You have heard that it was said: ‘Love your neighbor, and hate your enemy’.
In these words, Jesus cites the mistaken interpretation of the Old Testament commandment that was widespread among the people of his time. In the commandments of the Old Testament it was stated that you must love your neighbor (Leviticus 19:18), but it was never said, “Hate your enemy.” That partly mistaken interpretation had spread at a time when people had decided that if loving friends is a commandment, then it is permissible to hate enemies. Jesus, however, is about to restore its true meaning and completes it with a deeper interpretation.