Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone! 5 Therefore, you shall love the Lord, your God, with your whole heart, and with your whole being, and with your whole strength. 6 Take to heart these words which I command you today. 7 Keep repeating them to your children. Recite them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Bind them on your arm as a sign and let them be as a pendant on your forehead. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates.
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 contains the heart of the Shema, Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone, (v. 4) the central declaration of Israel’s faith. It underscores the absolute monotheism of Israel and calls for an all-encompassing love for God. The phrase "The LORD is our God, the LORD alone" affirms both God's exclusive sovereignty and the necessity of Israel’s total devotion. The command to love God with heart, soul, and strength (v. 5) highlights that faith is not merely intellectual assent but a complete self-giving to the Lord. The injunctions to teach these words to children and incorporate them into daily life (vv. 6-9) reflect the centrality of God's law in every aspect of life.
The full Shema prayer in Jewish tradition includes Deut. 6:4-9, Deut. 11:13-21, and Num. 15:37-41. These passages together emphasize monotheism, love for God, obedience to His commandments, and the remembrance of His law in daily life.
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 serves as the foundation of Israel's covenant identity and love for God is expressed through obedience to His commandments. The Shema is both a creed and a commitment, shaping Israel’s understanding of God’s unique place in their lives and emphasizing remembrance and transmission of faith across generations.
In Mark 12:28-30, Jesus affirms that the Shema is the greatest commandment confirming that love of God is the foundation of the covenant, both in the Old and New Testaments. He also expands it by linking it to Lev. 19:18—love of neighbor—demonstrating that the divine law is fulfilled in love (Matt 22:37-40; Rom 13:8-10).
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 is central to God's plan of salvation, revealing that redemption begins with acknowledging God's absolute sovereignty and responding with total love and obedience. This theme reaches its fulfillment in Christ, who is the full revelation of God's oneness. As He declares in John 10:30, "The Father and I are one," and through Him, we enter into perfect communion with the Father (Col. 1:15-20; John 14:6-9).
This passage also anticipates the promise of the New Covenant, in which God, through the prophet Ezekiel, assures His people that He will give them a new heart and a new spirit (Ezek. 36:26-27). This promise is realized in Christ’s redemptive work and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, who dwells in the hearts of believers (Rom. 5:5; Gal. 4:6).
Furthermore, Deut. 6:4-9 emphasizes the importance of passing down the faith through generations. The New Testament echoes this call to catechesis and spiritual formation, as seen in Paul’s encouragement to Timothy to remain steadfast in the faith handed down to him (2 Tim. 1:5; 2:2) and in the exhortation for parents to raise their children in the discipline of the Lord (Eph. 6:4).
Ultimately, this passage points forward to Christ, who not only teaches the love of God but perfectly embodies it. He calls His followers to imitate this divine love, as seen in His command to love one another as He has loved them (John 13:34-35; 1 John 4:7-12). In Christ, the Shema is no longer just a declaration of faith; it becomes the very life of those who are united to Him.
Heavenly Father, we thank You for revealing Your love and sovereignty in the Shema and in the teaching of Jesus. Help us to love You with all our heart, soul, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. May Your commandments be written on our hearts and passed down through generations. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
Sources
- McSorley, Joseph. An Outline History of the Church by Centuries (From St. Peter to Pius XII). 2nd ed., B. Herder Book Co., 1944.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Charpentier, Etienne. How to Read the Old Testament. Translated by John Bowden, 1981.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
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