The Meaning of Deuteronomy 6:7 Explained

Deuteronomy 6:7

KJV: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

YLT: and thou hast repeated them to thy sons, and spoken of them in thy sitting in thine house, and in thy walking in the way, and in thy lying down, and in thy rising up,

Darby: and thou shalt impress them on thy sons, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou goest on the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

ASV: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thy house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And thou shalt teach them diligently  unto thy children,  and shalt talk  of them when thou sittest  in thine house,  and when thou walkest  by the way,  and when thou liest down,  and when thou risest up. 

What does Deuteronomy 6:7 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 6:1-19 - How To Treat God's Words
Obedience is still the one condition of true prosperity and success. Lands still flow with milk and honey; and they live long who live well. Lives are measured by heart-throbs, and not by figures on the dial.
Deuteronomy 6:4 is reckoned by pious Jews as one of the choicest portions of Scripture. They write it on their phylacteries and repeat it, with other verses, at least twice a day. Note the various methods for maintaining the religious atmosphere: (1) by meditation; (2) by the religious training of children; (3) by pious discourse and conversation; (4) by the persistent study of Scripture. When books are scarce, use wall-texts; but never substitute stray snippets, however sweet, for the whole meal of Scripture.
Let us not forget how many of our present privileges and spiritual advantages must be credited to the prayers and the tears, the labors and the sufferings, of those who have left these precious inheritances to us, their children and heirs! We drink of cisterns we never hewed! [source]

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 6

1  The end of the law is obedience
3  An exhortation thereto
20  What they are to teach their children

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 6:7 mean?

And You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up
וְשִׁנַּנְתָּ֣ם לְבָנֶ֔יךָ וְדִבַּרְתָּ֖ בָּ֑ם בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ֤ בְּבֵיתֶ֙ךָ֙ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ֣ בַדֶּ֔רֶךְ וּֽבְשָׁכְבְּךָ֖ וּבְקוּמֶֽךָ

וְשִׁנַּנְתָּ֣ם  And  You  shall  teach  them  diligently 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁנַן 
Sense: to sharpen, whet.
לְבָנֶ֔יךָ  to  your  children 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
וְדִבַּרְתָּ֖  and  shall  talk 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
בָּ֑ם  of  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine plural
בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ֤  when  you  sit 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, second person masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
בְּבֵיתֶ֙ךָ֙  in  your  house 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ֣  and  when  you  walk 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, second person masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
בַדֶּ֔רֶךְ  by  the  way 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
וּֽבְשָׁכְבְּךָ֖  and  when  you  lie  down 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, second person masculine singular
Root: שָׁכַב  
Sense: to lie down.
וּבְקוּמֶֽךָ  and  when  you  rise  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, second person masculine singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.