v. brother, neighbor
Lev 19:18 but you shall love your p as yourself
Deu 19:11 who hates his p and lie in wait for him
Pro 3:29 do not try badly against your p that inhabits
Pro 11:9 the hypocrite with his mouth harms his p
Pro 16:29 an evil man flatters his p, and
Zec 8:16 speak truth each one with his p
Matt 5:43; 19:19
(Heb., rea†™, amith, friend, qarov, shakhen; Gr., plesion, the near one). The tenth commandment is directed to the protection of the neighbor’s property (Exo 20:17) and the ninth towards the protection of his reputation (Exo 20:16). The cities of refuge were designated for the one who had killed his neighbor accidentally (Deu 19: 4). The book of Proverbs is full of admonitions regarding the neighbor (Pro 14:21). Due regard for others is expressed in the great OT and NT precept: You shall love your neighbor as yourself (Lev 19:18; Mat 19:19). The parable of the Good Samaritan (Luk 10:30-37) was given in response to the question: And who is my neighbor? (Luke 10:29).
Source: Hispanic World Bible Dictionary
(close, neighbor).
– Who is your neighbor?: Parable of the Good Samaritan, Luc 10:30.
– “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”, is the summary of the Law and the Prophets: (Gal 5:14), and the Second Commandment, very similar to the first: (Mar 12:31, Mat 19:19, Luke 10:27); is also the OT commandment
(Lev 19:18).
– Of the 10 Commandments, the last 7 are our duties towards our neighbor.
Christian Bible Dictionary
Dr. J. Dominguez
http://bible.com/dictionary/
Source: Christian Bible Dictionary
Several Hebrew words are translated as p. One of them, rea, denotes, depending on the context, a partner, a friend or someone close. It is used about 187 times in the OT. Moses said to an Israelite who was fighting with another: † œWhy do you hit your p.?† (Exo 2:13). It is read in the law: †œ… if anyone is proud of his p. and I will kill him treacherously, you will remove him from my altar so that he may die† (Exo 21:14). And in Lev 19:18 : “You shall love your p. as yourself† . This last verse was quoted by the Lord Jesus as an essential part of the law (“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your father as yourself† (Luke 10:27) The Greek term is plêsion.
Source: Christian Bible Dictionary
tip, LEYE
vet, (Heb. “rea”, “friend”, “fellow”, “neighbor”, Ex. 2:13; 21:14, etc.; “’amith”, “neighbor”, “equal”, “fellow” 6:2; 18:20; 19:15, etc.; “karob”, “close”, Ps 15:3; Gr. “hoplêsion”, “close one”, Mt 5:43; 19 :19; Luke 10:27, 29, 36, etc.). In Lv. 19:18 defines “neighbor” as “the sons of your people.” The Law of the OT, as well as the conception of the Jews, forced a series of duties towards those who were close to him, not physically, but by virtue of common descent within the chosen people, obligations that were not binding towards those outside the alliance. For example, an Israelite could not demand interest from another on a loan (cf. Deut. 23:19, 20). False testimony against others was also prohibited (Ex. 20:16; Dt. 5:20; Pr. 25:18). It was also forbidden to covet anything he possessed (Ex. 20:17); rob or slander him (Lev. 6:2), oppress him (Lev. 19:13), attempt on his life (Lev. 19:16), commit adultery with his wife (Lev. 20:10), defraud him in any way ( Lev. 25:14, 15) or deceive him in any way (Lev. 25:17). All these precepts were expressed in a positive way in which he ordered “you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev. 19:18). In the NT the Lord Jesus Christ expanded the concept of neighbor. To the question of an interpreter of the Law: “And who is my neighbor?”, the Lord responded with the parable of the Good Samaritan. In it the Lord shows how his disciples should seek to do good to all those to whom he can help him (Lk. 10: 25-37). The apostle Paul succinctly expresses this principle for Christians: “Let us therefore, as we have opportunity, do good to all, and especially to those of the family of faith” (Gal. 6:10). In this way the circle of the “neighbor” is widened. For the Christian there are two concentric circles. He must not pass up the opportunity to give his help to everyone to whom he can lend it. It is true, however, that he has to focus his energies on helping each other’s members of God’s family (Heb. 13:16).
Source: New Illustrated Bible Dictionary
It is a basic concept in Christian morality and in the Gospel. The Law of God is blunt in affirming that the first commandment of the Law is to love God, but that “the second is similar to the first: “love your neighbor as yourself” (Lev. 19. 18; Mt. 5 43)
1. Concept of neighbor
In biblical texts, the idea of neighbor is identified with that of “brother”, “close”, “neighbor”, “companion”, “similar”. Even taking the term from the Old Testament, it is expressed with the Greek term (“plesíon” or “paraplesion”), which alludes to the one that is close (Latin, próximus), to the one that is close. It is used about 18 times in the New Testament. Only 5 of them in the Pauline writings and 2 in the epistle of Santiago.
