Bible Strands
Deuteronomy 6:5
And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Moses addresses the assembled Israelites at the edge of the Promised Land, immediately following the declaration of Yahweh’s absolute unity in Deuteronomy 6:4.
The words — The verb אָ֣הַבְתָּ֔ ('A.hav.ta) translates literally as "you will love," while נַפְשְׁךָ (naf.she./kha) denotes "your being" or life itself.
The thread — This command appears in the New Testament citations at Mark 12:30, Matthew 22:37, and Luke 10:27, where Jesus and the scribe apply it to the greatest commandment.
Why it lands — The text demands total, undivided devotion to Yahweh across a person’s inner life, vitality, and physical capacity, leaving no room for divided loyalty.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
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.
Cross-references
- Mark 12:30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
- Matthew 22:37 Jesus declared, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
- Luke 10:27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
- Deuteronomy 10:12 And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, 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 hearts and the hearts of your descendants, and you will love Him with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.
- Deuteronomy 4:29 But if from there you will seek the LORD your God, you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.
- 1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome,
- Mark 12:33 and to love Him with all your heart and with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself. This is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
- Deuteronomy 11:13 So if you carefully obey the commandments I am giving you today, to love the LORD your God and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul,
- John 14:20 On that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you.