And you shall love the LORD your GodThis command is central to the Shema, a foundational declaration of faith in Judaism. The use of "LORD" refers to Yahweh, the covenant name of God, emphasizing a personal relationship. The command to love God is not merely emotional but involves a commitment to obedience and loyalty. This love is a response to God's love and faithfulness, as seen in His deliverance of Israel from Egypt. The call to love God is echoed in the New Testament, where Jesus identifies it as the greatest commandment (
Matthew 22:37-38).
with all your heart
In ancient Hebrew thought, the heart is the center of one's being, encompassing mind, will, and emotions. Loving God with all one's heart implies a total devotion that influences thoughts, decisions, and feelings. This comprehensive love contrasts with the divided loyalties often seen in Israel's history, where idolatry and syncretism were prevalent. The heart's devotion is a recurring theme in Scripture, as seen inProverbs 4:23, which emphasizes guarding the heart as the wellspring of life.
and with all your soul
The soul represents the life force or essence of a person. Loving God with all one's soul suggests a dedication that encompasses one's entire life and being. This phrase underscores the depth of commitment required, extending beyond mere ritualistic observance to a profound, life-encompassing devotion. The soul's involvement in loving God is seen in the Psalms, where the psalmist often expresses a deep yearning for God (Psalm 42:1-2).
and with all your strength
Strength here refers to one's resources, abilities, and efforts. Loving God with all one's strength involves using one's physical capabilities and material resources in service to God. This comprehensive love calls for action and sacrifice, reflecting a life fully dedicated to God's purposes. The concept of strength in devotion is mirrored in the New Testament, where believers are encouraged to offer their bodies as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). This phrase also anticipates the holistic nature of Christian discipleship, where every aspect of life is brought under the lordship of Christ.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
MosesThe prophet and leader of the Israelites who delivered God's laws and commandments, including the Shema, to the people.
2.
IsraelitesThe chosen people of God, to whom the commandments were given as they prepared to enter the Promised Land.
3.
Mount SinaiThe place where Moses received the Ten Commandments and other laws from God, forming the basis of the covenant.
4.
Promised LandThe land of Canaan, which God promised to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
5.
ShemaA central declaration of the Jewish faith, beginning with
Deuteronomy 6:4-5, emphasizing the oneness of God and the call to love Him fully.
Teaching Points
Wholehearted DevotionLoving God with all your heart, soul, and strength means a complete and undivided commitment to Him. This involves prioritizing God in every aspect of life.
Holistic LoveThe command encompasses emotional (heart), spiritual (soul), and physical (strength) dimensions, calling for a comprehensive love that affects every part of our being.
Covenant RelationshipThis command is rooted in the covenant relationship between God and His people, reminding us of our identity and responsibilities as His followers.
Daily PracticeLoving God is not a one-time event but a daily practice that involves intentional actions, decisions, and attitudes that reflect our devotion to Him.
Foundation for ObedienceThis commandment serves as the foundation for all other commandments, guiding our actions and interactions with others.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Deuteronomy 6:5?
2.How can we love God with all our heart, soul, and strength daily?
3.What does it mean to love God with "all your heart"?
4.How does Deuteronomy 6:5 connect with Jesus' teachings in Matthew 22:37-38?
5.In what ways can loving God influence our decisions and actions?
6.How can families incorporate Deuteronomy 6:5 into their daily routines?
7.How does Deuteronomy 6:5 define the nature of love for God?
8.Why is loving God with all your heart, soul, and strength emphasized in Deuteronomy 6:5?
9.How does Deuteronomy 6:5 relate to the overall message of the Old Testament?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Deuteronomy 6?
11.Can loving God result in eternal damnation?
12.If Deuteronomy 6:5 commands total love for God, doesn’t this undermine genuine free will by requiring absolute devotion?
13.How can I align my heart to revere You?
14.How should we nurture and guide our children?What Does Deuteronomy 6:5 Mean
And you– The verse opens by placing responsibility squarely on each listener.
• This is personal; no one can delegate love for God (Joshua 24:15;James 4:8).
• God’s call is not merely to a crowd but to every individual heart (John 3:16).
shall love– Love here is commanded, not suggested.
• Love is the proper response to God’s love first shown to us (1 John 4:19).
• True love for God expresses itself in obedience (John 14:15;Deuteronomy 10:12).
• Jesus affirmed this as the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:37).
the LORD your God– The object of our love is the covenant-keeping Lord.
• “I am the LORD your God” frames the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:2).
