Deuteronomy 6:8

Deu 6:8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.

Ver. 8. And thou shalt bind them.] {See Trapp on "Mat 23:5"}

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Deu 6:8. Thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thy hand — As at that time there were few written copies of the whole law, and the people had it read to them only at the feast of tabernacles, God seems to have appointed, at least for the present, that some select sentences of the law, that were most weighty and comprehensive, should literally be written upon their gates and walls, or on slips of parchment, to be worn about their wrists, or bound upon their foreheads. The spirit of the command, however, and the chief thing intended, undoubtedly was, that they should give all diligence and use all means to keep God’s laws always in remembrance, as men frequently bind something upon their hands, or put something before their eyes, to prevent forgetfulness of a thing which they much desire to remember.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

6:8 Tie them: The Lord’s commandments (6:6) were to be as interwoven into the hearts and minds of children as though they were tied to them. Eventually, this figurative phrase in Judaism was practiced literally by wrapping the forearm with cords representing the Torah (see study note on 4:44). • wear them: This figure of speech was represented literally in later Judaism by a small box containing a few brief Torah texts. The box and its contents (Hebrew tefillin; Greek phylactery) were reminders of the need to teach and obey the covenant (cp. 11:18; Matt 23:5).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Or, signs of remembrance.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 8. Thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thins hand] Is not this an allusion to an ancient and general custom observed in almost every part of the world? When a person wishes to remember a thing of importance, and is afraid to trust to the common operations of memory, he ties a knot on some part of his clothes, or a cord on his hand or finger, or places something out of its usual order, and in view, that his memory may be whetted to recollection, and his eye affect his heart. God, who knows how slow of heart we are to understand, graciously orders us to make use of every help, and through the means of things sensible, to rise to things spiritual.

And they shall be as frontlets] טטפת totaphoth seems to have the same meaning as phylacteries has in the New Testament; and for the meaning and description of these appendages to a Jew's dress and to his religion, see the notes on "Ex 13:9", and See "Mt 23:5", where a phylactery is particularly described.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(8) And thou shalt bind them . . .—From this precept the Jews derive the use of the Tephillin, the portions of the Law which they bind upon the head or arm when about to pray.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

8. thou shalt bind them for a sign … for frontlets, etc.] See for the exact meanings the notes on Exo_13:9; Exo_13:16. As there, so here probably the injunction is to be taken metaphorically and not literally, as the later Jews understood it, though they carried it out not by tattooing, which seems the meaning here, but by writing these words as well as Deu_11:15-21 and Exo_13:1-16 on small parchment rolls, enclosing them in metal covers, and wearing them, bound on the arm and brow, at morning prayer. They are called in late Hebrew tephillin and in the N.T. φυλακτἡρια. See E.B. ‘Frontlets.’

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand,.... As a man ties anything to his hand for a token, that he may remember somewhat he is desirous of; though the Jews understand this literally, of binding a scroll of parchment, with this section and others written in it, upon their left hand, as the Targum of Jonathan here interprets the hand:

and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes; and which the same Targum interprets of the Tephilim, or phylacteries, which the Jews wear upon their foreheads, and on their arms, and so Jarchi; of which See Gill on Mat 23:5.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

By adopting and regulating customary usages (e. g. Egyptian) Moses provides at once a check on superstition and a means of keeping the Divine Law in memory. On the “frontlets,” the “phylacteries” of the New Test. Mat 23:5, see Exo 13:16. On Deu 6:9; Deu 11:20 is based the Jewish usage of the mezuzah. This word denotes properly a door-post, as it is rendered here and in Exo 12:7, Exo 12:22; Exo 21:6 etc. Among the Jews however, it is the name given to the square piece of parchment, inscribed with Deu 6:4-9; Deu 11:13-21, which is rolled up in a small cylinder of wood or metal, and affixed to the right-hand post of every door in a Jewish house. The pious Jew touches the mezuzah on each occasion of passing, or kisses his finger, and speaks Psa 121:8 in the Hebrew language.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Sign, or seal, (Canticle of Canticles viii. 6.; Calmet) attached to the ring which the Jews wore on their fingers, (Haydock) to seal their letters, after they were enveloped and tied with linen. The Jews have bandages of vellum on their hand, with sentences of the law inscribed upon them, (Calmet) as well as others upon their forehead; while many get the whole law, particularly the Book of Deuteronomy, by heart: for which purpose, the Rabbins inform us, there were above 4000 schools and synagogues at Jerusalem, where the law of God was learnt and explained. The design of this injunction was not, however, to enforce the wearing of such bandages, as the Pharisees imagined, (Matthew xxiii. 5,) but to put all in mind that they ought to meditate frequently upon the commandments, (Tirinus) and regulate their lives by their direction. --- Shall move. Septuagint adds a negation, but to the same import, "it (the sign) shall not be removed from before thy eyes." (Haydock) --- Hebrew, "they shall be as totaphoth, frontlets, " ornaments hanging between the eyes. (Exodus xiii. 9.; Calmet) "Tephilim," (Chaldean) or "spectacles." (Grotius)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Thou shalt give all diligence, and use all means, to keep them in thy remembrance, as men ofttimes bind something upon their hands, or put it before their eyes, to prevent forgetfulness of a thing which they much desire to remember: compare Pro 3:3; 6:21; 7:3. See Poole "Exo 13:16".

