Deuteronomy Six

by Dr. Henry M. Morris

(taken from the Defender's Study Bible)

Deuteronomy 6:1 Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it:

Deuteronomy 6:2 That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.

Deuteronomy 6:3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.

Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:

one Lord. This great statement of Israel's monotheistic faith, intended specifically to set them completely apart from their pantheistic/polytheistic neighbors, actually implies the uni-plural nature of the Godhead. Its declaration amounts to this: “Jehovah our Elohim is one Jehovah.” The name Elohim is of plural form, and often is translated “gods,” when referring to the false gods of the heathen. Yet it is also the great name for the one true God of creation.

Deuteronomy 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

all thy might. This commandment, called by Christ “the first and great commandment” (Matthew 22:37), would certainly—if truly obeyed—have prevented all false religion, all unbelief, indeed all sin.

Deuteronomy 6:6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

in thine heart. The Scriptures are not only to be read and heard, but memorized as well! See also Psalm 119:11, Colossians 3:16, etc.

Deuteronomy 6:7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

unto thy children. Note also Genesis 18:19. God regards the direct education of children by their parents as vitally important, with that education to be founded first of all upon the words of God.

Deuteronomy 6:8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.

frontlets. Whether this commandment was intended to be taken physically or spiritually may be a question, but the Jews of later times understood these frontlets in terms of what they called phylacteries, small boxes containing passages of Scripture, which they wore on their foreheads when praying. See also Exodus 13:9, 16. In any case, the essential teaching is that both the deeds of our hands and the thoughts of our minds should be constrained by the words of God, as recorded in Scripture.

Deuteronomy 6:9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

posts of thy house. The custom of the Jews in respect to this command was to attach a small container with Deuteronomy 6:4 written on a scroll inside it to the door posts.

Deuteronomy 6:10 And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not,

Deuteronomy 6:11 And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full;

Deuteronomy 6:12 Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

Deuteronomy 6:13 Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.

Deuteronomy 6:14 Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you;

Deuteronomy 6:15 (For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.

Deuteronomy 6:16 Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.

Deuteronomy 6:17 Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded thee.

Deuteronomy 6:18 And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the LORD: that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers,

Deuteronomy 6:19 To cast out all thine enemies from before thee, as the LORD hath spoken.

Deuteronomy 6:20 And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD our God hath commanded you?

Deuteronomy 6:21 Then thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaoh's bondmen in Egypt; and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand:

Deuteronomy 6:22 And the LORD showed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes:

Deuteronomy 6:23 And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers.

Deuteronomy 6:24 And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day.

Deuteronomy 6:25 And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us.