Original Word: πλησίον
Part of Speech: Adverb
Transliteration: plésion
Pronunciation: play-see'-on
Phonetic Spelling: (play-see'-on)
KJV: near, neighbour
NASB: neighbor, near
Word Origin: [neuter of a derivative of pelas (near)]

1. (adverbially) close by
2. (as noun) a neighbor, i.e. fellow (as man, countryman, Christian or friend)

near, neighbor.

Neuter of a derivative of pelas (near); (adverbially) close by; as noun, a neighbor, i.e. Fellow (as man, countryman, Christian or friend) -- near, neighbour.

Word Origin
adverb from plésios; from pelas (near)
Definition
near, neighboring
NASB Translation
near (1), neighbor (16).

STRONGS NT 4139: πλησίον

πλησίον (neuter of the adjective πλησίος, πλησια, πλησίον), adverb, from Homer down, near: with a genitive of place (cf. Winer's Grammar, § 54, 6), John 4:5; with the article, ὁ πλησίον namely, ὤν (cf. Buttmann, § 125, 10; Winers Grammar, 24) (the Sept. very often for רֵעַ ; sometimes for עָמִית), properly, Latinproximus (so Vulg. in the N. T.), a neighbor; i. e.

a. friend: Matthew 5:43.

b. any other person, and where two are concerned the other (thy fellow-man, thy neighbor) i. e., according to the O. T. and Jewish conception, a member of the Hebrew race and commonwealth: Acts 7:27; and Rec. in Hebrews 8:11; according to the teaching of Christ, any other man irrespective of race or religion with whom we live or whom we chance to meet (which idea is clearly brought out in the parable Luke 10:25-37): Matthew 19:19; Matthew 22:39; Mark 12:31, 33; Luke 10:27; Romans 13:9, 10; (); Galatians 5:14; Ephesians 4:25; James 2:8 and L T Tr WH in ; πλησίον εἶναι τίνος, to be near one (one's neighbor), i. e. in a passive sense, worthy to be regarded as a friend and companion, Luke 10:29; actively, to perform the offices of a friend and companion, Luke 10:36; (on the omission of the article in the last two examples see Buttmann, § 129, 11; Winer's Grammar, § 19 at the end).

Meaning and Scope

While πλεσίον designates one who is “near,” New Testament writers employ it primarily to speak of the person who stands before me in the ordinary flow of life, the very one to whom the command to love is immediately directed. The word therefore presses the claim of love upon every encounter, freeing the believer from the temptation to define “neighbor” so narrowly that the command is emptied of force.

Old Testament Foundations

The New Testament uses of πλεσίον assume Leviticus 19:18, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” a command rooted in God’s covenant character and His holiness (Leviticus 19:2). By the first century the phrase had become a recognized summary of the moral law (see Luke 10:27), yet rabbinic debate lingered over who in fact qualified as “neighbor.” Against this backdrop Jesus, Paul, and James reaffirm both the breadth and the depth of the command.

Centrality in the Teaching of Jesus

Jesus couples love for neighbor with wholehearted love for God, declaring the two together to be “the greatest commandments” (Matthew 22:37-39; Mark 12:29-31). He thereby fixes neighbor-love not as a secondary ethic but as an inseparable expression of devotion to God. The citation in Matthew 5:43 exposes a contemporary distortion—“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘hate your enemy.’” Jesus rejects the added clause and calls His disciples to extend love even to persecutors, showing that the boundary of neighbor cannot be drawn at the edge of one’s social or religious comfort.

The Good Samaritan and the Redefinition of Neighbor

Luke records the famous dialogue in which an expert in the law, “desiring to justify himself, asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’” (Luke 10:29). By the parable that follows, Jesus refuses a definition that limits obligation to one’s own circle. Instead, He asks, “Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” (Luke 10:36). The answer, “The one who showed him mercy,” means that the question is not, “Who qualifies to receive my love?” but, “How can I act as a neighbor to the person in need before me?” The Samaritan, despised by Jewish society, becomes the model.

