This translation is from the New American Bible. The bolded hyperlinks will take you to additional translations. The entire chapter is included to provide context.
Information about the meaning the original Hebrew or Greek of what seem to be key words is provided in blue.
Excerpts collected in yellow tell us something about God’s nature or our relationship to Him.
Excerpts collected in green tell us about something God wants us to do.
A link to a collection of other scriptures addressing principles similar to those set out in these readings are provided at the very end of this post.
Reading I
Moses spoke to the people, saying:
"Fear the LORD, your God, and keep, throughout the days of your lives, all his statutes and commandments which I enjoin on you, and thus have long life. Hear then, Israel, and be careful to observe them, that you may grow and prosper the more, in keeping with the promise of the LORD, the God of your fathers, to give you a land flowing with milk and honey.
"Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone! Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength.
Take to heartthese words which I enjoin on you today."
fear = יָרֵא= yare'
revere; to stand in awe of, be awed; reverence, honour, respect; to cause astonishment; tremble; venerate
keep, observe = שָׁמַר= šāmar
to keep, guard, observe, give heed; retain, treasure up (in memory); preserve; attend to
hear = שָׁמַע= šāmaʿ
listen to, obey; perceive by ear;to hear with attention or interest, listen to; give heed; to consent, agree; yield to;to obey, be obedient; to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; to hear
love = אָהַב= 'ahab
human love for another, includes family, and sexual; act of being a friend; to have affection for (sexually or otherwise); to desire, breathe after; to delight; to be verdant, to germinate
heart = לֵבָב= lebab
inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding; mind, knowledge, thinking, reflection, memory; inclination, resolution, determination (of will); seat of appetites; seat of emotions and passions; mode of thinking and acting; will and purpose; intellect
Responsorial Psalm
R. (2) I love you, Lord, my strength.
I love you, O LORD, my strength, O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer.
R. I love you, Lord, my strength.
My God, my rock of refuge, my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold!
Praised be the LORD, I exclaim, and I am safe from my enemies.
R. I love you, Lord, my strength.
The LORD lives! And blessed be my rock! Extolled be God my savior.
You who gave great victories to your king and showed kindness to your anointed.
R. I love you, Lord, my strength.
love = רָחַם= rāḥam
to love, love deeply, have mercy, be compassionate, have tender affection, have compassion; behold with tenderest affection
Reading II
Hebrews 7:23-28
The Levitical priests were many because they were prevented by death from remaining in office, but Jesus, because he remains forever, has a priesthood that does not pass away. Therefore, he is always able to save those who approach God through him, since he lives forever to make intercession for them.It was fitting that we should have such a high priest: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, higher than the heavens.
He has no need, as did the high priests, to offer sacrifice day after day, first for his own sins and then for those of the people; he did that once for all when he offered himself.
For the law appoints men subject to weakness to be high priests, but the word of the oath, which was taken after the law, appoints a son, who has been made perfect forever.
approach = προσέρχομαι = proserchomai
to come or go near to; draw near; approach
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
come or go to; approach, draw nigh; come in, surrender, capitulate; come forward to speak; appear before a tribunal; approach an official; have recourse to
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever loves me will keep my word, says the Lord; and my father will love him and we will come to him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
love= ἀγαπάω = agapaō
to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly; to be well pleased, to be contented at or with a thing; to take pleasure in the thing, prize it above other things, be unwilling to abandon it or do without it; to welcome with desire, long for
to be full of good-will and exhibit the same; to have a preference for, wish well to, regard the welfare of
Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words
"Love can be known only from the actions it prompts *** this is not the love of complacency, or affection, that is, it was not drawn out by any excellency in its objects; It was an exercise of the [] will in deliberate choice, made without assignable cause[]”
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
greet with affection, show affection for; persuade, entreat; to be fond of, prize, desire; to be well pleased, contented
keep = τηρέω =tēreō
to guard; to watch over, keep, give heed to, observe; hold fast;to attend to carefully, take care of
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott,A Greek-English Lexicon
watch over, take care of, guard; maintain; take care that; give heed to, watch narrowly, observe; notice; test by observation or trial;preserve, retain
Gospel
One of the scribes came to Jesus and asked him, "Which is the first of all the commandments?"
Jesus replied, "The first is this:
Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is Lord alone!
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these."
The scribe said to him, "Well said, teacher. You are right in saying, 'He is One and there is no other than he.' And 'to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself' is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
And when Jesus saw that he answered with understanding, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."
