Deuteronomy 6:4

“Hear, Israel: YHWH our Elohim, YHWH is one.”
Deuteronomy 6:4 · direct translation from the Hebrew

Moses sums up Israel's faith: YHWH is one, and he is loved with the whole selfWho God Is Hear, Israel: keep these words on your heart and repeat them to your children every dayThe Word of God Listen, Israel: love God with all your heart, soul and strengthLove God's words are repeated to children at home and on the roadParents and Children

With the Hebrew beneath

Hear,שְׁמַעIsrael:יִשְׂרָאֵלYHWHיְהוָהour Elohim,אֱלֹהֵינוּYHWHיְהוָהis one.אֶחָד

Quotation · Mark 12:29-30

Go to Mark 12:29-30

Mark is the only Gospel that also quotes Deuteronomy 6:4 (“Hear, Israel”). To the three parts of 6:5 he adds “with all your mind.”

Formula: Πρώτη ἐστίν “the first is” (Mark 12:29)

See the original texts

Greek of the New Testament: ἀπεκρίθη ὁ Ἰησοῦς ὅτι Πρώτη ἐστίν Ἄκουε Ἰσραήλ κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν κύριος εἷς ἐστιν καὶ ἀγαπήσεις κύριον τὸν θεόν σου ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας σου καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς ψυχῆς σου καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς διανοίας σου καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς ἰσχύος σου

Hebrew (Masoretic text): שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה אֶחָד וְאָהַבְתָּ אֵת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁךָ וּבְכָל מְאֹדֶךָ

Septuagint (Deuteronomy 6:4-5 in the Septuagint numbering): Καὶ ταῦτα τὰ δικαιώματα καὶ τὰ κρίματα ὅσα ἐνετείλατο κύριος τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραήλ, ἐξελθόντων αὐτῶν ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου Ἄκουε, Ἰσραήλ· κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν Κύριος εἷς ἐστιν· καὶ ἀγαπήσεις κύριον τὸν θεόν σου ἐξ ὅλης τῆς διανοίας σου καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς ψυχῆς σου καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς δυνάμεως σου.

The Greek of the NT matches the Septuagint word for word in 18 consecutive words: “Ἄκουε Ἰσραήλ κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν κύριος εἷς ἐστιν καὶ ἀγαπήσεις κύριον τὸν θεόν σου ἐξ ὅλης τῆς.”

Septuagint, Swete’s text, First1KGreek transcription (with reading errors), CC BY-SA 4.0

Theme · Romans 3:30

Go to Romans 3:30

Romans 3:30 says that God is one; Deuteronomy 6:4: “YHWH our Elohim, YHWH is one.”

The same term appears in both passages.

אֶחָדejadH259εἷςheisG1520“one”

Theme · 1 Corinthians 8:4

Go to 1 Corinthians 8:4

Paul says that there is no God but one; Deuteronomy 6:4: “YHWH our Elohim, YHWH is one.”

The same term appears in both passages.

אֶחָדejadH259εἷςheisG1520“one”

Theme · James 2:19

Go to James 2:19

James says: “You believe that God is one”; Deuteronomy 6:4: “YHWH our Elohim, YHWH is one.”

The same term appears in both passages.

אֶחָדejadH259εἷςheisG1520“one”

Deuteronomy 6:4, word by word

Hearשְׁמַעshema

listen

To pay close attention, or heed a plea.

Where else “shema” appears

Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyisrael

Israel

Israel, the new name Jacob received from God, explained as "you have striven with God" (Genesis 32:28); then the name of the people that came from him and, after the division, of the northern kingdom.

Where else “yisrael” appears

YHWHיְהוָהyehva

YHWH

The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.

Where else “yehva” appears

our Elohimאֱלֹהֵיelohe

Elohim

The one true God, the Creator; the word is plural but means one.

Where else “elohe” appears

is oneאֶחָדechad

united

United as one: "YHWH is one".

Where else “echad” appears

Translation note

These words are known as the Shema (“Hear”). The Hebrew has no verb, and it can be read “YHWH is our Elohim, YHWH is one” or “YHWH our Elohim is the only YHWH.” In both cases it affirms that there is only one God. Jesus quotes them as the beginning of the first commandment (Mark 12:29).

Parallel passages

Other books that tell the same thing or quote these words.

Quotation · Mark 12:29-30

Mark is the only Gospel that also quotes Deuteronomy 6:4 (“Hear, Israel”). To the three parts of 6:5 he adds “with all your mind.”

See them side by side

Deuteronomy 6:4

⁴Hear, Israel: YHWH our Elohim, YHWH is one.

Mark 12:29-30

²⁹Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one;

The context

3Hear, Israel, and be careful to do it, so that it may go well with you and so that you may multiply greatly, as YHWH, the Elohim of your fathers, has spoken to you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.

4 · This verse (above)

5You shall love YHWH your Elohim with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

Read all of Deuteronomy 6

How to use it