Fear the LORD your God, serve Him only, and take your oaths in His name.
Parallel translations
- WEB You shall fear Yahweh your God; and you shall serve him, and shall swear by his name.
- KJV Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.
- NKJV You shall fear the Lord your God and serve Him, and shall take oaths in His name.
- NASB You shall fear only the Lord your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name.
- NLT You must fear the Lord your God and serve him. When you take an oath, you must use only his name.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Israel must fear, serve, and swear by Yahweh alone. Exclusive reverence and allegiance belong to God.
Overview
Moses commands the fear of God, exclusive service, and oaths taken only in his name, marking total covenant loyalty. Allegiance to Yahweh must be undivided and sincere. Jesus quotes this verse to repel Satan's temptation, affirming that worship and service belong to God alone (Matthew 4:10).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 17
- Luke 4:8But Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’”
- Matt 4:10“Away from Me, Satan!” Jesus declared. “For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’”
- Deut 10:20You are to fear the LORD your God and serve Him. Hold fast to Him and take your oaths in His name.
- Deut 13:4You are to follow the LORD your God and fear Him. Keep His commandments and listen to His voice; serve Him and hold fast to Him.
- Lev 19:12You must not swear falsely by My name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.
- Deut 10:12And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,
- Ps 63:11But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by Him will exult, for the mouths of liars will be shut.
- Isa 45:23By Myself I have sworn; truth has gone out from My mouth, a word that will not be revoked: Every knee will bow before Me, every tongue will swear allegiance.
- Isa 65:16Whoever invokes a blessing in the land will do so by the God of truth, and whoever takes an oath in the land will swear by the God of truth. For the former troubles will be forgotten and hidden from My sight.
- Jer 12:16And if they will diligently learn the ways of My people and swear by My name, saying, ‘As surely as the LORD lives’—just as they once taught My people to swear by Baal—then they will be established among My people.
- Jer 4:2and if you can swear, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then the nations will be blessed by Him, and in Him they will glory.”
- Josh 2:12Now therefore, please swear to me by the LORD that you will indeed show kindness to my family, because I showed kindness to you. Give me a sure sign
- Deut 6:2so that you and your children and grandchildren may fear the LORD your God all the days of your lives by keeping all His statutes and commandments that I give you, and so that your days may be prolonged.
- Deut 5:29If only they had such a heart to fear Me and keep all My commandments always, so that it might be well with them and with their children forever.
- Ps 15:4who despises the vile but honors those who fear the LORD, who does not revise a costly oath,
- Jer 5:2Although they say, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ they are swearing falsely.”
- Jer 5:7“Why should I forgive you? Your children have forsaken Me and sworn by gods that are not gods. I satisfied their needs, yet they committed adultery and assembled at the houses of prostitutes.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Moses promised a Prophet like himself to whom Israel must listen (18:15); Jesus is that Prophet, the one who keeps the covenant we broke and becomes the curse for us by hanging on a tree (Gal 3:13).
How Deuteronomy 6:13 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.