man and Man
... Thou shalt not kill.14. Thou shalt not commit adultery.15. Thou shalt not
steal.16. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.17. ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the decalogue ii man and man.htm

The Tenth Commandment
... Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's
wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor ...
/.../watson/the ten commandments/2 1 the tenth commandment.htm

Thesaurus

Neighbour's (30 Occurrences)
...Neighbour's (30 Occurrences). 1 Corinthians 10:24 Let a man give attention not only
to what is good for himself, but equally to his neighbour's good. (BBE). ...
/n/neighbour's.htm - 15k

Woman-servant (12 Occurrences)
... Exodus 20:17 Let not your desire be turned to your neighbour's house, or his wife
or his man-servant or his woman-servant or his ox or his ass or anything ...
/w/woman-servant.htm - 10k

Bondman (108 Occurrences)
... Exodus 20:17 Thou shalt not desire thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not desire
thy neighbour's wife, nor his bondman, nor his handmaid, nor his ox, nor his ass ...
/b/bondman.htm - 36k

Decalogue
... "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house" being ranked as ninth, and "Thou shalt
not covet thy neighbour's wife," etc., the tenth. (see COMMANDMENTS.). ...
/d/decalogue.htm - 8k

Boundary (83 Occurrences)
... Deuteronomy 19:14 Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour's landmark, which they of
old time have set, in thine inheritance which thou shalt inherit, in the land ...
/b/boundary.htm - 30k

Connection (72 Occurrences)
... Leviticus 6:2 If anyone does wrong, and is untrue to the Lord, acting falsely to
his neighbour in connection with something put in his care, or something given ...
/c/connection.htm - 29k

Handmaid (77 Occurrences)
... Exodus 20:17 Thou shalt not desire thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not desire
thy neighbour's wife, nor his bondman, nor his handmaid, nor his ox, nor his ass ...
/h/handmaid.htm - 34k

Neighbours (34 Occurrences)

/n/neighbours.htm - 16k

Vine-garden (43 Occurrences)
... Deuteronomy 23:24 When you go into your neighbour's vine-garden, you may take of
his grapes at your pleasure, but you may not take them away in your vessel. ...
/v/vine-garden.htm - 19k

Neighed (2 Occurrences)

/n/neighed.htm - 7k

Resources

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus

Concordance

Neighbour's (30 Occurrences)

1 Corinthians 10:24
Let a man give attention not only to what is good for himself, but equally to his neighbour's good.
(BBE)

James 4:12
There is only one judge and law-giver, even he who has the power of salvation and of destruction; but who are you to be your neighbour's judge?
(BBE)

Exodus 20:17
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's.
(See JPS BBE DBY YLT)

Exodus 21:35
And if one man's ox gore his neighbour's ox, and it die, then they shall sell the live ox, and divide the money thereof, and divide the dead also.
(DBY)

Exodus 22:8
If the thief be not found, then the master of the house shall come near unto God, to see whether he have not put his hand unto his neighbor's goods.
(See JPS BBE DBY)

Exodus 22:11
the oath of Jehovah shall be between them both, whether he hath not put his hand unto his neighbor's goods; and the owner thereof shall accept it, and he shall not make restitution.
(See JPS BBE DBY)

Exodus 22:26
If thou at all take thy neighbor's garment to pledge, thou shalt restore it unto him before the sun goeth down:
(See JPS BBE DBY)

Leviticus 18:20
And thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbor's wife, to defile thyself with her.
(See JPS BBE DBY)

Leviticus 20:10
And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbor's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
(See JPS DBY)

Leviticus 25:14
And if thou sell aught unto thy neighbor, or buy of thy neighbor's hand, ye shall not wrong one another.
(See JPS DBY)

Deuteronomy 5:21
Neither shalt thou covet thy neighbor's wife; neither shalt thou desire thy neighbor's house, his field, or his man-servant, or his maid-servant, his ox, or his ass, or anything that is thy neighbor's.
(See JPS BBE DBY YLT)

Deuteronomy 19:14
Thou shalt not remove thy neighbor's landmark, which they of old time have set, in thine inheritance which thou shalt inherit, in the land that Jehovah thy God giveth thee to possess it.
(See JPS BBE DBY)

Deuteronomy 23:24
When thou comest into thy neighbor's vineyard, then thou mayest eat of grapes thy fill at thine own pleasure; but thou shalt not put any in thy vessel.
(See JPS BBE DBY)

Deuteronomy 23:25
When thou comest into thy neighbor's standing grain, then thou mayest pluck the ears with thy hand; but thou shalt not move a sickle unto thy neighbor's standing grain.
(See JPS BBE DBY)

Deuteronomy 27:17
Cursed be he that removeth his neighbor's landmark. And all the people shall say, Amen.
(See JPS BBE DBY YLT)

Deuteronomy 27:24
Cursed is he who takes his neighbour's life secretly. And let all the people say, So be it.
(BBE)

Joshua 20:5
And if the one who has the right of punishment comes after him, they are not to give the taker of life up to him; because he was the cause of his neighbour's death without designing it and not in hate.
(BBE)

Job 31:9
If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbour's door;
(KJV JPS BBE DBY)

Proverbs 6:29
So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.
(KJV JPS BBE DBY)

Proverbs 16:29
A violent man puts desire of evil into his neighbour's mind, and makes him go in a way which is not good.
(BBE)

Proverbs 25:17
Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbour's house; lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee.
(KJV JPS BBE DBY YLT)

Jeremiah 5:8
They were as fed horses in the morning: every one neighed after his neighbour's wife.
(KJV JPS BBE DBY)

Jeremiah 22:13
Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that useth his neighbour's service without wages, and giveth him not for his work;
(KJV JPS DBY)

Ezekiel 18:6
And hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbour's wife, neither hath come near to a menstruous woman,
(KJV JPS BBE DBY)

Ezekiel 18:11
And that doeth not any of those duties, but even hath eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbour's wife,
(KJV JPS BBE DBY)

Ezekiel 18:15
That hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hath not defiled his neighbour's wife,
(KJV JPS BBE DBY)

Ezekiel 22:11
And one hath committed abomination with his neighbour's wife; and another hath lewdly defiled his daughter in law; and another in thee hath humbled his sister, his father's daughter.
(KJV JPS BBE DBY)

Ezekiel 33:26
Ye stand upon your sword, ye work abomination, and ye defile every one his neighbour's wife: and shall ye possess the land?
(KJV JPS BBE DBY)

Zechariah 11:6
For I will no more pity the inhabitants of the land, saith the LORD: but, lo, I will deliver the men every one into his neighbour's hand, and into the hand of his king: and they shall smite the land, and out of their hand I will not deliver them.
(KJV JPS BBE DBY)

Zechariah 14:13
And it will be on that day that a great fear will be sent among them from the Lord; and everyone will take his neighbour's hand, and every man's hand will be lifted against his neighbour's.
(BBE)

Subtopics

Neighbour's

Related Terms

Neighbour's (30 Occurrences)

Neigheth (1 Occurrence)

Neigh (2 Occurrences)

Lusty (3 Occurrences)

Well-fed (2 Occurrences)

Roam (7 Occurrences)

Roaming (5 Occurrences)

Plunderers (9 Occurrences)

Steeds (11 Occurrences)