Charles Spurgeon Commentary Deuteronomy 6:2

"that thou mightest fear Jehovah thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son`s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged." — Deuteronomy 6:2 (ASV)

That you might fear the LORD your God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, you, and your son, and your son’s son, all the days of your life; and that your days may be prolonged.

The fear of God must always be a practical power in our lives: that you might fear the Lord your God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments. And that practical fear should lead us into obedience in detail; we ought to study God’s Word so that we endeavor to keep all his statutes and his commandments. A slipshod obedience is disobedience. We must be careful and watchful to know the divine will, and in all respects to carry it out.

You who are his children, dwelling in such a household, and with such a Father, it is fitting for you to be obedient children. Indeed, it is not only for us to obey the command of the Lord our God, but we should pray until the rest of the verse also comes true: you, and your son, and your son’s son, our children and our children’s children. I am sure that, if we love God, we will long that our children and our children’s children may love him, too.

If your trade has supported you and provided you with a comfortable living, you will naturally wish to train your son in it. But, on a far higher platform, if God has been a good God to you, your deepest desire will be that your son and your son’s son should serve the same Divine Master through all the days of their life.

That your days may be prolonged. God does not give long life to all his people; yet obedience to God is the most probable way of securing long life. There are also many of God’s saints who are spared in times of pestilence, or who are delivered by an act of faith out of great dangers.

That ancient declaration of God often comes true in these later times: As the days of a tree are the days of my people, and my elect will long enjoy the work of their hands.

At any rate, you who love the Lord will live out your days, whereas the wicked will not live out half their days. You will complete the circle of life, whether it be a great circle or a little one; with long life God will satisfy you, and show you his salvation.

The passage which now follows is highly esteemed by the Jewish people even down to this day. They repeat it frequently, for it forms part of their morning and evening services.