Bible Strands
Mark 12:29
Jesus replied, “This is the most important: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — A scribe who has just watched Jesus out-argue the scribes asks which commandment is the most important of all. Jesus answers him directly.
The words — πρῶτη (prōtē), "first," is the Greek word Jesus uses; the BSB's "most important" smooths over a word that simply marks order, not necessarily magnitude.
The thread — The quotation is Deuteronomy 6:4 verbatim; Luke 10:27 repeats the same pairing, and Galatians 3:20 echoes the "God is one" claim in a different context.
Why it lands — Jesus adds no new command; he points to the one that already stands first and asks the reader to recognize that all other obligation rests on it.
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 Greek words
King James Version
And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
Cross-references
- Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One.
- 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.’”
- Galatians 3:20 A mediator is unnecessary, however, for only one party; but God is one.
- Romans 3:30 since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith.
- 1 Corinthians 8:4 So about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world, and that there is no God but one.
- James 2:19 You believe that God is one. Good for you! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
- Jude 1:25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority through Jesus Christ our Lord before all time, and now, and for all eternity. Amen.
- Mark 12:32 “Right, Teacher,” the scribe replied. “You have stated correctly that God is One and there is no other but Him,
- 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.
- Matthew 10:37 Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me;