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

8. Thou shalt bind them… upon thine hand, and… between thine eyes — The Jews applied this literally. The so-called phylacteries, in Hebrew tephillin, are leather boxes with four compartments, in which are put four portions of the law written on parchment. The passage is Exo_13:9. On this box is the letter שׁ, (shin,) written in the usual form, for the right hand side of the wearer, and the same letter with four strokes for the left hand side. There was another box with only one compartment, but with the same passages for the arm of the worshipper. The phylacteries were bound to the forehead and arm by long leather straps. The straps around the head were to be tied in the shape of a ד, (daleth.) The straps on the arm must go around it seven times, and three times around the middle finger, with enough over to form the letter י, (yodh.) Thus, by the shin on the leather box, the daleth on the forehead, and the yodh on the hand, would be formed the word Shaddai — the Almighty.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The words of God were to be bound for a sign a memorial or directory upon thine hand, the instrument of acting, and to be as frontlets fillets or bands between thine eyes, the organs of direction in walking or moving, and so on the forehead, the chamber of thought and purpose; and they were to inscribe them on the posts of their houses, and on their gates. The purport of this is that they were constantly and everywhere to have these commandments of the Lord in view and in mind, so as to undeviatingly observe them. It seems, however, to have been a custom widely prevalent among the ancient Eastern peoples to carry about their persons slips of parchment or some other material, on which were written sentences of moral or religious import; and such sentences they were also wont to inscribe on conspicuous places of their dwellings; usages still to be found among the Moslems (see Wilkinson, "Ancient Egyptians," 3:364; Lane, "Modern Egypt," 1:358; Russell, "Nat. Hist. of Aleppo;" Thomson, "Land and the Book," 1:216), and the latter of which was not altogether unknown among Western nations (cf. Virgil, "Georg." lit. 26, etc.), of which traces may still be seen in Switzerland, Germany, and on old houses in both England and Scotland. This custom originated, probably, in a desire to have the sentiments inscribed always in mind; but for the most part these inscriptions came to be regarded as amulets or charms, the presence of which on the person or the house was a safeguard against evil influences, especially such as were supernatural. By the Jews this custom was followed; and they regarded it as authorized by the injunction of Moses in this passage. Taking his words literally, they had their t and their mezuzah, the former of which the phylacteries of the New Testament were strips of parchment, on which passages of the Law (Exo_13:2-10, Exo_13:11-17; Deu_6:4-10, Deu_6:13-22) were written, and these, enclosed in a box, were bound on the forehead and left wrist, and worn at prayers by the worshippers; the latter a slip of parchment, on which were written certain passages of Scripture (vers. 4-9; Deu_11:13-21) and which, enclosed in a reed or cylinder, was fixed on the right-hand doorpost of every room in the house (see arts. "Mezuzah" and "Phylacteries" in Kitto"s "Biblical Cyclopedia," 3rd edit.).

Vers. 8, 9. God"s words to be valued.

The usages to which allusion is made suggest

I THE DUTY OF A HIGH VALUATION OF GOD"S COMMANDS. Only precepts highly valued would be treated as described.

II THE NECESSITY OF TAKING MEANS TO SECURE THE KEEPING OF GOD"S COMMANDMENTS IN REMEMBRANCE. We may keep the injunction in spirit:

1. By frequent reading of Scripture. (Psa_1:2 Psa_119:11-16)

2. By frequent converse with others. (Mal_3:16)

3. By frequent recalling of God"s words to our thoughts. (Heb_2:3)

4. By the use of such expedients as experience suggests a privately, marked Bible, etc.

III THE IMPORTANCE OF CARRYING GOD"S COMMANDMENTS INTO EVERY DETAIL OF LIFE. Hands, eyes, doorposts, etc.-our working, seeing, home occupations, etc. J.O.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Thou shalt bind them - Thou shalt give all diligence, and use all means to keep them in thy remembrance, as men often bind something upon their hands, or put it before their eyes to prevent forgetfulness of a thing which they much desire to remember.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

General Information:

Moses continues to tell the people of Israel Yahweh's words as if the Israelites are one person. (See: Forms of You)

tie them

This is a metonym for "write these words on parchment, put the parchment in a pouch, and tie the pouch." This metonym in turn may be a metaphor for "obey these words so that it is as if they were physically there." AT: "tie these words" (See: Metonymy and Metaphor)

as a sign upon your hand

"as something to make you remember my laws"

they will serve as frontlets

This is a metonym for "write these words on parchment, put the parchment in a pouch, and tie the pouch to your head so it sits." This metonym in turn may be a metaphor for "obey these words so that it is as if they were physically there." AT: "my words will serve as frontlets"(See: Metonymy and Metaphor)

frontlets

ornaments a person wears on the forehead

You will write

This is a command.

translationWords

sign

hand

servant

doorpost

gate

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

וקשרתם AND THOU SHALT BIND THEM [ … UPON THY HAND] — These are the Tephillin that are placed on the arm,

לטטפות בין עיניך AND THEY SHALL BE FOR FRONTLETS BETWEEN THINE EYES — these are the Tephillin that are placed upon the head. It is in reference to the number of the Scriptural sections contained in them that they are termed טטפת, for טט denotes "two" in Katpi and פת in Afriki denotes "two" (Sanhedrin 4b; cf. Rashi on Exodus 13:16).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.