Deuteronomy 6
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1Now this is the commandment, the statutes, and the ordinances, which Yahweh your God commanded to teach you, that you might do them in the land where you go over to possess it; 2that you might fear Yahweh your God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you; you, and your son, and your son’s son, all the days of your life; and that your days may be prolonged. 3Hear therefore, Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with you, and that you may increase mightily, as Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has promised to you, in a land flowing with milk and honey. 4Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God. Yahweh is one. 5You shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. 6These words, which I command you today, shall be on your heart; 7and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8You shall bind them for a sign on your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes. 9You shall write them on the door posts of your house, and on your gates. 10It shall be, when Yahweh your God brings you into the land which he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you, great and goodly cities, which you didn’t build, 11and houses full of all good things, which you didn’t fill, and cisterns dug out, which you didn’t dig, vineyards and olive trees, which you didn’t plant, and you shall eat and be full; 12then beware lest you forget Yahweh, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 13You shall fear Yahweh your God; and you shall serve him, and shall swear by his name. 14You shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the peoples who are around you; 15for Yahweh your God among you is a jealous God; lest the anger of Yahweh your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from off the face of the earth. 16You shall not tempt Yahweh your God, as you tempted him in Massah. 17You shall diligently keep the commandments of Yahweh your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he has commanded you. 18You shall do that which is right and good in Yahweh’s sight; that it may be well with you, and that you may go in and possess the good land which Yahweh swore to your fathers, 19to thrust out all your enemies from before you, as Yahweh has spoken. 20When your son asks you in time to come, saying, “What do the testimonies, the statutes, and the ordinances, which Yahweh our God has commanded you mean?” 21then you shall tell your son, “We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. Yahweh brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand; 22and Yahweh showed great and awesome signs and wonders on Egypt, on Pharaoh, and on all his house, before our eyes; 23and he brought us out from there, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he swore to our fathers. 24Yahweh commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear Yahweh our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as we are today. 25It shall be righteousness to us, if we observe to do all this commandment before Yahweh our God, as he has commanded us.”
World English Bible (public domain)
“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”
Deuteronomy 6:4-5
Summary
Deuteronomy chapter 6 emphasizes the importance of loving and obeying the Lord, who has provided the Israelites with the gift of the Promised Land. The chapter opens with a call to listen to God's commandments and to teach these laws diligently to their children, ensuring that the next generation understands and remembers their covenant with God. This chapter introduces the Shema, a central declaration of Israel's faith, emphasizing that the Lord is one, to be loved with all one's heart, soul, and might. It also warns against forgetting God when they are established in prosperity, reminding them to acknowledge His role in their blessings and their history of deliverance from Egypt. Furthermore, Deuteronomy 6 underscores the centrality of faith in daily life, encouraging the Israelites to integrate their beliefs into everyday practices. They are instructed to bind God's words as signs on their hands and foreheads, and to write them on their doorposts, signifying that faith should permeate every aspect of life. The chapter culminates in a promise that adherence to God's commandments leads to a thriving community in the land flowing with milk and honey, reinforcing the covenant relationship that Israel shares with their God. The theological significance of this chapter lies in its portrayal of love as the foundation of the relationship between God and His people. Obedience is not merely a duty but a response of love and gratitude for God’s faithfulness. The chapter solidifies the understanding that the Israelites are to remain a distinct and holy people, set apart for God's purposes in the world, thus shaping their identity as His chosen ones.
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