12:30a–c

In this verse Jesus was quoting from Deuteronomy 6:5, but he added the phrase “with all your mind” (see 12:30c). Both in Deuteronomy and here, the text indicates that a person should love God by devoting himself completely to God. For ways to translate this verse, see the General Comment on 12:30a–c at the end of 12:30c.

12:30a

Love the Lord your God: In Greek and Hebrew the form of this statement can be translated as either a command or a future event. In this context it is a command. For example:

you must love the Lord your God (New Jerusalem Bible)

It is written in a singular form. This command is spoken to a group of people, and it applies to each person in the group. Use a natural way in your language to express such a command. In some languages you may need to use a plural form.

Love: In this context the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Love refers to loving God. It means “to be devoted to him, to cherish him.” A person who loves God will value and reverence him with gratitude and affection. He will want to please God because he loves God. He will want to think about the things that God is interested in.

the Lord your God: The phrase the Lord your God refers to the same Lord as the phrase “the Lord our God” in 12:29.

See the notes in 12:29b for translation suggestions. See Lord, Context 2, in the Glossary.

12:30b–c

with all your heart…soul…mind…strength: The four Greek terms that the Berean Standard Bible translates as heart, soul, mind, and strength function together here to refer to a person’s entire being. Each of these terms is also preceded by the word all. This emphasizes that everyone should completely devote himself to loving the Lord. A person should use all his will, emotions, ability, and intelligence to love the Lord in every way that is possible.

In some languages it may be helpful to make this clear by supplying a summary phrase. For example:

with all your being: heart, soul, mind, and strength

In Greek these terms have many similarities. For example, the words translated as “heart” and “soul” both refer to a person’s inner being or inner life. The words translated as “heart” and “mind” are also very similar. Both are the source of a person’s thoughts and decisions. (The Hebrew word for “heart” denotes primarily the mental faculties (mind and will) but also includes the emotions. So the primary meaning of the Hebrew word (mind and will) is synonymous with the word “mind” used here (Hooker 1991 page 287, Hendricksen pages 492–493). The Greek word for “heart” denotes the center of a person’s inner life. It includes his thinking, feeling and decision-making.)

It is important to understand that these terms are not intended to describe distinct parts of a human being. They function together to describe all of a person’s personality and abilities. In some languages, there may be more or less than four terms to describe this. Use natural terms in your language.

12:30b

heart: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as heart refers to the part of a person that has feelings and makes decisions. This includes a person’s intentions, purposes, thoughts and attitudes. See how you translated this word in 7:19a.

soul: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as soul refers to a person’s inner self or life. It includes his personality, his thinking and his feeling. The same Greek word occurs in 8:36a–b, but it may have a different focus in that context.

12:30c

mind: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as mind refers to a person’s intellect or understanding, his ability to think and reason.

strength: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as strength refers to a person’s ability to do something. It may also include his physical strength or power.

General Comment on 12:30a–c

In some languages it may not be possible to speak of loving God with various things. Here are some other ways to express this meaning:

You must concentrate all your thoughts/mind, intelligence and strength in loving God who is your Lord.
-or-
You must love the Lord your God in all of your life. In everything you think or feel or do, you must show that you love him very much.

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