Open your ears. Listen attentively. Now some very important words will be said. This is immediately apparent because the divine name YHWH is used twice here. Moses was allowed to hear this special name when he was commanded to lead the oppressed descendants of Jacob out of the land of slavery in Egypt. When he asked for God's name, Moses received the answer: I AM WHO I AM. Therefore, say to the Israelites, I AM has sent me to you
(Exodus 3:14). This name, therefore, primarily indicates God's presence with his people. They can be assured of this. This close God—as Moses reminds the people again in his farewell sermon—may truly be our God. What a delight to know and experience this!
But realize well, he adds, this God is the only one. The Hebrew word echad is not so easy to translate. This is also evident in the fact that the ESV points out several translation possibilities. Among them: the Lord is our God, the Lord alone.
Other translations choose the only one.
This exclusive formulation is to be preferred here. No one can be compared to the Lord. This God is unique. This also fits well with what Moses said earlier in his address: You have witnessed this so “that you may know that the Lord alone is God; there is no other besides him" (Deuteronomy 4:35; see also Deuteronomy 4:39 and Deuteronomy 7:9).
It was precisely this that the Israelites needed to understand now that they were about to enter the Promised Land of Canaan. The inhabitants there worshipped numerous gods. They were not to adopt them under any circumstances. Therefore, the strong command follows here to acknowledge the Lord alone, who, after all, brought you out from the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm
(Deuteronomy 5:15; the fourth commandment!), as the only God.
4 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.