The World English Bible translates the passage as: But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, The Novum Testamentum Graece text is: ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν, ἀγαπᾶτε τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑμῶν

Luke 6:27. “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. God has not just instructed us to do nothing; he has asked us to fulfill a difficult task.

“Whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.” Loving our enemies and protecting ourselves are not incompatible. Generally, a spiritual path is about ego-transcendence. Thus, our goal would be to try to understand how enemies see the world and why they view it and us the way they do.

Losing Favour With God Solomon slowly deprioritized his relationship and obligations to God in order to appease his many foreign wives and in order to protect the prosperity and longevity of his rule.

When God place confusion in the midst of your enemies…. There is no such thing as impossible when GOD is involved! This was precisely what happened to the enemies of Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20:22.

King Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived and also one of the most foolish. God gifted him with unsurpassed wisdom, which Solomon squandered by disobeying God’s commandments. Some of Solomon’s most famous achievements were his building projects, particularly the temple in Jerusalem.

They thought by making an alliance they would be able to fight with God who was fighting for His children. God confused them such that Joshua and the Israelites defeated and pursued them all together.

“Enemy” is a strong word, and “emotions associated with the enemy would include anger, hatred, frustration, envy, jealousy, fear, distrust, and possibly grudging respect”. As a political concept, an enemy is likely to be met with hate, violence, battle and war. The opposite of an enemy is a friend or ally.

God said to Solomon, “Because you had this in mind, and did not ask for riches, wealth or honor, or the life of those who hate you, nor have you even asked for long life, but you have asked for yourself wisdom and knowledge that you may rule My people over whom I have made you king, wisdom and knowledge have been granted to you.

When Solomon rose to the throne, he sought after God, and God gave him an opportunity to request for whatever he desired. Solomon humbly recognized his inability to rule well and nobly asked God for the wisdom he would need to govern God’s people righteously. God gave him wisdom and also wealth ( 1 Kings 3:4-15 ).

Because of Solomon’s polygamy and lavish lifestyle, his time became more consumed with worldly and idolatrous pursuits. This led to Solomon ignoring the Lord’s directives, which angered God. Therefore, the Lord raised up enemies to attack and take away a large part of the kingdom from Solomon.

1 King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. 2 They were from nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.”