The Shema: Loving God with Heart, Soul, and Strength. Few passages capture the heartbeat of biblical faith like the Shema—named from its first Hebrew word, שְׁמַע (shema), meaning hear. Found in Deuteronomy 6:4–9, it remains the daily confession of Israel and the foundation of Jesus’ own summary of God’s greatest commandment. To understand the Shema is to grasp what God desires most: undivided love.