The Scripture behind the Scripture
Hear, O Israel: the Great Commandment
Deuteronomy 6:4, the Shema, declares Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord. Jesus quotes it in Mark 12:29 as the first of all the commandments.
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:”Deuteronomy 6:4
“And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:”Mark 12:29
In its own place
In its own place. Deuteronomy records Moses addressing Israel on the plains of Moab before they enter the promised land, urging them to keep the covenant. The words Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord, and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might, form the heart of Israel's confession, known as the Shema from the Hebrew word for hear. In its original setting this is the foundational declaration of Israel's faith, calling the people to acknowledge the Lord as their one God and to give him undivided love and loyalty. In a world of many gods, Israel was to be devoted to the Lord alone, loving him with the whole self, heart, soul, and strength. The surrounding verses command that these words be kept in the heart, taught diligently to children, spoken at home and abroad, and bound as signs on the hand and forehead, so that the confession would saturate daily life. The Shema became the central creed of Israel, recited morning and evening, the bedrock of covenant faithfulness. It is not first a rule among rules but the summons to wholehearted love for the one true God from whom all obedience flows.
Where the New Testament takes it up
This is a direct quotation, spoken by Jesus as the greatest commandment. In Mark 12:28 a scribe asks Jesus which commandment is the first of all, and Jesus answers by quoting the Shema, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel, The Lord our God is one Lord, and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. Jesus follows the text of Deuteronomy 6:4 to 5, and his citation aligns with the Greek rendering, expanding the faculties of love to include the mind. He then joins it with Leviticus 19:18 about loving one's neighbor, saying there is no commandment greater than these. By quoting the Shema as the first commandment, Jesus affirms the deepest confession of Israel's faith and roots all obedience in wholehearted love for the one God. The scribe agrees warmly, and Jesus commends him as not far from the kingdom of God. This passage shows Jesus standing squarely within Israel's faith, upholding its central creed and teaching that love for God is the foundation of the whole law. He does not set aside the Shema but confirms it as the first and greatest command.
How it points to Christ
How it points to Christ. Jesus affirms the oneness of God and the call to love him wholly, placing himself firmly within Israel's confession. Yet the New Testament, without denying that the Lord is one, comes to confess Jesus as Lord within that oneness, so that Christians read the Shema and worship the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as the one God. Jesus is the one who loved God perfectly with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength, fulfilling the first commandment as no one else ever has. And by his Spirit he enables his people to begin to love God as they were made to, turning the outward command into an inward reality. The Shema calls for undivided devotion to the one Lord, and Jesus both embodies that devotion and draws his people into it, so that through him they come to love the God who is one.
Questions people ask
What is the Shema?
It is Israel's central confession from Deuteronomy 6:4 to 5, Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord, and the call to love him with all one's heart, soul, and strength. It was recited daily and formed the bedrock of covenant faith. The name comes from the Hebrew word for hear.
How does Jesus use it?
In Mark 12:29 Jesus quotes the Shema as the first of all commandments, then joins it with the command to love one's neighbor from Leviticus 19:18. He roots all obedience in wholehearted love for the one God, affirming Israel's deepest creed.