Deuteronomy 14 2

Deuteronomy 14:2 kjv

For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.

Deuteronomy 14:2 nkjv

For you are a holy people to the LORD your God, and the LORD has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.

Deuteronomy 14:2 niv

for you are a people holy to the LORD your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the LORD has chosen you to be his treasured possession.

Deuteronomy 14:2 esv

For you are a people holy to the LORD your God, and the LORD has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.

Deuteronomy 14:2 nlt

You have been set apart as holy to the LORD your God, and he has chosen you from all the nations of the earth to be his own special treasure.

Deuteronomy 14 verses

Deuteronomy 14 2 Meaning

Deuteronomy 14:2 declares that the people of Israel are set apart by God. They are a "holy people" to the Lord their God because He sovereignly "chosen" them to be "a people for His special treasure" above all other nations on earth. This verse establishes the foundational theological reason for Israel's unique status and distinct way of life, emphasizing divine election and ownership as the basis for their identity and separation from surrounding cultures.

Deuteronomy 14 2 Context

Deuteronomy chapter 14 forms part of Moses' second major address to the new generation of Israelites on the plains of Moab, just before they enter the Promised Land. This chapter immediately follows commands concerning the treatment of the poor and the sabbatical year (chapter 13's focus was on false prophets and idolatry). Chapter 14 transitions into laws governing their distinctiveness as God's chosen people, starting with cultic purity laws like mourning rites for the dead (verse 1) and then moving directly into dietary laws concerning clean and unclean animals. Verse 2, therefore, provides the fundamental theological justification for these regulations: Israel's status as "a holy people" and "a special treasure" necessitated a different way of living from the surrounding nations. Historically, Israel was emerging from 40 years in the wilderness, on the cusp of settling in Canaan, a land saturated with polytheistic worship and practices that contradicted the singular worship of YHWH. This verse powerfully reminds them of their unique covenant relationship with God and the distinct lifestyle it demanded to prevent syncretism with Canaanite religions.

Deuteronomy 14 2 Word analysis

• For (כִּי ki): This conjunction acts as a causal or explanatory particle. It signals that the following statement provides the reason or explanation for what was just stated (in Deut 14:1, the prohibition against cutting themselves or shaving their heads for the dead, practices associated with pagan mourning rituals). It anchors the specific commands in a deeper theological truth.

• a holy people (עַם קָדֹשׁ ‘am qadosh):

  • 'Am means "people" or "nation," denoting a collective entity.
  • Qadosh means "holy," indicating separation, distinctiveness, and dedication for sacred use. It refers to that which is set apart from the common, mundane, or profane, specifically set apart to God. This is not primarily an ethical holiness yet, but a positional and relational one; Israel is God’s possession, hence "holy" by association and purpose.

• to the LORD your God (לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ lYHWH Elohekha):

  • YHWH (Lord) is God's covenant name, signifying His personal, relational, and self-existent nature.
  • Elohekha (your God) emphasizes the intimate, exclusive, and reciprocal relationship within the covenant. It is God to whom they are set apart and by whom they are claimed.

• has chosen you (בָּחַר בְּךָ bahar bekha):

  • Bahar means "to choose," "to select," or "to elect." This is a foundational theological concept across the Old Testament, emphasizing God's sovereign and unconditional choice. Israel’s chosenness is not based on their merit, size, or power (cf. Deut 7:7-8) but solely on God’s love and good pleasure. This act of choosing implies an initiating, personal act from God.

• to be a people for His special treasure (לְעַם סְגֻלָּה l’am segulah):

  • L'am (to be a people).
  • Segulah is a powerful and key term meaning a "special treasure," "prized possession," "peculiar treasure," or "exclusive property." It refers to something valuable that is uniquely owned and protected by a king or noble for personal use, often locked away or guarded because of its inherent value or importance to the owner. It implies ownership, intimacy, and protection. Israel is God's unique and highly valued possession among all nations.

• from all the peoples who are on the face of the earth (מִכָּל־הָעַמִּים אֲשֶׁר עַל־פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה mikol-ha’ammim asher ‘al-penei ha’adamah):

  • Mikol-ha’ammim (from all the peoples/nations): Emphasizes exclusivity and distinctness from all other groups of humanity. God's choice is particular, not universal at this stage, setting Israel apart from all Gentile nations.
  • Asher ‘al-penei ha’adamah (who are on the face of the earth): Further globalizes the comparison, stating that Israel's chosen status applies relative to every other group inhabiting the entire globe.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "a holy people to the LORD your God": This phrase defines Israel's identity relationally. Their holiness is derived from their connection to YHWH. It’s a dedicated, set-apart status bestowed by divine election. This relational holiness then requires practical, ethical holiness.
  • "has chosen you to be a people for His special treasure": This explains why they are holy and set apart. It’s because of God’s deliberate, sovereign act of election and His desire to claim them as His own valued possession. This emphasizes God’s initiative and their resulting unique worth to Him.
  • "from all the peoples who are on the face of the earth": This final phrase stresses the uniqueness and exclusivity of their relationship with YHWH among all humanity at that specific historical juncture. It underscores their distinct mission and identity.

Deuteronomy 14 2 Bonus section

The concept of "a holy people" and "a special treasure" in Deuteronomy 14:2 finds profound resonance and expansion in the New Testament. While initially specific to ethnic Israel, these terms are later applied to the Church (believers in Jesus Christ from all nations). 1 Peter 2:9, for instance, uses the very same titles—"a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people"—for the body of Christ, demonstrating that the principles of divine election, distinctiveness, and sacred purpose transcend ethnic boundaries through the work of Christ. This does not nullify God's ongoing unique relationship with ethnic Israel, but it expands the family of God's segulah people. The divine call to be "holy" for a holy God, and to live a distinct life separate from the practices of the world, remains a consistent theme across both testaments for those claimed by God.

Deuteronomy 14 2 Commentary

Deuteronomy 14:2 is a profound theological statement that grounds the subsequent purity laws and dietary restrictions within a robust understanding of Israel's identity. It states that Israel's distinctiveness—and the corresponding lifestyle it must embrace—is not arbitrary, nor is it based on Israel's inherent worth or actions, but entirely on God's prior, loving, and sovereign choice. God elected Israel out of all the nations of the earth, not because they were great in number or strength, but out of His grace and covenant faithfulness.

The twin concepts of being "a holy people" (ʻam qadosh) and "a people for His special treasure" (am segulah) define Israel's purpose. As holy, they are set apart from the profane, destined for God's sacred purposes, and obligated to reflect His character in their daily lives. As God's segulah, they are His exclusive, highly valued possession, jealously guarded and dearly cherished. This status carries both immense privilege and grave responsibility: the privilege of a unique relationship with the Creator of the universe, and the responsibility to live distinctly, representing His holiness and faithfulness to a watching world. The subsequent dietary laws, therefore, were not just health regulations or cultural markers, but concrete expressions of this theological identity. Eating only clean foods, for instance, visibly marked them as a distinct people belonging exclusively to the holy God, preventing them from adopting the syncretistic practices of the surrounding pagan nations. In essence, You are Yahweh's treasured possession; therefore, live like it.

For example, observing dietary laws meant not partaking in the same meals or sacrifices as their pagan neighbors, creating a social and spiritual barrier that protected their covenant purity. Their distinctive lifestyle served as a living testimony to the nations about the one true God who chose and redeemed them.