And no one dared to ask him any more questions.
came = προσέρχομαι = proserchomai
to come or go near to; draw near; approach
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
come or go to; approach, draw nigh; come in, surrender, capitulate; come forward to speak; appear before a tribunal; approach an official; have recourse to
asked = ἐπερωτάω = eperōtaō
more intensive character of the "asking," it virtually signifies to demand;to accost one with an enquiry, put a question to, enquiry of, ask, interrogate;demand, desire, question; to consult God; to seek to know God's purpose and to do his will; to address one with a request or demand; to ask of or demand of one
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott,A Greek-English Lexicon
consult, inquire of; put a question; ask a further question
love= ἀγαπάω = agapaō
see the alleluia verse
all = ὅλος = holos
all, whole, complete
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
whole, entire, complete in all its parts; entire, utter
kingdom = βασιλεία = basileia
is primarily an abstract noun, denoting "sovereignty, royal power, dominion;" denoting the ... people over whom a king rules; the right or authority to rule;reign; royal power and dignity; the rule of God; God's rule, the divine administration; the universe subject to God's sway, God's royal domain
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
Dominion; being ruled by a king; reign
What to these readings tell us about God/His ways:
keep, throughout the days of your lives, all his statutes and commandmentswhich I enjoin on you, and thus have long life
the promise of the LORD, the God of your fathers, to give you a land flowing with milk and honey
The LORD is our God, the LORD alone
Lord, my strength.
O LORD, my strength
my rock, my fortress, my deliverer
Lord, my strength.
my rock of refuge
my shield
the horn of my salvation
my stronghold!
I am safe from my enemies
Lord, my strength
The LORD lives!
my rock!
God my savior
gave great victories
showed kindness to your anointed
Lord, my strength
Jesus, because he remains forever
has a priesthood that does not pass away
he is always able to save those who approach God through him
he lives forever to make intercession
holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, higher than the heavens
he did that once for all when he offered himself
has been made perfect forever
my father will love him and we will come to him
The Lord our God is Lord alone!
There is no other commandment greater than these
He is One and there is no other than he
to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourselfis worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices
What do these readings tell us to do:
Fear the LORD
fear = יָרֵא= yare'
revere; to stand in awe of, be awed; reverence, honour, respect; to cause astonishment; tremble; venerate
keep, throughout the days of your lives, all his statutes and commandments
keep, observe = שָׁמַר= šāmar
to keep, guard, observe, give heed; retain, treasure up (in memory); preserve; attend to
Hear then, Israel, and be careful to observe them
Hear
hear = שָׁמַע= šāmaʿ
listen to, obey; perceive by ear;to hear with attention or interest, listen to; give heed; to consent, agree; yield to;to obey, be obedient; to hear intelligently, often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; to hear
love the LORD, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength
love = אָהַב= 'ahab
human love for another, includes family, and sexual; act of being a friend; to have affection for (sexually or otherwise); to desire, breathe after; to delight; to be verdant, to germinate
Take to heartthese words
heart = לֵבָב= lebab
inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding; mind, knowledge, thinking, reflection, memory; inclination, resolution, determination (of will); seat of appetites; seat of emotions and passions; mode of thinking and acting; will and purpose; intellect
love you
love = רָחַם= rāḥam
to love, love deeply, have mercy, be compassionate, have tender affection, have compassion; behold with tenderest affection
love you
love you
love you
love you
approach God through him
approach = προσέρχομαι = proserchomai
to come or go near to; draw near; approach
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
come or go to; approach, draw nigh; come in, surrender, capitulate; come forward to speak; appear before a tribunal; approach an official; have recourse to
love[] me
love= ἀγαπάω = agapaō
to welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly; to be well pleased, to be contented at or with a thing; to take pleasure in the thing, prize it above other things, be unwilling to abandon it or do without it; to welcome with desire, long for; to be full of good-will and exhibit the same; to have a preference for, wish well to, regard the welfare of
Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words
"Love can be known only from the actions it prompts *** this is not the love of complacency, or affection, that is, it was not drawn out by any excellency in its objects; It was an exercise of the [] will in deliberate choice, made without assignable cause[]”
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
greet with affection, show affection for; persuade, entreat; to be fond of, prize, desire; to be well pleased, contented
keep my word
keep = τηρέω =tēreō
to guard; to watch over, keep, give heed to, observe; hold fast;to attend to carefully, take care of
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott,A Greek-English Lexicon
watch over, take care of, guard; maintain; take care that; give heed to, watch narrowly, observe; notice; test by observation or trial;preserve, retain
came to Jesus and asked him
came = προσέρχομαι = proserchomai
to come or go near to; draw near; approach
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
come or go to; approach, draw nigh; come in, surrender, capitulate; come forward to speak; appear before a tribunal; approach an official; have recourse to
asked = ἐπερωτάω = eperōtaō
more intensive character of the "asking," it virtually signifies to demand;to accost one with an enquiry, put a question to, enquiry of, ask, interrogate;demand, desire, question; to consult God; to seek to know God's purpose and to do his will; to address one with a request or demand; to ask of or demand of one
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott,A Greek-English Lexicon
consult, inquire of; put a question; ask a further question
Hear
love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind,
and with all your strength
all = ὅλος = holos
all, whole, complete
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
whole, entire, complete in all its parts; entire, utter
love your neighbor as yourself.
love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength
love your neighbor as yourself
Scriptures addressing similar principles are collected at Wisdom Principles: We Must Make Real Effort/Sacrifice to Receive All that God Offers, But It Is Well Worth It
