God & Savior

Deuteronomy 6:4-5

4Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One. 5And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Deuteronomy 6:4-5
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Study notes

Verse 5

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and strength.

Explanation

This verse follows the declaration that the LORD is one (6:4). Israel is to love Him with everything: heart (mind and will), soul (whole life) and strength (all one's resources). Jesus called this the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:37-38).

Original language
  • וְאָ֣הַבְתָּ֔ (ve.'A.hav.ta): lover
    Hebrew · Conjunction + Verb, qal, sequential perfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular · Strong's H0157G · text: Leningrad Codex (as recorded in TAHOT)

    You will love.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAHOT: Translators Amalgamated Hebrew Old Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Deuteronomy 6:5, word 1

  • לְבָבְךָ֥ (le.va.ve.Kha): heart
    Hebrew · Noun, masculine, singular, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular · Strong's H3824 · text: Leningrad Codex (as recorded in TAHOT)

    Heart: inner person, mind and will.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAHOT: Translators Amalgamated Hebrew Old Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Deuteronomy 6:5, word 6

  • נַפְשְׁךָ֖ (naf.she.Kha): soul
    Hebrew · Noun, feminine, singular, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular · Strong's H5315G · text: Leningrad Codex (as recorded in TAHOT)

    Soul, being, life.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAHOT: Translators Amalgamated Hebrew Old Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Deuteronomy 6:5, word 8

  • מְאֹדֶֽךָ (me.'o.De.kha): much
    Hebrew · Adjective, cardinal number, masculine, singular, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular · Strong's H3966 · text: Leningrad Codex (as recorded in TAHOT)

    Strength: literally "muchness", all you have.

    Source: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, Cambridge), TAHOT: Translators Amalgamated Hebrew Old Testament, STEPBible-Data commit ed476a8, Deuteronomy 6:5, word 10

Cross-references
  • Deuteronomy 6:4 · Surrounding passage

    Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One.

  • Matthew 22:37-38 · Quotation

    Jesus calls this the first and greatest commandment.

  • Mark 12:30 · Quotation

    Jesus quotes it, adding "mind".

Sources

Original language and places

Reference data from open datasets, shown as published by their sources. Word-by-word English is a literal guide, not a translation.

Verse 4

Original language (Hebrew)

שְׁמַ֖ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ יְהוָ֥ה׀ אֶחָֽד׃

  1. שְׁמַ֖עshe.Ma'“hear”
    Verb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, singular · from שָׁמַע · “hear” · Strong's H8085G
  2. יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לYis.ra.'El“O Israel”
    Noun, proper name of a place · from יִשְׂרָאֵל · “Israel” · Strong's H3478
  3. יְהוָ֥הYah.weh“Yahweh”
    Noun, proper name, title · from יהוה · “LORD” · Strong's H3068G
  4. אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ'e.lo.Hei.nu“God our”
    Noun, masculine, plural, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 1st person, both genders, plural · from אֱלֹהִים · “God” · Strong's H0430G
  5. יְהוָ֥ה׀Yah.weh“Yahweh”
    Noun, proper name, title · from יהוה · “LORD” · Strong's H3068G
  6. אֶחָֽד׃'e.Chad“[is] one”
    Noun, feminine, singular, absolute · from אֶחָד · “one” · Strong's H0259

Verse 5

Original language (Hebrew)

וְאָ֣הַבְתָּ֔ אֵ֖ת יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ֥ וּבְכָל־נַפְשְׁךָ֖ וּבְכָל־מְאֹדֶֽךָ׃

  1. וְאָ֣הַבְתָּ֔ve.'A.hav.ta“and you will love”
    Conjunction + Verb, qal, sequential perfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular · from אָהֵב · “lover” · Strong's H0157G
  2. אֵ֖ת'et“<obj.>”
    Particle, direct object marker · from אֵת · “[Obj.]” · Strong's H0853
  3. יְהוָ֣הYah.weh“Yahweh”
    Noun, proper name, title · from יהוה · “LORD” · Strong's H3068G
  4. אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ'e.lo.Hei.kha“God your”
    Noun, masculine, plural, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular · from אֱלֹהִים · “God” · Strong's H0430G
  5. בְּכָל־be.khol“with all”
    Preposition + Noun, masculine, singular, construct · from כֹּל · “all” · Strong's H3605
  6. לְבָבְךָ֥le.va.ve.Kha“heart your”
    Noun, masculine, singular, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular · from לֵבָב · “heart” · Strong's H3824
  7. וּבְכָל־u.ve.Khol-“and with all”
    Conjunction + Preposition + Noun, masculine, singular, construct · from כֹּל · “all” · Strong's H3605
  8. נַפְשְׁךָ֖naf.she.Kha“being your”
    Noun, feminine, singular, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular · from נֶ֫פֶשׁ · “soul” · Strong's H5315G
  9. וּבְכָל־u.ve.Khol-“and with all”
    Conjunction + Preposition + Noun, masculine, singular, construct · from כֹּל · “all” · Strong's H3605
  10. מְאֹדֶֽךָ׃me.'o.De.kha“strength your”
    Adjective, cardinal number, masculine, singular, construct + Suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular · from מְאֹד · “much” · Strong's H3966
  • Prepared by the God & Savior team. Not yet reviewed by an editor.
  • Hebrew and Aramaic words: STEP Bible (STEPBible.org), based on work at Tyndale House, Cambridge. CC BY 4.0. Source (version ed476a8)