Deuteronomy 14:2

For you are a people holy ¹  to the Lord your God. He ²  has chosen you to be his people, prized ³  above all others on the face of the earth.

Ex 19:5,6; Le 11:45; Le 19:2; Le 20:26; De 7:6; De 14:21; De 26:18,19; De 28:9; Isa 6:13; Isa 62:12; Eze 21:2; Da 8:24; Da 12:7; Tit 2:14; 1Pe 2:9

¹ tn Or “set apart.”

² tn Heb “The Lord.” The pronoun has been used in the translation for stylistic reasons to avoid redundancy.

³ tn Or “treasured.” The Hebrew term סְגֻלָּה (sÿgullah) describes Israel as God’s choice people, those whom he elected and who are most precious to him (cf. Exod 19:4-6; Deut 14:2; 26:18; 1 Chr 29:3; Ps 135:4; Eccl 2:8 Mal 3:17). See E. Carpenter, NIDOTTE 3:224.

sn The Hebrew term translated “select” (and the whole verse) is reminiscent of the classic covenant text (Exod 19:4-6) which describes Israel’s entry into covenant relationship with the Lord. Israel must resist paganism and its trappings precisely because she is a holy people elected by the Lord from among the nations to be his instrument of world redemption (cf. Deut 7:6; 26:18; Ps 135:4; Mal 3:17; Titus 2:14; 1 Pet 2:9).