The Bible — World English Bible
Deuteronomy 6
In brief
Deuteronomy 6 contains the Shema, “Hear, Israel,” the central declaration of Israel's faith. On the threshold of the Promised Land, Moses reminds the Israelites that Yahweh is the only God and that he must be loved with all the heart, all the soul and all the might. This love is taught to children at home, in daily life, and is kept in times of plenty by not forgetting the one who delivered the people from Egypt. The chapter warns against other gods and explains to children the meaning of these laws through the story of the deliverance.
The chapter in 4 parts
1Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances, which Yahweh your God commanded to teach you, that you might do them in the land that you go over to possess;
2that you might fear Yahweh your God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you—you, 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 these commandments before Yahweh our God, as he has commanded us.”
Key verses
Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God. Yahweh is one.
This is the opening of the Shema, a prayer recited every day by devout Jews. It affirms that Yahweh is one and unique: no other god shares his place.
You shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.
Jesus quotes this verse as the greatest commandment. The love required is not a mere feeling: it engages the whole person, the affections, the will and the strength.
These words, which I command you today, shall be on your heart; and 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.
Faith is not passed on only during a religious moment. Parents talk about it at home, on the road, in the evening and in the morning: God's word is part of ordinary life.
then beware lest you forget Yahweh, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
The real danger is plenty: when we eat our fill, in houses we did not build, we can forget the one who gave everything. Moses invites the people to remember Egypt and the deliverance.
for 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.
God is called “jealous”: the word describes an exclusive love, like that of a spouse, and not petty jealousy. It expresses that God does not share the covenant relationship with other gods.
Bible verses to meditate on
Test your knowledge
Pray about this
What the sermons say
Frequently asked questions about Deuteronomy 6
What is the Shema Israel?
The Shema, from the first Hebrew word meaning “hear,” is the central prayer of Judaism, taken from Deuteronomy 6:4 to 9. It begins with the statement that Yahweh is the only God and calls us to love him with all our heart, all our soul and all our might. It is traditionally recited morning and evening. Jesus takes it up as the first of the commandments.
What does with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your might mean?
The three expressions state the same demand: to love God without reserve. The heart refers to the seat of the will and the affections, the soul to the very life of the person, the might to all of their abilities. When Jesus quotes the text, he adds the mind. The love required therefore engages the whole person, not just a religious emotion.
Why is God called “jealous” in Deuteronomy 6:15?
The word does not describe a petty jealousy, but the exclusive love of a covenant, comparable to that of a marriage. God delivered his people and asks for undivided faithfulness. The passage is read in this light: following other gods amounts to breaking the covenant, which is why the text speaks so gravely of this unfaithfulness.
How do you pass your faith on to your children according to Deuteronomy 6?
The text gives a simple method: let God's word be in the parents' hearts, then talk about it with their children at home, on the road, when lying down and when rising up. When the child asks the meaning of the laws, we tell the story of the deliverance from Egypt. Passing it on happens through story and daily life more than through a lesson.
Articles quoting Deuteronomy 6
- 20 Bible Verses for Shichi-Go-San: Thanking God for Your Child's Growth
- 20 Bible Verses for Mothers: Strength and Encouragement for Every Season
- Ezra 2: How God Preserves His People
- Halloween Is Not a Holiday for Children
- Deuteronomy 6: A People Who Listen to God Together
- Matthew 7: What Are You Building Your Life On?
World English Bible translation — public domain.