📜WEB · Deuteronomy 6:15
What does Deuteronomy 6:15 mean?
"for Yahweh your God among you is a jealous God; lest the anger of Yahweh your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from off the face of the earth."
— Deuteronomy 6:15 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
then beware lest you forget Yahweh, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
You shall fear Yahweh your God; and you shall serve him, and shall swear by his name.
You shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the peoples who are around you;
for Yahweh your God among you is a jealous God; lest the anger of Yahweh your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from off the face of the earth.
You shall not tempt Yahweh your God, as you tempted him in Massah.
You shall diligently keep the commandments of Yahweh your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he has commanded you.
You shall do that which is right and good in Yahweh’s sight; that it may be well with you, and that you may go in and possess the good land which Yahweh swore to your fathers,
Explanation
Deuteronomy 6:15 comes right after the famous Shema ("Hear, O Israel: Yahweh our God, Yahweh is one," 6:4) and the command to love God with all one's heart, soul, and strength. In plain language, the verse warns Israel that the God who dwells among them is a "jealous God" — meaning he will not tolerate rivals or divided loyalty — and that if they turn to worship other gods, his anger will burn against them to the point of destroying them from the land. It is a solemn warning attached to the call to exclusive devotion.
The book of Deuteronomy presents itself as Moses' farewell address to the people of Israel on the plains of Moab, just before they enter the Promised Land. Moses is renewing the covenant given at Sinai for a new generation who did not personally witness those events. The surrounding nations worshiped many gods, and Israel would be tempted, once settled in Canaan, to blend the worship of Yahweh with the local Canaanite deities (like Baal and Asherah). This verse functions as a covenant warning: the blessings promised in the preceding verses (a good land, prosperity, God's presence) are tied to fidelity, and unfaithfulness carries real consequences.
Theologically, the term "jealous" here does not mean petty insecurity but reflects the exclusive, covenantal nature of Israel's relationship with God, often compared in Scripture to a marriage. Just as a faithful spouse rightly resents infidelity because of the intimacy and commitment of the relationship, God's
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