Deuteronomy 6

The Great Commandment

¹Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that you might do them in the land that you go over to possess;

²that you might fear the LORD 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 the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised to you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.

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

⁵You shall love the LORD 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.

Warning Against Forgetting God

¹⁰It shall be, when the LORD 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 the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

¹³You shall fear the LORD 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 the LORD your God among you is a jealous God, lest the anger of the LORD your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from off the face of the earth.

¹⁶You shall not tempt the LORD your God, as you tempted him in Massah.

¹⁷You shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he has commanded you.

¹⁸You shall do that which is right and good in the LORD’s sight, that it may be well with you and that you may go in and possess the good land which the LORD swore to your fathers,

¹⁹to thrust out all your enemies from before you, as the LORD has spoken.

Teaching Children

²⁰When your son asks you in time to come, saying, “What do the testimonies, the statutes, and the ordinances, which the LORD our God has commanded you mean?”

²¹then you shall tell your son, “We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. The LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand;

²²and the LORD 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.

²⁴The LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD 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 the LORD our God, as he has commanded us.”

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Next Deuteronomy 7

Deuteronomy 6 presents the foundational command to love God wholeheartedly, beginning with the famous Shema declaration that the LORD is one. Moses instructs Israel to integrate these commandments into daily life through constant teaching and visible reminders, while warning against the spiritual danger of forgetting God once they experience prosperity in the Promised Land. The chapter emphasizes the crucial role of parents in transmitting faith to future generations through storytelling and instruction.

Context

This chapter follows Moses' recounting of the Ten Commandments in chapter 5 and serves as the theological foundation for the detailed laws that follow in chapters 7-26.

Key Themes

Outline

1-3
Introduction to the Commandments Moses introduces the statutes and ordinances for life in the Promised Land, emphasizing obedience for blessing and prosperity.
4-9
The Shema and Great Commandment The declaration of God's unity and the command to love Him completely, with instructions for integrating these truths into daily life.
10-15
Warning Against Prosperity's Temptations Moses warns that future abundance in Canaan could lead to forgetting God and pursuing other deities.
16-19
Call to Faithful Obedience Instructions to avoid testing God and to keep His commandments for continued blessing and victory.
20-25
Teaching Future Generations Guidelines for parents to explain God's laws to their children by recounting the exodus story and God's faithfulness.

The Great Commandment

6:1–6:9

law instruction solemn

The Shema declares God's unity and commands total love for God with heart, soul, and strength. It emphasizes teaching these principles to children and incorporating them into daily life.

quotation_chain

Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:4-5 in both Matthew 22:37 and Mark 12:29, making this the only Old Testament passage cited twice in his "greatest commandment" teaching.

Warning Against Forgetting God

6:10–6:19

law instruction warning

Moses warns against forgetting God when enjoying prosperity in the promised land. He emphasizes exclusive devotion to God and obedience to his commands as the key to continued blessing.

quotation_chain

Jesus quotes verses 13 and 16 from this passage during his wilderness temptation, transforming Moses' warnings about prosperity into weapons against Satan's deceptions.

Teaching Children

6:20–6:25

law instruction contemplative

Moses instructs parents to teach their children about God's commandments by recounting the exodus from Egypt. Obedience to God's laws is presented as righteousness and the key to life.

theme_rarity

Moses uniquely links pedagogical method to historical narrative, making the Exodus story itself the curriculum for transmitting divine commandments across generations.

Insight Quotation Chain

Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:4-5 in both Matthew 22:37 and Mark 12:29, making this the only Old Testament passage cited twice in his "greatest commandment" teaching.

Insight Quotation Chain

Jesus quotes verses 13 and 16 from this passage during his wilderness temptation, transforming Moses' warnings about prosperity into weapons against Satan's deceptions.

Insight Rare Theme

Moses uniquely links pedagogical method to historical narrative, making the Exodus story itself the curriculum for transmitting divine commandments across generations.