• He is both sovereign (“the LORD”) and relational (“your God”)—a personal God who knows His people (Psalm 100:3).
• In Christ we meet the same God, from whom and for whom are all things (1 Corinthians 8:6).
with all your heart– Heart points to the seat of thoughts, desires, and affections.
• Whole-hearted trust excludes divided loyalties (Proverbs 3:5;Matthew 6:21).
• Seeking God with the whole heart leads to finding Him (Jeremiah 29:13;Psalm 119:10).
and with all your soul– Soul refers to the very life or self.
• David models worship that rises from the depths of the soul (Psalm 103:1).
• Mary magnified the Lord “with my soul” (Luke 1:46-47).
• Gaining the world is worthless if the soul is lost (Matthew 16:26); loving God guards the soul’s true worth.
and with all your strength– Strength covers energy, abilities, possessions—everything at our disposal.
• Whatever we do, we do “with all our might” for His glory (Ecclesiastes 9:10;Colossians 3:23).
• Jesus repeats this clause, linking love for God to every practical exertion (Mark 12:30).
• Loving God reaches into time, talents, and treasure, turning ordinary labor into worship.
summaryDeuteronomy 6:5 calls each believer to an all-encompassing love: personal (“And you”), commanded (“shall love”), covenant-focused (“the LORD your God”), and holistic—embracing heart, soul, and strength. God wants every affection, every identity marker, and every ounce of effort directed toward Him. This is the foundational command that shapes a life of obedience, worship, and joy.
(5)
With all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.--The word "heart" has been taken both as "thought" and "affection." Hence, perhaps, the
fourterms, "
heart, mind, soul,and
strength,"which we find in St.
Mark 12:30. Bashi says upon the expression "all thy heart"--"with both natures" (the good and evil nature). "With all thy soul" he expounds thus: "Even though He take it (thy life) from thee." And "with all thy might" he paraphrases in a truly practical and characteristic fashion, "
With all thy money,for you sometimes find a man whose money is dearer to him than his life (or body)." Or, as an alternative, "in every condition which He allots to thee, whether prosperity or chastisement. And so He says in David, 'I will
take the cup of salvation(deliverances), and
I will call on the name of the Lord'(
Psalm 116:13); and again. '
Ishall find trouble and heaviness,and
I will call on the name of the Lord'" (
Deuteronomy 6:3-4.) It is an interesting illustration of the passage, though the
verbalconnection on which it is based will not hold.
Verse 5. - To the one indivisible Jehovah undivided devotion and love are due. Hence the injunction,
Thou shalt love Jehovah thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. The "heart" is the inner nature of the man, including his intellectual, emotional, and cognitive futurities; the "soul" is the personality, the entire self-consciousness; and the" might" is the sum of the energies, bodily and mental. Not by profession merely is Jehovah to be loved; the whole man, body, soul, and spirit, is to be yielded to him in holy and devout affection (cf.
Matthew 22:37;
Mark 12:33;
Luke 10:27;
Romans 12:1). The last letter Of the first word, and the last letter of the last word in this verse are larger than the ordinary size (
majuscula), and as these two form the word for witness (
עד), the Jews say that they are written thus "that every one may know, when he professes the unity of God, that his heart ought to be intent and devoid of every other thought, because God is a
witness, and knoweth everything" (R. Bechai, fol. 195, quoted by Michaelis, 'Bib. Heb,' in loc.).
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew
And you shall loveוְאָ֣הַבְתָּ֔(wə·’ā·haḇ·tā)Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 157:To have affection fthe LORDיְהוָ֣ה(Yah·weh)Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068:LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israelyour Godאֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ(’ĕ·lō·he·ḵā)Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 430:gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlativewith allבְּכָל־(bə·ḵāl)Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605:The whole, all, any, everyyour heartלְבָבְךָ֥(lə·ḇā·ḇə·ḵā)Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 3824:Inner man, mind, will, heartand with allוּבְכָל־(ū·ḇə·ḵāl)Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605:The whole, all, any, everyyour soulנַפְשְׁךָ֖(nap̄·šə·ḵā)Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5315:A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotionand with allוּבְכָל־(ū·ḇə·ḵāl)Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605:The whole, all, any, everyyour strength.מְאֹדֶֽךָ׃(mə·’ō·ḏe·ḵā)Adverb | second person masculine singular
Strong's 3966:Vehemence, vehemently, wholly, speedily
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OT Law: Deuteronomy 6:5 And you shall love Yahweh your God (Deut. De Du) 
