Tyndale Open Study NotesDeuteronomy 6

Moses here explains how the stipulations in the following sections should be applied and handed on to future generations.

Moses added commands to decrees and regulations. This was the usual pattern for covenant stipulations (the laws in a covenant agreement; see 4:1; 5:1). The term commandments is a general term that refers to the whole body of instruction.

God’s great power and glory (see 4:10) mean that his people must fear him. To fear God means to treat him with deep respect and reverence (see also study notes on 7:21; 10:12–13).

The milk and honey in Canaan represented agriculture and grazing land. Compared to the desert food, Canaan's food was truly luxurious (see Exodus 3:8, 17).

Hear (Hebrew shema‘): The Shema is the basic statement of Israel’s faith. It begins with the call to listen and obey God.

Jesus said that these verses contain the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:34–39; Mark 12:28–31; Luke 10:25–28). Jewish teachers in ancient times and today also honor these words. The rabbi Hillel, who lived in the first century BC, called the Shema the central teaching of the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament). He said that the rest of the Scripture is commentary, meaning explanation of that main idea.

The LORD our God, the LORD is One: Only God is worthy of worship (5:7).

• love the LORD: See study note on Joshua 23:11.

• The words heart … soul … strength represent the mind, will, emotions, spirituality, and physical being. In other words, they refer to all that a person is and can do for God. This commandment is central to God’s covenant with Israel (see Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27).

teach them diligently: The Hebrew verb shanan might describe carving words into a hard surface so they cannot be erased. It can also simply mean “repeat.”

In either case, parents were to teach the Shema to their children again and again. They were to repeat it so often that it would be deeply fixed in their hearts and never forgotten.

• Tie them: The Lord’s commandments (6:6)were to become part of daily life. They were to shape the thoughts and actions of parents and children, as if they were tied to their bodies.

  Later in Jewish practice, some people took this phrase literally. They wrapped leather straps around their forearm and placed small boxes with words from the Torah inside them (see study note on 4:44).

• bind them: This phrase was also understood literally in later Judaism. People wore a small box that contained short passages from the Torah. These were called tefillin (Hebrew) or phylacteries (Greek).

  These objects reminded people to teach and obey God’s covenant (compare 11:18; Matthew 23:5).

Write them on the doorposts: In later Jewish practice, people placed short passages from Deuteronomy inside a small case called a mezuzah. They attached this case to the doorframes of their homes and other buildings.

It became a custom to touch the mezuzah when entering or leaving the house. This act showed respect for Scripture and trust in God’s word.

Jesus quoted this verse when tempted by Satan (Matthew 4:10; Luke 4:8).

When Israel traveled through the Sinai desert after the exodus, they reached Rephidim. There was no water here (Exodus 17:1–7). Moses saw the people's demand for water as testing the Lord, so he called the place Massah, which means "testing."

Jesus later quoted this verse when Satan tempted him (Matthew 4:7; Luke 4:12).

The phrase a mighty hand is an anthropomorphism. An anthropomorphism is a way of speaking about God as if he had human features or actions (see study note on 8:2).

The signs and wonders refer to the ten plagues God sent to show his power to Israel and Egypt during the exodus (Exodus 7–12; see also Exodus 3:20; 4:5; Joshua 4:23–24).

if we are careful to observe … as He has commanded us … that will be our righteousness: Obedience shows that a person is already righteous, a status before God that comes from faith (see 24:13; Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17; 4:1–5; Galatians 3:6–7; see also Genesis 15:6; Ephesians 2:8–9). When other nations saw Israel's commitment to obey the covenant, they could see that Israel was righteous.