Synoptic Harmony and Summary

Matthew 19:19 places the command within Jesus’ citation of the second tablet of the Decalogue; Mark 12:33 shows a scribe agreeing that to “love one’s neighbor as oneself” is “more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” Throughout the Synoptics, πλεσίον functions as the touchstone by which genuine righteousness is tested.

Johannine Narrative Note

John 4:5 uses πλεσίον in its literal sense—Sychar is “near the parcel of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph.” While non-ethical, the verse illustrates the term’s spatial nuance and reminds readers that physical proximity often sets the stage for redemptive encounters, as with Jesus and the Samaritan woman.

Stephen’s Reminder in Acts

Acts 7:27 recounts how the Israelite who rejected Moses as deliverer struck his “neighbor” and challenged Moses’ authority. Stephen’s retelling underscores Israel’s historical failure to recognize God-given leadership and reveals that neglect of the neighbor is symptomatic of deeper covenant infidelity.

Pauline Theology of the Neighbor

Romans 13:9-10 gathers several commandments and concludes: “Love your neighbor as yourself… therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.” Because love seeks the good of the other, “it does no wrong to its neighbor.” Romans 15:2 applies the principle positively: “Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.” For Paul, neighbor-love is not mere avoidance of harm but active edification. Galatians 5:14 brings the ethic to bear on the life of the Spirit-led community: “The entire law is fulfilled in a single decree: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Liberty from the Mosaic code is not license for selfishness; it is freedom to serve. Ephesians 4:25 grounds truthful speech in Zechariah 8:16: “For we are members of one another,” thus the neighbor is first the fellow believer, yet never only the believer.

James and the Royal Law

James 2:8 calls the command “the royal law according to Scripture.” Showing favoritism violates that law because partiality withholds from one neighbor the honor given to another. James 4:12 warns against judging and speaking evil of a brother: “Who are you to judge your neighbor?” Only God, the one Lawgiver, has the prerogative to save and destroy.

Ecclesial Ethics and Ministry Application

1. Truthful speech: The church is summoned to transparent relationships, for deception fractures the unity of the body (Ephesians 4:25).
2. Edifying action: Romans 15:2 views every interpersonal choice through the lens of building up. Programs, sermons, and personal counsel should be evaluated by the degree to which they pursue the neighbor’s good.
3. Inclusive mercy: The Samaritan example directs congregations to cross ethnic, social, and economic boundaries. Outreach is not an optional add-on but intrinsic to obedience.
4. Conflict resolution: Since the neighbor can be an adversary (Matthew 5:44), peacemaking is an essential expression of love.

Historical Reception in the Early Church

Second-century apologists noted that pagan observers marveled, “See how they love one another.” The practice of caring for the sick during plagues, rescuing exposed infants, and providing burial for strangers all flowed from the conviction that every person encountered is the πλεσίον to whom Christ binds the believer.

Contemporary Discipleship and Pastoral Implications

a. Urban and global mobility multiply opportunities to act as neighbor; love cannot be restricted to homogenous communities.

b. Digital communication extends the range of “proximity,” raising questions of responsible speech and edification in online contexts.

c. Evangelism: The credibility of the gospel is inseparable from demonstrable love (John 13:35); the missionary mandate assumes the neighbor principle on a worldwide scale.

d. Social ethics: Biblical love resists both individualistic isolation and collectivist control, calling believers to personal, voluntary sacrifice for the tangible good of others.

Key Theological Insights

• Neighbor-love is the practical outworking of the imago Dei restored in Christ.
• It fulfills, not abolishes, the moral law, manifesting the righteousness that God requires and enables.
• The command is universally binding yet contextually expressed; it is simple in wording, inexhaustible in application.
• By rooting ethics in relationship, Scripture guards against abstraction; the neighbor is never a theory but a person.

Summary

Strong’s Greek 4139, πλεσίον, gathers within itself the comprehensive duty of love in action. From Moses to Jesus, from Paul to James, the Spirit presses this single word upon the conscience of every believer. The neighbor is whoever lies within the sphere of one’s influence, whether brother or stranger, ally or enemy. To love that neighbor sacrificially is to mirror the character of God, fulfill the law, and adorn the gospel before a watching world.

πλήσιοι πλησιον πλησίον plesion plesíon plēsion plēsíonInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts