Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Summary for Deut 6:4-5: 6:4-5 a Listen (Hebrew shema‘): The Shema is the fundamental statement of Israel’s faith. Jesus described these verses as the greatest of the commandments (Matt 22:34-39 b; Mark 12:28-31 c; Luke 10:25-28 d), a sentiment shared by ancient and modern Judaism. The rabbi Hillel (first century BC) spoke of the Shema as the central theological idea of the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament), calling the rest mere commentary. 6:4 e The Lord is our God, the Lord alone: Only God is worthy of worship (5:7 f).6:5 g love the Lord: See study note on Josh 23:11.
• The words heart, ... soul, and ... strength represent the intellect, the will, the emotions, the spirituality, and the physical being—all that a person is and can do for God. This commandment is the core of God’s covenant with Israel (see Jesus’ comments in Matt 22:37 h; Mark 12:30 i; Luke 10:27 j).
6:7 k Repeat them: The Hebrew verb (shanan) might suggest “engraving” a text into a medium that cannot be obliterated, or it might simply mean “repeat.” Either way, the teaching of the Shema was to be indelibly imparted to children by constant repetition so that it would never be forgotten.
6:8 l Tie them: The Lord’s commandments (6:6 m) were to be as interwoven into the hearts and minds of children as though they were tied to them. Eventually, this figurative phrase in Judaism was practiced literally by wrapping the forearm with cords representing the Torah (see study note on 4:44).
• wear them: This figure of speech was represented literally in later Judaism by a small box containing a few brief Torah texts. The box and its contents (Hebrew tefillin; Greek phylactery) were reminders of the need to teach and obey the covenant (cp. 11:18 n; Matt 23:5 o).
6:9 p Write them on the doorposts: In later Judaism, people placed portions of Deuteronomy in a small metal case (a mezuzah) attached to the doorframes of houses or other buildings. It was customary to touch the mezuzah when passing through the doorway to show respect for and dependence upon the Scripture.
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