Westminster Larger Catechism (1647), Westminster Assembly

Question 104

What are the duties required in the first commandment?

The duties required in the first commandment are, the knowing and acknowledging of God to be the only true God, and our God;a and to worship and glorify him accordingly,b by thinking,c meditating,d remembering,e highly esteeming,f honoring,g adoring,h choosing,i loving,j desiring,k fearing of him;l believing him;m trusting,n hoping,o delighting,p rejoicing in him;q being zealous for him;r calling upon him, giving all praise and thanks,s and yielding all obedience and submission to him with the whole man;t being careful in all things to please him,u and sorrowful when in anything he is offended;v and walking humbly with him.w

What are the duties required in the first commandment?

The duties required in the first commandment are, the knowing and acknowledging of God to be the only true God, and our God;a and to worship and glorify him accordingly,b by thinking,c meditating,d remembering,e highly esteeming,f honoring,g adoring,h choosing,i loving,j desiring,k fearing of him;l believing him;m trusting,n hoping,o delighting,p rejoicing in him;q being zealous for him;r calling upon him, giving all praise and thanks,s and yielding all obedience and submission to him with the whole man;t being careful in all things to please him,u and sorrowful when in anything he is offended;v and walking humbly with him.w

  1. a. 1 Chronicles 28:9; Deuteronomy 26:17; Isaiah 43:10; Jeremiah 14:22

    1 Chronicles 28:9

    28:9 And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.

    28:9 As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve Him wholeheartedly and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands the intent of every thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever.

    Deuteronomy 26:17

    26:17 Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice:

    26:17 Today you have proclaimed that the LORD is your God and that you will walk in His ways, keep His statutes and commandments and ordinances, and listen to His voice.

    Isaiah 43:10

    43:10 Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.

    43:10 "You are My witnesses," declares the LORD, "and My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may consider and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me no god was formed, and after Me none will come.

    Jeremiah 14:22

    14:22 Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain? or can the heavens give showers? art not thou he, O Lord our God? therefore we will wait upon thee: for thou hast made all these things.

    14:22 Can the worthless idols of the nations bring rain? Do the skies alone send showers? Is this not by You, O LORD our God? So we put our hope in You, for You have done all these things.

    King James VersionBerean Standard Bible

  2. b. Psalm 95:6–7; Matthew 4:10; Psalm 29:2

    Psalm 95:6–7

    95:6 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker. 95:7 For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice,

    95:6 O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. 95:7 For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, the sheep under His care. Today, if you hear His voice,

    Matthew 4:10

    4:10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

    4:10 "Away from Me, Satan!" Jesus declared. "For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.'"

    Psalm 29:2

    29:2 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

    29:2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name; worship the LORD in the splendor of His holiness.

    King James VersionBerean Standard Bible

  3. c. Malachi 3:16

    Malachi 3:16

    3:16 Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name.

    3:16 At that time those who feared the LORD spoke with one another, and the LORD listened and heard them. So a scroll of remembrance was written before Him regarding those who feared the LORD and honored His name.

    King James VersionBerean Standard Bible

  4. d. Psalm 63:6

    Psalm 63:6

    63:6 When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.

    63:6 When I remember You on my bed, I think of You through the watches of the night.

    King James VersionBerean Standard Bible

  5. e. Ecclesiastes 12:1

    Ecclesiastes 12:1

    12:1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

    12:1 Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of adversity come and the years approach of which you will say, "I find no pleasure in them,"

    King James VersionBerean Standard Bible

  6. f. Psalm 71:19

    Psalm 71:19

    71:19 Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee!

    71:19 Your righteousness reaches to the heavens, O God, You who have done great things. Who, O God, is like You?

    King James VersionBerean Standard Bible

  7. g. Malachi 1:6

    Malachi 1:6

    1:6 A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the Lord of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?

    1:6 "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. But if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a master, where is your fear of Me?" says the LORD of Hosts to you priests who despise My name. "But you ask, 'How have we despised Your name?'

    King James VersionBerean Standard Bible

  8. h. Isaiah 45:23

    Isaiah 45:23

    45:23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.

