Meaning, commentary and cross references
Deuteronomy 6:5
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”In other translations
KJV · King James Version
And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
NIV · New International Version
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
WEB · World English Bible
You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.
What does Deuteronomy 6:5 mean?
John Gill · Exposition of the Entire Bible, on Deuteronomy 6:5
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…
John Gill, Exposition of the Entire Bible (1746–63). Public domain. Digital text: Free Use Bible API (bible.helloao.org).
Matthew Henry · Commentary on the Whole Bible, on Deuteronomy 6:4–16
It is all summed up in this as its principle, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart. He had undertaken (Deu 6:2) to teach them to fear God; and, in pursuance of his undertaking, he here teaches them to love him, for the warmer our affection to him the greater will be our veneration for him; the child that honours his parents no doubt loves them. Did ever any prince make a law that his subjects should love him? Yet such is the condescension of the divine grace that this is made the first and great commandment of God's law, that we love him, and that we perform all other parts of our duty to him from a principle of love.
Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible (1706–21; Romans–Revelation completed by Nonconformist ministers). Public domain. Digital text: Free Use Bible API (bible.helloao.org).
John Calvin · Commentaries, on Deuteronomy 6:5
5. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 5. Diliges Jehovam Deum tuum toto corde tuo, tota anima tua, et tota fortitudine tua.
John Calvin, Commentaries (Calvin Translation Society English text). Public domain. Digital text: Free Use Bible API (bible.helloao.org).
Context: Deuteronomy 6:2–8 (WEB)
2that you might fear the LORD your God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you—you, your son, and your son’s son, all the days of your life; and that your days may be prolonged. 3Hear therefore, Israel, and observe to do it, that it may be well with you, and that you may increase mightily, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised to you, in a land flowing with milk and honey. 4Hear, Israel: The LORD is our God. The LORD is one. 5You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. 6These words, which I command you today, shall be on your heart; 7and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8You shall bind them for a sign on your hand, and they shall be for frontlets between your eyes.
Cross references
- Mark 12:30
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.
- Matthew 22:37
Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
- Luke 10:27
He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”
- Deuteronomy 10:12
Now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,
- Deuteronomy 30:6
The LORD your God will circumcise your heart, and the heart of your offspring, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.
- Deuteronomy 4:29
But from there you shall seek the LORD your God, and you will find him when you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.
- 1 John 5:3
For this is loving God, that we keep his commandments. His commandments are not grievous.
- Mark 12:33
and to love him with all the heart, with all the understanding, all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”