In approximate forms: relative, friend, comrade, partner, acquaintance, collaborator are many more. And above all “brother” (oleanders) appears no less than 382 times.
The term neighbor carries physical connotations of proximity. The term brother alludes to deeper bonds of love and complementarity. It is not easy to do terminological exegesis, since the context is what gives meaning to isolated words. And the term neighbor refers to any person who lives close to us, with physical ties, while the word brother is more affective, more vital.
2. Duties to others
Assuming that we accept the difference between “brother” with affective resonance and “neighbor” with more social meaning, the term in the New Testament implies above all a duty of respect, collaboration, coexistence. However, the profound reference to “brother” implies a bond deeper and more spiritual (by consanguinity, family alliance, close life, faith, race or solidarity).
The neighbor, whether friend or enemy, wanted or imposed, is respected by social demand.
The brother is loved by spiritual ties, religion and fraternity. What is commanded in the divine Law, is therefore respect in the Old Testament and much more is required in the New, in which there is more talk of brothers than neighbors.
The New Testament adds the duty of “love for one’s neighbor”, since God has made the human heart similar to his own, capable of opening itself to the whole of humanity. They are the closest, those who live in our environment, who most claim that love. “For if you love only those who love you, what credit is that to you? Don’t the Gentiles do that? I tell you much more: Love those who hate you.” (Mt. 5.42-47)
The divine call to love one’s neighbor, not only one’s brother, but one’s neighbor, is at the center of the Gospel and is what the followers of Jesus proclaimed. Paul said that the law of love of neighbor was the basis of all divine law: “He who loves his neighbor is he who fulfills the law. Because everything else: you shall not commit adultery, you shall not kill, you shall not steal, you shall not covet, any other commandment, is summed up in this one word: love your neighbor as yourself. Charity is therefore the law in its fullness.” (Rom. 13. 8-10)
With that love, the precept of Jesus himself is fulfilled, who always taught what had already been said in the Old Testament and is engraved in the hearts of all men. But also much more.
The Apostle Santiago in his letter proposed something similar: “Your behavior will only be good if you comply with the supreme law of Scripture: you will love your neighbor as yourself… And if you walk with distinctions and favoritism, you commit sin and the law will accuse you of fault … See that whoever said: “do not commit adultery”, also said: “do not kill”. If you do not commit adultery, but kill, you are a complete transgressor of the Law” (Sant. 2. 8-10).
The difference between love of God and love of neighbor is theoretical. In practice, he who loves his neighbor loves God and cannot stop loving his neighbor, whoever he is, he who loves God authentically. This has been the great evangelical message since early Christian times: that one cannot walk with distinctions in matters of love.
For the rest, it is decisive that the Christian know how to grade that love according to “proximity”. The one who lives nearby claims more love and respect than the one who lives far away.
The one who crosses our path several times a day demands more understanding than the occasional one.
However, it is good to remember that, close or distant, the most needy is the one who should be the object of understanding, respect and collaboration. As far as possible, we must have a response in the style of Jesus, when someone asks us “who is my neighbor”. (Luke 10.29)
3. Content of the catechesis
Educating in love is essential in a good religious formation. But it is convenient to differentiate well the motivations and the procedures.
– Every human being who lives near us and is loved by God. As a man he is a neighbor. And he is even closer if he is in need of help or understanding.
Evangelical education means getting ahead in the service of others and not waiting for their claim.
– The human heart, to be Christian, must encompass all men. This was the heart of Jesus, who loved everyone and continues to love without exception. But you have to know how to give preference to those closest to you and those most in need. The Christian morality that the Church has promoted has always had as its axis love for those closest to us.
– Love for others cannot only be affective and tolerant, with distant and reverential respect, but it will be authentic if it is practical, selfless and loyal.
Educating the conscience in this way means helping it to grow inwards, but without losing reference to the outside.
It is not easy to achieve this if the subtle distinctions between “brother” and “neighbor”, between “solidarity” and “fraternity”, between “gift” and “alms” multiply. For those who suffer from hunger, the important thing is the food, not the label on the container. There are many theorists of love of neighbor, but the most necessary are those who practice it without subtlety or exorcism.
The Second Vatican Council recalled this duty: “Each one, without exception, must consider his neighbor as another self, taking care first of all of his life and of the means necessary to live it with dignity.” (Gaudium et Spes 27) (See Man 7)
Pedro Chico González, Dictionary of Catechesis and Religious Pedagogy, Editorial Bruño, Lima, Peru 2006
Source: Dictionary of Catechesis and Religious Pedagogy
(-> love). The parable of the Good Samaritan is one of the most significant texts of the Gospels. Less well known is the fact that…