Deuteronomy 6:4,5 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

Ver. 4, 5. The Lord our God is one Lord, &c.— As polytheism was the great error of the world, the Jewish religion and laws were calculated to strike at the root of that epidemical evil. Therefore, the first and fundamental article of their creed is, that, as there is but one supreme God, Jehovah, the self-existent and everlasting; so he alone is to be the object of worship, in opposition to the many idols and false gods which were worshipped by the heathen nations. For this purpose, Le Clerc thinks the words ought to be rendered, Jehovah is our God, Jehovah alone; which the original certainly will bear, though our version is more agreeable to it, and, as Houbigant has well shewn, more consistent with the genuine doctrines of Christianity. According to our version, Moses here asserts the unity of the Godhead, which indeed is implied in Le Clerc's: for, the reason why the Jews and all other nations are bound to worship Jehovah as their only God and Lord, is, because he alone is the true God, the sovereign of heaven and earth. Those who understand the word aleim to be plural, and expressive of the divine covenant with man, interpret this text, as inculcating not only the doctrine of the Unity; but of the Trinity also. "Jehovah our God, the ever-blessed Trinity in covenant with us, is one Jehovah, or self-existent Being." But, for a full discussion of this important text, which would lead us into too great a length, we refer to Dr. Waterland's fourth sermon at lady Moyer's Lectures. And as this text, with what follows, is quoted by our Lord, Mark 12:29 we shall defer any further observations, till we come to that place.