King James Version

Deuteronomy 6:4

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

Study

Hebrew

Tap a word to see its meaning. Words run left to right in English reading order.

שְׁמַ֖עshemahearשָׁמַעverb, qal, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “hear”, a commandH8085to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)[idiom] attentively, call (gather) together, [idiom] carefully, [idiom] certainly, consent, consider, be content, declare, [idiom] diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make to) hear(-ken, tell), [idiom] indeed, listen, make (a) n…יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לyisraelIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵלnoun, proper name — “Israel”H3478Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterityIsrael.יְהוָ֥הyehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּeloheynvGodאֱלֹהִיםnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “God”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH430gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlativeangels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.יְהוָ֥הyehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).אֶחָֽדechadfirstאֶחָדadjective, cardinal, masculine, singular, absolute — “first”, the ordinary formH259properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an ordinal) firsta, alike, alone, altogether, and, any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-) ly, each (one), [phrase] eleven, every, few, first, [phrase] highway, a man, once, one, only, other, some, together,

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

HEAR, O ISRAEL: THE LORD OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE.

Translation Note

The Hebrew is שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה אֶחָד. אֶחָד is Strong’s H259. Strong’s defines it as “properly, united, i.e. one.” The 1917 Jewish Publication Society prints “THE LORD IS ONE.” Brenton prints “The Lord our God is one Lord.”

Jews pray this sentence, and they do not pray it to Jesus. Christians say the same sentence. The one Lord is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Son is not a second God beside the LORD of the Shema. Jesus is God.

King James Version. Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:

Jewish Publication Society (1917). “HEAR, O ISRAEL: THE LORD OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE.”

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English. “Hear, O Israel, The Lord our God is one Lord.”

Septuagint, Brenton’s Greek (1851). Ἄκουε Ἰσραὴλ, Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, Κύριος εἷς ἐστι.

What do Jews believe? What is the difference between Judaism and Christianity?

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

Hear, O Israel: Jehovah our God is one Jehovah:

Young’s Literal Translation

'Hear, O Israel, Jehovah our God [is] one Jehovah;

World English Bible

Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God. Yahweh is one.

Darby Translation

Hear, Israel: Jehovah our God is one Jehovah;

Douay-Rheims

Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

HEAR, O ISRAEL: THE LORD OUR GOD, THE LORD IS ONE.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Hear, O Israel, The Lord our God is one Lord.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

καὶ ταῦτα τὰ δικαιώματα καὶ τὰ κρίματα, ὅσα ἐνετείλατο Κύριος τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραὴλ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, ἐξελθόντων αὐτῶν ἐκ γῆν Αἰγύπτου. Ἄκουε Ἰσραὴλ, Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, Κύριος εἷς ἐστι.

Quoted in

Mark 12:29 Mark 12:29 · King James VersionAnd Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:Mark 12:29 · King James VersionOpen the Source
And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: