The Shema (Love the LORD Your God)

Illustration of The Shema (Love the LORD Your God)

The Shema - 'Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD' - is the great confession of Israel's faith, calling God's people to love him with all their heart, soul, and might. Israel was to bind these words on their hands and teach them diligently to their children. Jesus named it the first and greatest commandment, the summary of the whole Law's first table.

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Strongest connections in Scripture
Deuteronomy 6

Key Passages

Hear, O Israel

Deuteronomy 6:4-9

The Shema calls Israel to love the one LORD with all their heart, soul, and might, teaching it to their children.

H4ear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:

5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: 7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. 8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. 9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

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Characters

Moses Moses was a prophet chosen by God to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt during the Exodus. Throughโ€ฆ Jesus Jesus is portrayed in the Bible as the Son of God and the long-awaited Messiah whose coming fulfilled Oldโ€ฆ

Did You Know?

1

'Shema' is Hebrew for 'Hear' - the first word of the prayer.

2

It is the central confession of Jewish faith, recited twice daily.

3

Jesus called it the first and greatest commandment.

4

Devout Jews bind its words in small boxes (tefillin) on hand and forehead, taking it literally.