Deuteronomy6

Deuteronomy 6 instructs Israel to diligently obey God's commandments upon entering the promised land, emphasizing that this obedience ensures their well-being and prolonged life. Central to this is the command to love the LORD God with all heart, soul, and might, and to teach these precepts to future generations. The chapter warns against forgetting God amidst prosperity and stresses that faithful adherence to His laws is essential for possessing the land.
Listen to this chapter
0:00 0:00

Purpose of the Commandments

1
These are the commandments and statutes and ordinances that the LORD your God has instructed me to teach you to follow in the land that you are about to enter and possess, ​
2
so that you and your children and grandchildren may fear the LORD your God all the days of your lives by keeping all His statutes and commandments that I give you, and so that your days may be prolonged. ​
3
Hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe them, so that you may prosper and multiply greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you.

The Great Commandment (Shema)

4
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One. ​
5
And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ​
6
These words I am commanding you today are to be upon your hearts.
7
And you shall teach them diligently to your children and speak of 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 reminders on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ​
9
Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates.

Warnings Against Forgetfulness

10
And when the LORD your God brings you into the land He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that He would give you—a land with great and splendid cities that you did not build, ​
11
with houses full of every good thing with which you did not fill them, with wells that you did not dig, and with vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant—and when you eat and are satisfied,
12
be careful not to forget the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house 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. Otherwise the anger of the LORD your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth. ​
16
Do not test the LORD your God as you tested Him at Massah. ​
17
You are to diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God and the testimonies and statutes He has given you.
18
Do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, so that it may be well with you and that you may enter and possess the good land that the LORD your God swore to give your fathers,
19
driving out all your enemies before you, as the LORD has said.

Teaching the Next Generation

20
In the future, when your son asks, “What is the meaning of the decrees and statutes and ordinances that the LORD our God has commanded you?” ​
21
then you are to tell him, “We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, but the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. ​
22
Before our eyes the LORD inflicted great and devastating signs and wonders on Egypt, on Pharaoh, and on all his household.
23
But He brought us out from there to lead us in and give us the land that He had sworn to our fathers.
24
And the LORD commanded us to observe all these statutes and to fear the LORD our God, that we may always be prosperous and preserved, as we are to this day. ​
25
And if we are careful to observe every one of these commandments before the LORD our God, as He has commanded us, then that will be our righteousness.” ​

Study Notes for Deuteronomy 6

Verse 1

These verses introduce the goal of the Deuteronomic code: to ensure Israel remembers and executes the covenant requirements upon entering the promised land.

Verse 2

The promise of 'prolonged days' is conditional upon faithful obedience, linking covenant keeping directly to the security and longevity of life in the land.

Verse 4

This verse, known as the Shema (Hebrew for 'Hear'), is the foundational declaration of Israel’s faith, affirming YHWH’s singular identity and exclusive claim on Israel's loyalty ('one LORD').

Verse 5

This is the summary of the entire Law, demanding total, undivided devotion (intellect, emotion, and resources). It is quoted by Jesus as the greatest commandment (Matt 22:37).

Verse 7

The command emphasizes pervasive education; teaching the Law must be integrated into every aspect of daily family life, not limited to formal instruction or ceremony.

Verse 8

These instructions led to the later physical practices of *tefillin* (phylacteries) and *mezuzot*, symbolizing the constant presence and commitment to the Law.

Verse 10

This section shifts focus, warning Israel about the spiritual dangers that accompany success and prosperity in the land they did not earn.

Verse 12

Moses warns against the profound danger of affluence leading to spiritual amnesia, where Israel might forget the source of their blessings and assume self-sufficiency.

Verse 15

God is 'jealous' in the sense that He zealously protects the integrity of the covenant relationship, demanding exclusive loyalty and punishing infidelity (idolatry).

Verse 16

This refers specifically to the incident at Massah (Exod 17:1-7), where the Israelites tested God by demanding proof of His presence and provision.

Verse 20

This passage provides a framework for intergenerational instruction, ensuring that the historical context of the covenant is passed down to future generations.

Verse 21

The foundation of Israel's identity and obedience is always redemption: they were slaves, and God delivered them. The Law is a grateful response to prior grace.

Verse 24

The purpose of the statutes is ultimately for Israel's 'good always,' linking obedience not to burden, but to divine preservation and blessing.

Verse 25

To observe the commands is counted as 'righteousness' (covenant faithfulness). This concept means fulfilling the requirements of the relationship established by God’s grace.

Use ← → arrow keys to navigate
Settings

Reading Style

Typeface

Font Size 19px

Reading Width 45 chars

Options