The end of the law is obedience, 1, 2. An exhortation thereto, 3-19. What they are to teach their children, 20-25.
1 "Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, so that you may do them in the land where you go to possess it, 2 And that you may 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. 3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it, so that it may be well with you and that you may increase mightily, as the LORD God of your fathers has promised you, in the land that flows with milk and honey.
4 "Hear, O Israel. The LORD our God, Yahweh, is one. 5 And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. 6 And these words which I command you this day shall be in your heart. 7 And you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8 And you shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 And you shall write them upon the posts of your house and on your gates.
10 "And it shall be, when the LORD your God has brought you into the land which he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you great and beautiful cities which you did not build, 11 And houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and wells dug which you did not dig, vineyards and olive-trees which you did not plant, when you have eaten and are full, 12 Then beware lest you should forget the LORD who brought you forth from the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. 13 You shall fear the LORD your God and serve him, and shall swear by his name. 14 You shall not go after other gods of the gods of the people which are around you 15 (For the LORD your God is a jealous God among you), lest the anger of the LORD your God should be kindled against you and destroy you from off the face of the earth.
16 "You shall not test the LORD your God, as you tested him in Massah. 17 You shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies and his statutes which he has commanded you. 18 And you shall do that which is right and good in the sight of the LORD, so that it may be well with you, and that you may go in and possess the good land which the LORD swore to your fathers, 19 To cast out all your enemies from before you, as the LORD has spoken.
20 "And when your son asks you in time to come, saying, 'What do the testimonies, the statutes, and the judgments mean which the LORD our God has commanded you?' 21 Then you shall say to your son, 'We were Pharaoh's slaves in Egypt. And the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. 22 And the LORD showed signs and wonders, great and distressing, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household before our eyes. 23 And he brought us out from there, so that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he swore to our fathers.' 24 And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, so that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day. 25 And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us."
Matthew Henry Commentary - Deuteronomy, Chapter 6[➚]
[v.4] - Quoted in Mark 12:29.
[v.5] - Quoted in Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27.
[v.13] - Quoted in Matthew 4:10; Luke 4:8.
[v.16] - Quoted in Matthew 4:7; Luke 4:12.