Deuteronomy 6:5

5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

Deuteronomy 6:5 in Other Translations

5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.

5 And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.

5 Love God, your God, with your whole heart: love him with all that's in you, love him with all you've got!

5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.

Deuteronomy 6:5 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 6:5

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God
Which is the first and chief commandment in the law, the sum and substance of the first table of it; and includes in it, or at least has connected with it, knowledge of God, esteem of him, delight in him, faith and trust in him, fear and worship of him, and obedience to him, which when right springs from it. God is to be loved because of the perfections of his nature, and the works of his hand, of nature, providence, and grace; and because of the relations he stands in to men, and especially to his own people; and because of his peculiar love to them; and, indeed, he is to be loved by all men for his care of them, and blessings of goodness bestowed on them; the manner in which this is to be done follows:

with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might;
with a superlative love, above all creatures whatever; with the whole of the affections of the heart, with great fervency and ardour of spirit, in the sincerity of the soul, and with all the strength of grace a man has, with such love that is as strong as death. Jarchi interprets loving God with all the heart, that is, with thy heart not divided about God, a heart not divided between God and the creature; "all thy might" he interprets of mammon or substance; and, indeed, that is one way in which men may show their love to God, by laying out their substance in his service, and for the support of his cause and interest in the world. Aben Ezra by "the heart" understands knowledge, and by the "soul" the spirit of man that is in his body, and by might perfect love in the heart.

Deuteronomy 6:5 In-Context

3 Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your ancestors, promised you.

4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.

5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.

7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Cross References

• 1. Deuteronomy 11:1,22; Matthew 22:37*; Mark 12:30*; Luke 10:27*
• 2. 1 Samuel 12:24
• 3. Deuteronomy 4:29; Deuteronomy 10:12; Joshua 22:5