Deuteronomy 6:1-15

Love the LORD Your God

1 These are the commands, decrees and laws the LORD your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess,

2 so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life.

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.^[a]

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.

8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.

9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

10 When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build,

11 houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant—then when you eat and are satisfied,

12 be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

13 Fear the LORD your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name.

14 Do not follow other gods, the gods of the peoples around you;

15 for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a jealous God and his anger will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the land.

Deuteronomy 6:1-15 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 6

In this chapter Moses proceeds on in his exhortations to the people of Israel, to attend to the commandments of God, that it might be well with them, De 6:1-3, and begins with a principal and fundamental article of religion, which deserved their first and chief regard, the unity of God, and the love of him, De 6:4,5, which they were carefully to instinct their children in, and ever to be mindful of themselves, De 6:6-9, and when they were come into the land of Canaan, and into a plentiful enjoyment of all good things in it, they are exhorted to be careful not to forget the Lord, their kind benefactor; but to fear him, serve him, and not go after other gods, since he is jealous of his honour and worship, De 6:10-15 and not to tempt him, as they had done, but diligently keep, his commandments, that it might be well with them in that land, De 6:16-19, and when their children inquired the reason and meaning of such testimonies, statutes, and judgments, that were enjoined them, they were to give them the history of their case in Egypt, their deliverance from thence, the wonders that were wrought for them, and the introduction of them into the good land of Canaan; and to let them know that these commands were some of them in commemoration of these blessings; and by these they were laid under obligation to regard them all, and the rather, since they were not only for the glory of God, but for their own good, De 6:20-25.

Cross References

• 1. S Exodus 20:20; Deuteronomy 10:12-13; S 1 Samuel 12:24
• 2. Deuteronomy 4:9
• 3. S Genesis 26:5
• 4. S Exodus 20:12
• 5. S Exodus 19:5
• 6. Genesis 15:5; Deuteronomy 5:33
• 7. S Exodus 3:8; Deuteronomy 32:13-14
• 8. Exodus 13:5
• 9. Deuteronomy 4:35,39; Nehemiah 9:6; Psalms 86:10; Isaiah 44:6; Zechariah 14:9; Mark 12:29*; John 10:30; 1 Corinthians 8:4; Ephesians 4:6; James 2:19
• 10. Deuteronomy 11:1,22; Matthew 22:37*; Mark 12:30*; Luke 10:27*
• 11. 1 Samuel 12:24
• 12. Deuteronomy 4:29; Deuteronomy 10:12; Joshua 22:5
• 13. ver 8; Deuteronomy 11:18; Deuteronomy 30:14; Deuteronomy 32:46; Psalms 26:2; Psalms 37:31; Psalms 40:8; Psalms 119:11; Proverbs 3:3; Isaiah 51:7; Jeremiah 17:1; Jeremiah 31:33; Ezekiel 40:4
• 14. Deuteronomy 4:9; Deuteronomy 11:19; Proverbs 22:6; Ephesians 6:4
• 15. S ver 6; S Exodus 13:9; Matthew 23:5; Exodus 13:9,16; Deuteronomy 11:18
• 16. Deuteronomy 11:20
• 17. S Genesis 11:4; Deuteronomy 12:29; Deuteronomy 19:1; Joshua 24:13; Psalms 105:44
• 18. Jeremiah 2:13
• 19. S Leviticus 26:5; Deuteronomy 8:10; Deuteronomy 14:29; Deuteronomy 31:20
• 20. Deuteronomy 4:9,23; 2 Kings 17:38; Psalms 44:17; Psalms 78:7; Psalms 103:2
• 21. Psalms 33:8; Psalms 34:9; Deuteronomy 10:20
• 22. Deuteronomy 13:4; 1 Samuel 7:3; Jeremiah 44:10; Matthew 4:10*; Luke 4:4*; Luke 4:8*
• 23. 1 Samuel 20:3
• 24. S Exodus 20:7; S Matthew 5:33
• 25. Deuteronomy 4:24; Deuteronomy 5:9

Footnotes

• [a] Or "The " Lord"our God is one " Lord; or "The " Lord"is our God, the " Lord"is one" ; or "The " Lord"is our God, the " Lord"alone"