    45:23 By Myself I have sworn; truth has gone out from My mouth, a word that will not be revoked: Every knee will bow before Me, every tongue will swear allegiance.

    King James VersionBerean Standard Bible

  9. i. Joshua 24:15, 22

    Joshua 24:15; Joshua 24:22

    24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. 24:22 And Joshua said unto the people, Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the Lord, to serve him. And they said, We are witnesses.

    24:15 But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!" 24:22 Then Joshua told them, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the LORD." "We are witnesses!" they said.

    King James VersionBerean Standard Bible

  10. j. Deuteronomy 6:5

    Deuteronomy 6:5

    6:5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

    6:5 And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

    King James VersionBerean Standard Bible

  11. k. Psalm 73:25

    Psalm 73:25

    73:25 Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.

    73:25 Whom have I in heaven but You? And on earth I desire no one besides You.

    King James VersionBerean Standard Bible

  12. l. Isaiah 8:13

    Isaiah 8:13

    8:13 Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

    8:13 The LORD of Hosts is the One you shall regard as holy. Only He should be feared; only He should be dreaded.

    King James VersionBerean Standard Bible

  13. m. Exodus 14:31

    Exodus 14:31

    14:31 And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and his servant Moses.

    14:31 When Israel saw the great power that the LORD had exercised over the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and believed in Him and in His servant Moses.

    King James VersionBerean Standard Bible

  14. n. Isaiah 26:4

    Isaiah 26:4

    26:4 Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength:

    26:4 Trust in the LORD forever, because GOD the LORD is the Rock eternal.

    King James VersionBerean Standard Bible

  15. o. Psalm 130:7

    Psalm 130:7

    130:7 Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.

    130:7 O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is loving devotion, and with Him is redemption in abundance.

    King James VersionBerean Standard Bible

  16. p. Psalm 37:4

    Psalm 37:4

    37:4 Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

    37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.

    King James VersionBerean Standard Bible

  17. q. Psalm 32:11

    Psalm 32:11

    32:11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.

    32:11 Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, O righteous ones; shout for joy, all you upright in heart.

    King James VersionBerean Standard Bible

  18. r. Romans 12:11; Numbers 25:11

    Romans 12:11

    12:11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;

    12:11 Do not let your zeal subside; keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.

    Numbers 25:11

    25:11 Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy.

    25:11 "Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, has turned My wrath away from the Israelites; for he was zealous for My sake among them, so that I did not consume the Israelites in My zeal.

    King James VersionBerean Standard Bible

  19. s. Philippians 4:6

    Philippians 4:6

    4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

    4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

    King James VersionBerean Standard Bible

  20. t. Jeremiah 7:23; James 4:7

    Jeremiah 7:23

    7:23 But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.

    7:23 but this is what I commanded them: Obey Me, and I will be your God, and you will be My people. You must walk in all the ways I have commanded you, so that it may go well with you.

    James 4:7

    4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

    4:7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

    King James VersionBerean Standard Bible

  21. u. 1 John 3:22

    1 John 3:22

    3:22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

    3:22 and we will receive from Him whatever we ask, because we keep His commandments and do what is pleasing in His sight.

    King James VersionBerean Standard Bible

  22. v. Jeremiah 31:18; Psalm 119:136

    Jeremiah 31:18

    31:18 I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the Lord my God.

    31:18 I have surely heard Ephraim's moaning: 'You disciplined me severely, like an untrained calf. Restore me, that I may return, for You are the LORD my God.

    Psalm 119:136

    119:136 Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law.

    119:136 My eyes shed streams of tears because Your law is not obeyed.

    King James VersionBerean Standard Bible

  23. w. Micah 6:8

    Micah 6:8

    6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

    6:8 He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?

    King James VersionBerean Standard Bible

Related (2)

The Baptist Catechism (1695), parallel to this question

Question 51

What is required in the first commandment?

The first commandment requireth us to know and acknowledge God to be the only true God and our God, and to worship and glorify him accordingly.

Westminster Shorter Catechism (1647), parallel to this question

Question 46

What is required in the first commandment?

The first commandment requireth us to know and acknowledge God to be the only true God, and our God; and to worship and glorify him accordingly.

Commentaries (8)