The Meaning of Deuteronomy 6:9 Explained

Deuteronomy 6:9

KJV: And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

YLT: and thou hast written them on door-posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

Darby: And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and upon thy gates.

ASV: And thou shalt write them upon the door-posts of thy house, and upon thy gates.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And thou shalt write  them upon the posts  of thy house,  and on thy gates. 

What does Deuteronomy 6:9 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 6:9 mean?

And You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates -
וּכְתַבְתָּ֛ם עַל־ מְזוּזֹ֥ת בֵּיתֶ֖ךָ וּבִשְׁעָרֶֽיךָ ס

וּכְתַבְתָּ֛ם  And  You  shall  write  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: כָּתַב  
Sense: to write, record, enrol.
מְזוּזֹ֥ת  the  doorposts 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: מְזוּזָה  
Sense: doorpost, gatepost.
בֵּיתֶ֖ךָ  of  your  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
וּבִשְׁעָרֶֽיךָ  and  on  your  gates 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: שַׁעַר  
Sense: gate.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation