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Deuteronomy Chapter Six                            

 

Deuteronomy 6 Outlines

The Greatest Commandment (v.1~9)

Caution Against Disobedience (v.10~25)

New King James Version (NKJV)

 

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 6

In this chapter Moses proceeds on in his exhortations to the people of Israel to attend to the commandments of God that it might be well with them Deuteronomy 6:1 and begins with a principal and fundamental article of religion which deserved their first and chief regard the unity of God and the love of him Deuteronomy 6:4 which they were carefully to instinct their children in and ever to be mindful of themselves Deuteronomy 6:6 and when they were come into the land of Canaan and into a plentiful enjoyment of all good things in it they are exhorted to be careful not to forget the Lord their kind benefactor; but to fear him serve him and not go after other gods since he is jealous of his honour and worship Deuteronomy 6:10 and not to tempt him as they had done but diligently keep his commandments that it might be well with them in that land Deuteronomy 6:16 and when their children inquired the reason and meaning of such testimonies statutes and judgments that were enjoined them they were to give them the history of their case in Egypt their deliverance from thence the wonders that were wrought for them and the introduction of them into the good land of Canaan; and to let them know that these commands were some of them in commemoration of these blessings; and by these they were laid under obligation to regard them all and the rather since they were not only for the glory of God but for their own good Deuteronomy 6:20.

 

Deuteronomy 6:1   “Now this is the commandment and these are the statutes and judgments which the Lord your God has commanded to teach you that you may observe them in the land which you are crossing over to possess

   YLT  1`And this [is] the command the statutes and the judgments which Jehovah your God hath commanded to teach you to do in the land which ye are passing over thither to possess it

Now these are the commandments the statutes and the judgments .... 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 be learned from Deuteronomy 4:1.

that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it; this is often observed to imprint upon their minds a sense of their duty even of obedience to the laws of God which they were carefully and diligently to perform in the land of Canaan they were going into and by which they were to hold their possession of it.

 

Deuteronomy 6:2   2 that you may fear the Lord your God to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you you and your son and your grandson all the days of your life and that your days may be prolonged.

   YLT  2so that thou dost fear Jehovah thy God to keep all His statutes and His commands which I am commanding thee thou and thy son and thy son's son all days of thy life and so that thy days are prolonged.

That thou mightest fear the Lord thy God .... Being taught to know the greatness of his being and the nature of his mind and will and the manner of his worship; and not with a slavish fear but with a filial one a reverential affection for God; being instructed in their duty as of children to their God and Father; see Deuteronomy 5:29.

to keep all his statutes and his commandments which I command thee; not in his own name but in the name and by the authority of God whose minister and messenger he was; and all having the stamp of divine authority on them were to be observed and kept and not one to be neglected or departed from:

thou and thy son and thy son's son all the days of thy life; a man and his children and grandchildren; he was to take care that they kept all the commandments of the Lord as long as he lived and had any concern with them:

and that thy days may be prolonged; long life being reckoned a very great outward mercy; a long enjoyment of and continuance in the land of Canaan is chiefly designed which is usually expressed when this is observed; see Deuteronomy 4:26.

 

Deuteronomy 6:3   3 Therefore hear O Israel and be careful to observe it that it may be well with you and that you may multiply greatly as the Lord God of your fathers has promised you—‘a land flowing with milk and honey.’[a]

   YLT  3`And thou hast heard O Israel and observed to do that it may be well with thee and that thou mayest multiply exceedingly as Jehovah God of thy fathers hath spoken to thee [in] the land flowing with milk and honey.

Hear therefore O Israel and observe to do it .... Or them the commandments given them:

that it may be well with thee; in body and estate:

and that ye may increase mightily; not only in wealth and riches but chiefly in numbers:

as the Lord God of thy fathers hath promised thee; a promise of increase of numbers was frequently made to Abraham Isaac and Jacob; as that their seed should be as the stars of heaven and as the dust of the earth and the sand on the sea shore innumerable; see Genesis 15:5 and this especially

in the land that floweth with milk and honey; a very common periphrasis of the land of Canaan because of the plenty of good things in it; see Exodus 3:8.

 

Deuteronomy 6:4   4 “Hear O Israel: The Lord our God the Lord is one![b]

   YLT  4`Hear O Israel Jehovah our God [is] one Jehovah;

Hear O Israel .... 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 eveningF14Mist. Beracot c. 1. sect. 1 2. ; 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 who was the covenant God and Father of his people Israel is but one Jehovah; he is Jehovah the Being of beings a self-existent Being eternal and immutable; and he is but one in nature and essence; this appears from the perfection of his nature his eternity omnipotence omnipresence infinity goodness self-sufficiency and perfection; for there can be but one eternal one omnipotent one omnipresent one infinite one that is originally and of himself good; one self and all sufficient and perfect Being; and which also may be concluded from his being the first cause of all things which can be but one; and from his relations to his creatures as their King ruler governor and lawgiver. And for this purpose these words are cited in Mark 12:29 but then they no ways contradict the doctrine of a trinity of persons in the unity of the divine essence the Father Word and Holy Spirit which three are one; the one God the one Jehovah as here expressed; see 1 John 5:7 and so the ancient Jews understood this passage. In an ancient book of theirs it is saidF15Zohar in Gen. fol. 1 3. Jehovah Elohenu Jehovah (i.e. Jehovah our God Jehovah); these are the three degrees with respect to this sublime mystery; "in the beginning God (Elohim) created the heavens and the earth"; and againF16Ib. in Exod. fol. 18. 3 4. Jehovah Elohenu Jehovah they are one; the three forms (modes or things) which are one; and elsewhereF17Ib. in Numb. fol. 67. 3. it is observed there are two and one is joined to them and they are three; and when the three are one he says to (or of) them these are the two names which Israel heard Jehovah Jehovah and Elohenu (our God) is joined unto them; and it is the seal of the ring of truth and when they are joined they are one in one unity; which is illustrated by the three names the soul of man is called by the soul spirit and breath; and elsewhere they sayF18Tikkune Zohar Correct. 47. fol. 86. 2. the holy blessed God and his Shechinah are called one; see John 10:30.

 

Deuteronomy 6:5   5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your strength.

   YLT  5and thou hast loved Jehovah thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God .... Which is the first and chief commandment in the law the sum and substance of the first table of it; and includes in it or at least has connected with it knowledge of God esteem of him delight in him faith and trust in him fear and worship of him and obedience to him which when right springs from it. God is to be loved because of the perfections of his nature and the works of his hand of nature providence and grace; and because of the relations he stands in to men and especially to his own people; and because of his peculiar love to them; and indeed he is to be loved by all men for his care of them and blessings of goodness bestowed on them; the manner in which this is to be done follows:

with all thine heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might; with a superlative love above all creatures whatever; with the whole of the affections of the heart with great fervency and ardour of spirit in the sincerity of the soul and with all the strength of grace a man has with such love that is as strong as death. Jarchi interprets loving God with all the heart that is with thy heart not divided about God a heart not divided between God and the creature; "all thy might" he interprets of mammon or substance; and indeed that is one way in which men may show their love to God by laying out their substance in his service and for the support of his cause and interest in the world. Aben Ezra by "the heart" understands knowledge and by the "soul" the spirit of man that is in his body and by might perfect love in the heart.

 

Deuteronomy 6:6   6 “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.

   YLT  6and these words which I am commanding thee to-day have been on thine heart

And these words which I command thee this day .... To hearken to observe and take notice of that God is one and is to be loved in the strongest manner that possibly can be:

shall be in thine heart; on the table of the heart as the Targum of Jonathan; see 2 Corinthians 3:3 be cordially received have a place in the affections of the heart and be retained in mind and memory.

 

Deuteronomy 6:7   7 You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house when you walk by the way when you lie down and when you rise up.

   YLT  7and thou hast repeated them to thy sons and spoken of them in thy sitting in thine house and in thy walking in the way and in thy lying down and in thy rising up

And thou shall teach them diligently unto thy children .... Care and diligence are to be used and pains taken to instruct children as soon as they are capable in the knowledge of God and of his commandments; that they are to love him fear him serve and worship him; this is to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord Ephesians 6:4 it may be rendered "thou shalt whet or sharpen them"F19ושננ־תאם "et acues ea" Vatablus Piscator. the words or commandments; it is expressive of diligence and industry in teaching by frequent repetition of things by inculcating them continually into their minds endeavouring to imprint them there that they may be sharp ready and expert in them:

and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house; at the time of meals or at leisure hours or even when employed in any business in the house which will admit of it; every opportunity should be taken to instil the knowledge of divine things into their tender minds:

and when thou walkest by the way; in a journey and any of his children with him; or for diversion in the garden field or vineyard; occasion may be taken on sight of any of the works of creation to lead into a discourse concerning God his nature perfections and works and the obligations his creatures lie under to love fear and serve him: and when thou liest down and when thou risest up; at the time of going to bed and rising from it; which as they are seasons of prayer to God may be improved in instruction of children.

 

Deuteronomy 6:8   8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.

   YLT  8and hast bound them for a sign upon thy hand and they have been for frontlets between thine eyes

And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand .... As a man ties anything to his hand for a token that he may remember somewhat he is desirous of; though the Jews understand this literally of binding a scroll of parchment with this section and others written in it upon their left hand as the Targum of Jonathan here interprets the hand:

and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes; and which the same Targum interprets of the Tephilim or phylacteries which the Jews wear upon their foreheads and on their arms and so Jarchi; of which See Gill on Matthew 23:5.

 

Deuteronomy 6:9   9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

   YLT  9and thou hast written them on door-posts of thy house and on thy gates.

And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thine house and on thy gates. To put them in mind of them when they went out and came in that they might be careful to observe them; this the Jews take literally also and write in a scroll of parchment this section with some passages; and as the Targum of Jonathan here fix them in three places over against the bed chamber upon the posts of the house and on the gate at the right hand of it; and this is what they call the Mezuzah; and the account given of it is this. In a parchment prepared for the purpose they write the words in Deuteronomy 6:4 and then roll up the parchment and write on it "Shaddai"; and put it either into a cane (or reed) or else into a like hollow piece of wood and so fasten it to the wall on the posts of the door at the right hand of entrance; and thus as often as they go in and out they make it a part of their devotion to touch this parchment and kiss itF20Buxtorf. Synag. Jud. c. 31. p. 582 &c. Leo Modena's History of the Rites and Customs of the Jews par. 1. c. 2. p. 5 6. .

 

Deuteronomy 6:10   10 “So it shall be when the Lord your God brings you into the land of which He swore to your fathers to Abraham Isaac and Jacob to give you large and beautiful cities which you did not build

   YLT  10`And it hath been when Jehovah thy God doth bring thee in unto the land which He hath sworn to thy fathers to Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob to give to thee -- cities great and good which thou hast not built

And it shall be when the Lord thy God shall have brought thee into the land .... The land of Canaan on the borders of which they now were and were just going into:

which he sware unto thy fathers to Abraham to Isaac and to Jacob to give thee; of his own free favour and good will without any merit and desert of theirs and in which would be found

great and goodly cities which thou buildedst not; large and capacious delightfully situated well built and strongly fortified without any pains or expense of theirs; all ready for them to take possession of and dwell in; and so should no longer reside in tents or booths as they had for forty years past but in spacious and noble cities.

 

Deuteronomy 6:11   11 houses full of all good things which you did not fill hewn-out wells which you did not dig vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant—when you have eaten and are full—

   YLT  11and houses full of all good things which thou hast not filled and wells digged which thou hast not digged vineyards and olive-yards which thou hast not planted and thou hast eaten and been satisfied;

And houses full of all good things which thou filledst not .... Not only full of good convenient and rich household furniture but of the fruits of the earth of corn and wine and oil and also perhaps of gold and silver:

and wells digged which thou diggedst not; which in those hot and dry countries were in much esteem and of great worth; see Genesis 26:18

vineyards and olive trees which thou plantedst not; which Canaan abounded with much more than Egypt where there were but few vines and olive trees though of both these there were more where the Israelites lived than elsewhere; See Gill on Genesis 47:11 and these therefore might be such as they had seen in Egypt in that part of it in which they dwelt Goshen which was in the Heracleotic nome and that StraboF21Geograph. l. 17. p. 556. says only produced perfect olives and fruit bearing trees but the rest of Egypt wanted oil; and this home is the same which the Arabs now call the province of Fium of which Leo AfricanusF23Descriptio Africae l. 8. p. 722. says it produces a large quantity of olives; so that this might be observed for the encouragement of the Israelites:

when thou shalt have eaten and be full; having such plenty of good things the land would furnish them with.

 

Deuteronomy 6:12   12 then beware lest you forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt from the house of bondage.

   YLT  12`Take heed to thyself lest thou forget Jehovah who hath brought thee out of the land of Egypt out of a house of servants;

Then beware lest thou forget the Lord .... To love fear and worship him and keep his commands; creature enjoyments being apt to get possession of the heart and the affections of it; Proverbs 30:9.

which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondage; into a land abounding with all the above good things and therefore under the highest obligations to remember the Lord and his kindnesses and to serve and glorify him: Exodus 20:2.

 

Deuteronomy 6:13   13 You shall fear the Lord your God and serve Him and shall take oaths in His name.

   YLT  13Jehovah thy God thou dost fear and Him thou dost serve and by His name thou dost swear;

Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God and serve him .... Serve him through fear; not through slavish fear a fear of hell and damnation; but through filial fear a reverential affection for that God that had brought them out of a state of bondage into great and glorious liberty out of Egypt into Canaan's land out of a place of misery into a land of plenty; and therefore should fear the Lord and his goodness and from such a fear of him serve him in every part of worship public and private enjoined; this passage Christ refers to Matthew 4:10.

and shalt swear by his name; when they made a covenant with any or were called to bear a testimony for the decision of any controversy which could not be otherwise finished; or whenever they took an oath on any account which should never be taken rashly or on any trivial account and much less falsely; it should be taken not in the name of any idol or of any other but the true and living God; the Targum of Jonathan is "in the name of the Word of the Lord in truth ye shall swear.'

 

Deuteronomy 6:14   14 You shall not go after other gods the gods of the peoples who are all around you

   YLT  14ye do not go after other gods of the gods of the peoples who [are] round about you;

Ye shall not go after other gods .... To serve and worship them and swear by them; and which indeed are no gods only nominal and fictitious ones; idols which are nothing in the world and ought to have no veneration and adoration given them; to go after them is to worship them and this is to depart from the true God and go a whoring after false deities:

of the gods of the people which are round about you; the gods of the Edomites Ammonites Moabites Philistines and Egyptians; all of which had their peculiar deities.

 

Deuteronomy 6:15   15 (for the Lord your God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the Lord your God be aroused against you and destroy you from the face of the earth.

   YLT  15for a zealous God [is] Jehovah thy God in thy midst -- lest the anger of Jehovah thy God burn against thee and He hath destroyed thee from off the face of the ground.

For the Lord thy God is a jealous God among you .... He was near to them in the midst of them his tabernacle being placed between their camps; and was a God jealous of his honour and glory in matters of worship and would resent any affront given him in that way:

lest the anger of the Lord thy God be kindled against thee; there being nothing more apt to stir up his wrath than idolatry:

and destroy thee from off the face of the earth; suffer them to be carried captive out of their own land and to be scattered among the nations of the world and be utterly destroyed.

 

Deuteronomy 6:16   16 “You shall not tempt the Lord your God as you tempted Him in Massah.

   YLT  16`Ye do not try Jehovah your God as ye tried in Massah;

Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God .... By striving with him or against him by murmuring at or complaining of his providential dealings with them or by requiring a sign of him or miracles to be done by him; this is another passage used by Christ to repel the temptations of Satan Matthew 4:7

as tempted him in Massah; a place so called from the Israelites tempting the Lord there Exodus 17:7 the Targum of Jonathan adds with ten temptations; see Numbers 14:21.

 

Deuteronomy 6:17   17 You shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God His testimonies and His statutes which He has commanded you.

   YLT  17ye do diligently keep the commands of Jehovah your God and His testimonies and His statutes which He hath commanded thee

You shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God .... Not only the ten commands but all others:

and his testimonies and his statutes which he hath commanded thee; those of a judicial and ceremonial kind.

 

Deuteronomy 6:18   18 And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord that it may be well with you and that you may go in and possess the good land of which the Lord swore to your fathers

   YLT  18and thou hast done that which is right and good in the eyes of Jehovah so that it is well with thee and thou hast gone in and possessed the good land which Jehovah hath sworn to thy fathers

And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the Lord .... And what is such appears from the declaration of his mind and will in the commandments he has given and obeying which is therefore doing what is right and good; for his commandment is holy just and good being agreeable both to his nature and will Romans 7:12 that it may be well with thee; as it is with those that fear God and keep his commandments:

and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers; to give to them and to their posterity even the land of Canaan; but if they did not what was right and good in the sight of God they might expect to be kept out of it as their immediate parents were whose carcasses fell in the wilderness.

 

Deuteronomy 6:19   19 to cast out all your enemies from before you as the Lord has spoken.

   YLT  19to drive away all thine enemies from thy presence as Jehovah hath spoken.

To cast out all thine enemies from before thee .... This the Lord promised and as it seems with an oath that he would do for them; drive out their enemies and make way for the settlement of them in their country:

as the Lord hath spoken; see Genesis 15:18.

 

Deuteronomy 6:20   20 “When your son asks you in time to come saying ‘What is the meaning of the testimonies the statutes and the judgments which the Lord our God has commanded you?’

   YLT  20`When thy son asketh thee hereafter saying What [are] the testimonies and the statutes and the judgments which Jehovah our God hath commanded you?

And when thy son asketh thee in time to come .... Or "tomorrow"F24מחר "cras" V. L. Pagninus Montanus. ; that is in later times as Jarchi interprets it; any time after this and particularly after they were come into the land of Canaan when the several laws statutes and ordinances appointed would take place and be obeyed:

what mean the testimonies and the statutes and the judgments which the Lord our God hath commanded you? what is the reason of the various rites customs and usages the observance of which is directed to such as the feasts of passover pentecost tabernacles sacrifices and other duties of religion?

