Deuteronomy 6:4

“Hear, O Israel, etc.] These are the words of Moses, stirring up the people to an attention to what he was about to say of this great and momentous article, the unity of God, to prevent their going into polytheism and idolatry. From one of the words here used, the Jews call this section Kiriathshema, which they oblige themselves to read twice a day, morning and evening f61; the last letter of the first word in this verse, “Shema”, meaning “hear”, and the last letter of the last word in it, “Echad”, meaning “one”, are greater than ordinary; which seems designed to excite the attention to what is contained in this passage: the Lord our God is one Lord; the doctrine of which is, that the Lord,…”

“These words form the beginning of what is termed the “Shema” (“Hear”) in the Jewish Services, and belong to the daily morning and evening office. They may be called “the creed of the Jews.” This weighty text contains far more than a mere declaration of the unity of God as against polytheism; or of the sole authority of the revelation that He had made to Israel as against other pretended manifestations of His will and attributes. It asserts that the Lord God of Israel is absolutely God, and none other. He, and He alone, is Jehovah (Yahweh) the absolute, uncaused God; the One who had, by His election of them, made Himself known to Israel. return to 'Top of Page'”

“6:4-5 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; Mark 12:28-31; Luke 10:25-28), 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 The Lord is our God, the Lord alone: Only God is worthy of worship (5:7).”

“Shema Yisrael, Yehowah, Elohainoo, Yehowah aichod. "Hear, Israel, Jehovah, our God, is one Jehovah." On this passage the Jews lay great stress; and it is one of the four passages which they write on their phylacteries. On the word Elohim, Simeon ben Joachi says: "Come and see the mystery of the word Elohim. There are three degrees, and each degree is by itself alone, and yet they are all one, and joined together in one, and are not divided from each other." the Lord: Deu 4:35, Deu 4:36; Deu 5:6; Kg1 18:21; Kg2 19:5; Ch1 29:10, Isa 42:8; Isa 44:6, Isa 44:8; Isa 45:5, Isa 45:6; Jer 10:10, Jer 10:11; Mar 12:29-32; Joh 17:8; Co1 8:4-6; Ti1 2:5 Deuteronomy 6:5”

“With Deu 6:4 the burden of the law commences, which is not a new law added to the ten commandments, but simply the development and unfolding of the covenant laws and rights enclosed as a germ in the decalogue, simply an exposition of the law, as had already been announced in Deu 1:5. The exposition commences with an explanation and enforcing of the first commandment. There are two things contained in it: (1) that Jehovah is the one absolute God; (2) that He requires love with all the heart, all the soul, and all the strength. "Jehovah our God is one Jehovah." (Note: On the majuscula ע and ד in שׁמע and אחד, R. Bochin has this remark: "It is possible to confess one God with the mouth,…”