Deuteronomy 6: Hear, Israel: love Yahweh with all your heart
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What happens?
Moses tells Israel that these are the commandments Yahweh gave him to teach them, so that they and their children will fear Yahweh and live long in the land. He gives the words "Hear, Israel" and the command to love Yahweh with all their heart, soul, and might, and to keep these words always before them, at home and on the road. He warns them not to forget Yahweh when they are full in a land they did not build, and tells them what to answer when their children ask what the laws mean.
Who is speaking?
Moses speaks to Israel in the whole chapter. In verse 20 he gives the question a son may ask, and in verses 21 to 25 the answer the father is to give. No verse is in gold. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the ordinances, which Yahweh your God commanded to teach you, that you might do them in the land that you go over to possess;
In plain English: These are the commandments, the statutes, and the rules (this Bible: ordinances) that Yahweh your God commanded to teach you, so that you may do them in the land you are crossing over to possess,
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2that you might fear Yahweh 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.
In plain English: so that you may fear Yahweh your God and keep all his statutes and his commandments that I command you: you, your son, and your grandson (literally: your son's son), all the days of your life, and so that your days may be long.
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3Hear therefore, Israel, and observe to do it, that it may be well with you, and that you may increase mightily, as Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has promised to you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.
In plain English: So listen, Israel, and be careful to do it, so that it may go well with you and you may grow very many, as Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.
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4Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God. Yahweh is one.
In plain English: Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God, Yahweh is one (or: Yahweh our God, Yahweh alone).
The Hebrew words: The verse has six Hebrew words: "Hear, Israel, Yahweh, our God, Yahweh, one". Hebrew can leave out the word "is", so the reader has to supply it. "One" is echad, which the dictionary gives as "united, i.e. one".
What changes: Read as "Yahweh is our God, Yahweh is one", the verse says that Yahweh is one. Read as "Yahweh our God, Yahweh alone", it says that Yahweh, and no other god, is Israel's God. The Hebrew allows both, and the text does not settle it.
Church tradition: In Jewish prayer this verse, with the verses after it, is said every morning and evening. It is called the Shema, from its first Hebrew word, "Hear". Jesus quotes it as the first of the commandments in . Jewish readers take "one" to mean that God is one, with no other beside him. Churches that teach the Trinity read "one" as not ruling out Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in one God. The verse itself does not explain the word.
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5You shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.
In plain English: You are to love Yahweh your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.
The Hebrew word: "Might" is me'od, a word that usually means "very" or "greatly". The dictionary gives it as "vehemence". Here it stands on its own: love Yahweh with all your "very much".
How it is translated: This Bible says "very" in 138 of the 278 verses that use me'od. It says "might" in only 2: this verse and . Jesus quotes this verse in and .
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6These words, which I command you today, shall be on your heart;
In plain English: These words that I command you today are to be on your heart.
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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.
In plain English: Teach them carefully (literally: sharpen them, or: repeat them) to your children, and talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
The Hebrew word: "Teach diligently" is shanan, which the dictionary gives as "to point", "to pierce", and "to inculcate" (to teach by repeating).
How it is translated: This Bible says "sharp" or a longer form in 7 of the 9 verses that use shanan. This is the only verse where it says "diligently".
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8You shall bind them for a sign on your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes.
In plain English: Tie them as a sign on your hand, and they are to be as frontlets (bands) between your eyes.
The Hebrew word: "Frontlets" is totafot, which the dictionary gives as "a fillet for the forehead", a band worn on the head. It is in only 3 verses: this one, and , where this Bible says "symbols".
Church tradition: Jewish practice reads verses 8 and 9 as commands to be done: small leather boxes holding these words, called tefillin, are tied on the arm and the head for prayer, and a small case holding them, called a mezuzah (the Hebrew word for "doorpost" in verse 9), is fixed to the doorpost. Others read the verses as a picture of keeping the words always in mind. The text does not say which.
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9You shall write them on the door posts of your house and on your gates.
In plain English: Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
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10It shall be, when Yahweh 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,
In plain English: When Yahweh your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you, with great and good cities that you did not build,
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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;
In plain English: houses full of all good things that you did not fill, cisterns dug out that you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant, and you eat and are full,
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12then beware lest you forget Yahweh, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
In plain English: then be careful that you do not forget Yahweh, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery (this Bible: bondage).
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13You shall fear Yahweh your God; and you shall serve him, and shall swear by his name.
In plain English: Fear Yahweh your God. Serve him, and swear by his name.
Good to know: When Jesus is tested in the wilderness, he answers with words close to these: and .
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14You shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the peoples who are around you,
In plain English: Do not go after other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who are around you,
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15for Yahweh your God among you is a jealous God, lest the anger of Yahweh your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from off the face of the earth.
In plain English: because Yahweh your God, who is among you, is a jealous God. Otherwise the anger of Yahweh your God will burn against you, and he will destroy you from the face of the earth.
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16You shall not tempt Yahweh your God, as you tempted him in Massah.
In plain English: Do not test (this Bible: tempt) Yahweh your God, as you tested him at Massah.
Good to know: Massah sounds like the Hebrew word for "test" (nasah), the word used twice in this verse. tells how the place got its name, when the people tested Yahweh, saying, "Is Yahweh among us, or not?" Jesus quotes the first part of this verse in .
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17You shall diligently keep the commandments of Yahweh your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he has commanded you.
In plain English: Be sure to keep the commandments of Yahweh your God, and his testimonies and his statutes, which he has commanded you.
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18You shall do that which is right and good in Yahweh’s sight, that it may be well with you and that you may go in and possess the good land which Yahweh swore to your fathers,
In plain English: Do what is right and good in Yahweh's eyes, so that it may go well with you, and you may go in and possess the good land that Yahweh swore to your fathers,
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19to thrust out all your enemies from before you, as Yahweh has spoken.
In plain English: and drive out all your enemies from in front of you, as Yahweh has said.
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20When your son asks you in time to come, saying, “What do the testimonies, the statutes, and the ordinances, which Yahweh our God has commanded you mean?”
In plain English: In time to come (literally: tomorrow), when your son asks you, "What do the testimonies, the statutes, and the rules (this Bible: ordinances) mean, which Yahweh our God has commanded you?"
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21then you shall tell your son, “We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt. Yahweh brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand;
In plain English: then tell your son, "We were Pharaoh's slaves in Egypt, and Yahweh brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.
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22and Yahweh showed great and awesome signs and wonders on Egypt, on Pharaoh, and on all his house, before our eyes;
In plain English: Before our eyes Yahweh did great and harmful (this Bible: awesome) signs and wonders on Egypt, on Pharaoh, and on all his household.
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23and he brought us out from there, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he swore to our fathers.
In plain English: He brought us out from there so that he could bring us in and give us the land that he swore to our fathers.
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24Yahweh commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear Yahweh our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as we are today.
In plain English: Yahweh commanded us to do all these statutes and to fear Yahweh our God, for our good always, so that he might keep us alive, as we are today.
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25It shall be righteousness to us, if we observe to do all these commandments before Yahweh our God, as he has commanded us.”
In plain English: It will be righteousness for us if we are careful to do all this commandment before Yahweh our God, as he has commanded us."
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