Deuteronomy 6:1-9 — Sermon Prep & Expository Preaching Guide
Scripture
Deuteronomy 6:1-9
Historical Background · Verse-by-Verse Commentary · Reception History
What is the historical and cultural background of Deuteronomy 6:1-9?
A Farewell on the Edge of the Promised Land
Deuteronomy is not a law code engraved in mountain silence — it is a sermon. More precisely, it is a series of farewell addresses delivered by Moses on the plains of Moab, east of the Jordan, with the land of Canaan visible but not yet entered (Deut 1:1-5). The geographical setting is charged with meaning: forty years of wilderness have ended, but the Jordan has not been crossed. Moses himself will not make the crossing. Every word he speaks carries the weight of last words.
What does each verse of Deuteronomy 6:1-9 mean?
vv. 1-3: Teaching for the Sake of Doing
The opening verse frames everything that follows with a pair of purpose infinitives. Moses describes the commandments, statutes, and rules as things given "to teach you to do them." The teaching is not an end in itself — knowledge that does not become action has missed its destination. Notice the singular form hammitsvah ("the commandment") in verse 1, which serves as a superscription over the plural statutes and judgments that follow. All the specific regulations are held together by one governing obligation; verses 4-5 will reveal what that single commandment is.
How has Deuteronomy 6:1-9 been interpreted and preached throughout church history?
Explores how this passage has been interpreted and preached throughout church history, based on academic sources.
The Shema in Jewish Liturgy and Textual Tradition
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