 

Deuteronomy 6:21   21 then you shall say to your son: ‘We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand;

   YLT  21then thou hast said to thy son Servants we have been to Pharaoh in Egypt and Jehovah bringeth us out of Egypt by a high hand;

In order to lead him into the spring and original of them and to acquaint him with the goodness of God which laid them under obligation to observe them:

we were Pharaoh's bondmen in Egypt; were brought into bondage and slavery to Pharaoh king of Egypt into whose country their ancestors came and where they resided many years and at length were reduced to the utmost servitude and misery:

and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand; by the exertion of his mighty power which the Egyptians and their king could not withstand as a token of his care and kindness to us; by the ties of which we are bound in gratitude to observe his commands. The Targum of Jonathan is "the Word of the Lord brought us &c.'and it was Christ the Son of God that was from first to last concerned in that affair even from the appearance to Moses in the bush to Israel's coming out of Egypt.

 

Deuteronomy 6:22   22 and the Lord showed signs and wonders before our eyes great and severe against Egypt Pharaoh and all his household.

   YLT  22and Jehovah giveth signs and wonders great and sad on Egypt on Pharaoh and on all his house before our eyes;

And the Lord showed signs and wonders great and sore .... Meaning the ten plagues which were signs of the power of God marvellous works great above the power of nature and very sore or "evil"F25ורעים "et pessima" V. L. Junius & Tremellius; "et noxia" Tigurine version; "et mala" Pagninus Montanus Piscator. ; very distressing to the Egyptians; for they came and lay heavy

upon Egypt upon Pharaoh and upon all his household before our eyes; upon the king his courtiers and the whole land and which were done publicly in the sight of the people of Israel as well as the Egyptians; and there were some then living though at that time when wrought under twenty years who saw with their own eyes what were done to them and could never forget them. Here also the Targum of Jonathan has it "and the Word of the Lord sent signs &c'

 

Deuteronomy 6:23   23 Then He brought us out from there that He might bring us in to give us the land of which He swore to our fathers.

   YLT  23and us He hath brought out thence in order to bring us in to give to us the land which He had sworn to our fathers.

And he brought us out from thence .... By means of those miraculous plagues even out of a state of bondage and misery: and in order

that he might bring us in to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers; to bring them into the land of Canaan give it to them and put them in the possession of it; and so fulfil his promise and his oath made to Abraham Isaac and Jacob.

 

Deuteronomy 6:24   24 And the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes to fear the Lord our God for our good always that He might preserve us alive as it is this day.

   YLT  24And Jehovah commandeth us to do all these statutes to fear Jehovah our God for good to ourselves all the days to keep us alive as [at] this day;

And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes .... Some of which were designed on purpose to commemorate the wonderful deliverance out of Egypt as particularly the passover; and all of them they were obliged in gratitude to obey in consideration of such great favours bestowed upon them:

to fear the Lord our God for our good always: as it is always for the good of men temporal spiritual and eternal to fear the Lord; for there is no want to them that fear him nor will the Lord withhold good things from them; see Psalm 34:9

that he might preserve us alive as it is at this day; in bodily health and strength and in the enjoyment of the good land and all the blessings and benefits of it.

 

Deuteronomy 6:25   25 Then it will be righteousness for us if we are careful to observe all these commandments before the Lord our God as He has commanded us.’

   YLT  25and righteousness it is for us when we observe to do all this command before Jehovah our God as He hath commanded us.

And it shall be our righteousness .... Or a mercy benefit and blessing to us; or this shall be reckoned our righteousness and that by which we shall be justified:

if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God as he hath commanded us; in order to have such a justifying righteousness a man must keep all the commandments of God not one excepted; and that perfectly without the least breach of them in thought word or deed; and that before the Lord in his sight not as it may appear to a man himself or to others but as it appears to God who sees the heart and weighs all actions; and a man must keep them in the manner the Lord has commanded even with all his heart soul and strength as in Deuteronomy 6:5 and this is not possible for a sinful man to do; and therefore righteousness cannot be by the law. Only Christ could thus keep all the commandments of God and his obedience is our righteousness; and he only is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes and to him we must seek for it.

 

──John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible

 

New King James Version (NKJV)

Footnotes:

  1. Deuteronomy 6:3 Exodus 3:8
  2. Deuteronomy 6:4 Or The Lord is our God the Lord alone (that is the only one)