The Meaning of Deuteronomy 6:5 Explained

Deuteronomy 6:5

KJV: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

YLT: and thou hast loved Jehovah thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might,

Darby: and thou shalt love Jehovah thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength.

ASV: and thou shalt love Jehovah thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And thou shalt love  the LORD  thy God  with all thine heart,  and with all thy soul,  and with all thy might. 

What does Deuteronomy 6:5 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 6:1-19 - How To Treat God's Words
Obedience is still the one condition of true prosperity and success. Lands still flow with milk and honey; and they live long who live well. Lives are measured by heart-throbs, and not by figures on the dial.
Deuteronomy 6:4 is reckoned by pious Jews as one of the choicest portions of Scripture. They write it on their phylacteries and repeat it, with other verses, at least twice a day. Note the various methods for maintaining the religious atmosphere: (1) by meditation; (2) by the religious training of children; (3) by pious discourse and conversation; (4) by the persistent study of Scripture. When books are scarce, use wall-texts; but never substitute stray snippets, however sweet, for the whole meal of Scripture.
Let us not forget how many of our present privileges and spiritual advantages must be credited to the prayers and the tears, the labors and the sufferings, of those who have left these precious inheritances to us, their children and heirs! We drink of cisterns we never hewed! [source]

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 6

1  The end of the law is obedience
3  An exhortation thereto
20  What they are to teach their children

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 6:5 mean?

And You shall love - Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul your strength
וְאָ֣הַבְתָּ֔ אֵ֖ת יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ בְּכָל־ לְבָבְךָ֥ וּבְכָל־ נַפְשְׁךָ֖ מְאֹדֶֽךָ

וְאָ֣הַבְתָּ֔  And  You  shall  love 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אָהַב  
Sense: to love.
אֵ֖ת  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
יְהוָ֣ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
בְּכָל־  with  all 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
לְבָבְךָ֥  your  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: לֵבָב  
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding.
וּבְכָל־  and  with  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
נַפְשְׁךָ֖  your  soul 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
מְאֹדֶֽךָ  your  strength 
Parse: Adverb, second person masculine singular
Root: מְאֹד  
Sense: exceedingly, much subst.