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Deuteronomy Chapter 6

Old Testament Law (Torah) 25 Verses

What is Deuteronomy 6 about?

Moses' final sermons to Israel before entering Canaan — a renewed covenant and a call to wholehearted devotion. The complete chapter text below provides the immediate literary context for study.

Text — American Standard Version (1901)

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. For original Hebrew/Greek interlinear text, open in BibleWord.ai.
1Now this is the commandment, the statutes, and the ordinances, which Jehovah your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to possess it;
2that thou mightest fear Jehovah thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son`s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.
3Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as Jehovah, the God of thy fathers, hath promised unto thee, in a land flowing with milk and honey.
4Hear, O Israel: Jehovah our God is one Jehovah:
5and thou shalt love Jehovah thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
6And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be upon thy heart;
7and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
8And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand, and they shall be for frontlets between thine eyes.
9And thou shalt write them upon the door-posts of thy house, and upon thy gates.
10And it shall be, when Jehovah thy God shall bring thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee, great and goodly cities, which thou buildest not,
11and houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and cisterns hewn out, which thou hewedst not, vineyards and olive-trees, which thou plantedst not, and thou shalt eat and be full;
12then beware lest thou forget Jehovah, who brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
13Thou shalt fear Jehovah thy God; and him shalt thou serve, and shalt swear by his name.
14Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the peoples that are round about you;
15for Jehovah thy God in the midst of thee is a jealous God; lest the anger of Jehovah thy God be kindled against thee, and he destroy thee from off the face of the earth.
16Ye shall not tempt Jehovah your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.
17Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of Jehovah your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded thee.
18And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of Jehovah; that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which Jehovah sware unto thy fathers,
19to thrust out all thine enemies from before thee, as Jehovah hath spoken.
20When thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the ordinances, which Jehovah our God hath commanded you?
21then thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaoh`s bondmen in Egypt: and Jehovah brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand;
22and Jehovah showed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his house, before our eyes;
23and he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers.
24And Jehovah commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear Jehovah our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as at this day.
25And it shall be righteousness unto us, if we observe to do all this commandment before Jehovah our God, as he hath commanded us.
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What do historical commentaries say about this chapter?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · on verse 1
“Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, etc.] Not the ten commandments repeated in the preceding chapter, but all others, whether moral, ceremonial, or judicial, afterwards declared; for what Moses now did was only to give a repetition and fresh declaration of such laws as he had before received, and delivered to the people; and so the Targum of Jonathan thus paraphrases this clause, “this is a declaration of the commandments, statutes, and judgments:” which the Lord your God commanded to teach you; that is, which he commanded him, Moses, to teach them, though not fully expressed, as may…”
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Jamieson, Fausset & Brown
Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown · Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible · on verse 1
“MOSES EXHORTS ISRAEL TO HEAR GOD AND TO KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS. (Deu. 6:1-25) Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the Lord your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them . . . whither ye go to possess it--The grand design of all the institutions prescribed to Israel was to form a religious people, whose national character should be distinguished by that fear of the Lord their God which would ensure their divine observance of His worship and their steadfast obedience to His will. The basis of their religion was an acknowledgment of the unity of God with the understanding…”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · on verse 1
“Moses proceeds to set forth more particularly and to enforce the cardinal and essential doctrines of the Decalogue, the nature and attributes of God, and the fitting mode of honoring and worshipping Him. Two objects are indicated Deuteronomy 6:2-3, the glory of God and the welfare of man, as the grand aims that he has in view. return to 'Top of Page'”
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Wesley's Explanatory Notes
John Wesley (1703–1791) · Explanatory Notes upon the New Testament and Old Testament notes · on verse 5
“And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart - And is this only an external commandment? Can any then say, that the Sinai - covenant was merely external? With all thy heart - With an entire love. He is One; therefore our hearts must be united in his love. And the whole stream of our affections must run toward Him. O that this love of God may be shed abroad in our hearts. Deuteronomy 6:7”
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Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · on verse 1
“6:1-25 Moses here explains how the stipulations in the following sections should be applied and handed on to future generations. 6:1 Moses added commands to decrees and regulations, the usual formula for covenant stipulations (see 4:1; 5:1); commands is a general term for the whole body of instruction.”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · on verse 1
“the commandments: Deu 4:1, Deu 4:5, Deu 4:14, Deu 4:45; Deu 5:31; Deu 12:1; Lev 27:34; Num 36:13; Eze 37:24 go to possess it: Heb. pass over. Deuteronomy 6:2”
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Keil & Delitzsch
C. F. Keil & F. Delitzsch · Commentary on the Old Testament · on verse 1
“Announcement of the commandments which follow, with a statement of the reason for communicating them, and the beneficent results of their observance. המּצוה, that which is commanded, i.e., the substance of all that Jehovah had commanded, synonymous therefore with the Thorah ( Deu 4:44). The words, "the statutes and the rights," are explanatory of and in apposition to "the commandment." These commandments Moses was to teach the Israelites to keep in the land which they were preparing to possess (cf. Deu 4:1). Deu 6:2 The reason for communicating the law was to awaken the fear of God (cf. Deu 4:10; Deu 5:26), and,…”
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