That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.

DEUTERONOMY 6:2KJV
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Deuteronomy 6:2 (KJV)

What does Deuteronomy 6:2 mean?

Deuteronomy 6:2 says that the people of Israel are to respect and honor the LORD their God by keeping all His rules and commands, not just for themselves but also for their children and grandchildren, throughout their lives, so that they may live long lives. The verse connects the act of faithfully following God’s instructions with the promise of a prolonged and blessed life.

Moses is speaking to the Israelites as they prepare to enter the land God promised them. He stresses that obedience to God’s commandments is not just a personal matter but something to be passed down through generations. This verse highlights the importance of teaching and living out God’s ways as a family and community responsibility, with the added encouragement that doing so brings lasting benefits.

The Hebrew behind Deuteronomy 6:2

  • "fear" (יָרֵא, yare’): This word means more than being afraid; it often refers to a deep respect, awe, or reverence for God. Here, it sets the tone for the kind of relationship the people are to have with the LORD.
  • "keep" (שָׁמַר, shamar): This word means to guard, observe, or pay careful attention to. The idea is not just to follow rules, but to actively watch over and protect God’s instructions in daily life.
  • "statutes" (חֻקָּה, chuqqah) and "commandments" (מִצְוָה, mitsvah): "Statutes" refers to specific rules or decrees, while "commandments" is a broader term for God’s instructions. The use of both words shows that all of God’s directions, big and small, matter.
  • "prolonged" (אָרַךְ, arak): This word means to lengthen or extend. The promise is that faithful living leads to a longer, fuller life, which was a key part of God’s covenant blessings in the Old Testament.

Why Deuteronomy 6:2 matters

  • Deuteronomy 6:2 makes clear that honoring God is not just a private or individual act, but something that should shape families and future generations.
  • The verse ties obedience to God’s commands directly to the quality and length of life, showing that God’s instructions are meant for the good and flourishing of His people.
  • This verse sets up the famous “Shema” that follows (Deuteronomy 6:4–5), helping the reader see that loving and obeying God is at the heart of Israel’s identity and purpose.

Where else these words appear

“prolonged” Hebrew H748 · used in 34 verses

  • Genesis 26:8 And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out at a window, and saw, and, behold, Isaac was sporting with Rebekah his wife.
  • Deuteronomy 25:15 But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
  • Proverbs 28:2 For the transgression of a land many are the princes thereof: but by a man of understanding and knowledge the state thereof shall be prolonged.

“statutes” Hebrew H2708 · used in 100 verses

  • Genesis 26:5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.
  • Leviticus 26:43 The land also shall be left of them, and shall enjoy her sabbaths, while she lieth desolate without them: and they shall accept of the punishment of their iniquity: because, even because they despised my judgments, and because their soul abhorred my statutes.
  • 2 Kings 23:3 And the king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and all their soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant.