The Meaning of Deuteronomy 6:8 Explained

Deuteronomy 6:8

KJV: And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.

YLT: and hast bound them for a sign upon thy hand, and they have been for frontlets between thine eyes,

Darby: And thou shalt bind them for a sign on thy hand, and they shall be for frontlets between thine eyes.

ASV: And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand, and they shall be for frontlets between thine eyes.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And thou shalt bind  them for a sign  upon thine hand,  and they shall be as frontlets  between thine eyes. 

What does Deuteronomy 6:8 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 6:8 mean?

And You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes
וּקְשַׁרְתָּ֥ם לְא֖וֹת עַל־ יָדֶ֑ךָ וְהָי֥וּ לְטֹטָפֹ֖ת בֵּ֥ין עֵינֶֽיךָ

וּקְשַׁרְתָּ֥ם  And  You  shall  bind  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: קָשַׁר  
Sense: to bind, tie, bind together, league together, conspire.
לְא֖וֹת  as  a  sign 
Parse: Preposition, Noun, common singular
Root: אֹות  
Sense: sign, signal.
יָדֶ֑ךָ  your  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
וְהָי֥וּ  and  they  shall  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לְטֹטָפֹ֖ת  as  frontlets 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, feminine plural
Root: טֹוטָפֹת  
Sense: bands, phylacteries, frontlets, marks.
בֵּ֥ין  between 
Parse: Preposition
Root: בַּיִן 
Sense: between, among, in the midst of (with other preps), from between.
עֵינֶֽיךָ  your  eyes 
Parse: Noun, cdc, second person masculine singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.