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Deuteronomy 6

Deuteronomy 6:5

The Greatest Commandment · Deuteronomy 6:1–19
Read Deuteronomy 6

Translations

Modern
And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Traditional
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
Literal
And you shall love YHWH your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Latin
Diliges Dominum Deum tuum ex toto corde tuo, et ex tota anima tua, et ex tota fortitudine tua.

Original

Hebrew
English
And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

Notes

Deuteronomy 6:5

  • love the LORD: See study note on Joshua 23:11.

  • The words heart … soul … strength represent the mind, will, emotions, spirituality, and physical being. In other words, they refer to all that a person is and can do for God. This commandment is central to God’s covenant with Israel (see Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27).

Deuteronomy 6:4–5

Hear (Hebrew shema‘): The Shema is the basic statement of Israel’s faith. It begins with the call to listen and obey God.

Jesus said that these verses contain the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:34–39; Mark 12:28–31; Luke 10:25–28). Jewish teachers in ancient times and today also honor these words. The rabbi Hillel, who lived in the first century BC, called the Shema the central teaching of the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament). He said that the rest of the Scripture is commentary, meaning explanation of that main idea.

Deuteronomy 6:1–25

Moses here explains how the stipulations in the following sections should be applied and handed on to future generations.

Parallels

Matthew 22:34–40 Mark 12:28–34

Glossary

Amulet Archaeology and the Bible Bible, Manuscripts and Text of the (Old Testament) Biblical Concept of Law Commandments, the Ten Deuteronomy, Book of Frontlet God, Being and Attributes of Joshua, Book of Judaism Love Mezuzah Mind Neighbor Phylactery Shema Soul Synagogue

Topics

Affections: should be Supremely Set Upon God Being a Good Parent Being Content Being Faithful Blessing: Temporal, from God Child Dedication Christian Conduct: Loving God Commandments: General Scriptures Concerning Commitment to Excellence Decision: Exhibited in Loving God Perfectly Devotedness to God: Loving God Duty of Man to God Educating Children Frontlets: A Leather Band Worn on the Forehead, Containing Certain Commandments God: Providence of Heart: Unclassified Scriptures Descriptive of the Seat of the Affections Honoring God Intimacy with God Law: On Frontlets for the Forehead, and Parchment for the Hand Legacy Love of Man for God Love to God with all the Heart Loving God Obedience: Enjoined Phylactery: A Small Box Containing Slips of Parchment on Which There Were Written Portions of the Law Priorities Quotations and Allusions in the New Testament From, and To, the Old Testament Serving Two Masters Spirituality: Defined As Love and Devotion to God Summary of the Law Ten Commandments The Law of Moses: Taught the Jews: To Love and Fear God Unity of God: A Ground for Loving Him Supremely