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PricingAboutSupportThe Shema Word by Word
Deuteronomy 6:4–5 is short, liturgical, and packed with suffixes, construct, and the name of God.
Hear, Israel
שְׁמַע is a ms imperative. יִשְׂרָאֵל is a name, already definite. יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה אֶחָד can be parsed more than one way in English ("the LORD is one" / "the LORD our God, the LORD is one"). The Hebrew is a tight nominal clause.
hear!
Deut 6:4Israel
Deut 6:4our God
Deut 6:4one
Deut 6:4You Shall Love
וְאָהַבְתָּ is weqatal: instruction, not a past anecdote. אֵת marks the object. אֱלֹהֶיךָ is construct plus a 2ms suffix. בְּכָל plus three nouns (heart, life, might) is a triple construct of "all of."
and you shall love
Deut 6:5your God
Deut 6:5your heart
Deut 6:5your life / soul
Deut 6:5your might / much
Deut 6:5In the Synagogue
The Shema is recited with later paragraphs too (Deut 6:4–9, 11:13–21, Num 15:37–41). Start with 6:4–5 in Hebrew; the rest uses the same suffix patterns.
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