Bible Strands
Deuteronomy 14:2
for you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD has chosen you to be a people for His prized possession out of all the peoples on the face of the earth.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Moses addresses the assembled Israelites on the plains of Moab, inserting this "for" clause between a prohibition on mourning practices (v. 1) and a dietary restriction (v. 3) to ground both in identity.
The words — קָדוֹשׁ (qāḏôš) means "set apart, holy," a state of separation rather than a moral grade; בָּחַר (bāḥar) is a completed action, "he has chosen," placing the initiative entirely on Yahweh's side.
The thread — Deuteronomy 7:6 repeats the formula almost verbatim; Exodus 19:5 supplies the "treasured possession" language; Leviticus 20:26 adds the rationale that God's own holiness is the standard Israel is to mirror.
Why it lands — The verse makes clear that the commands around it are not arbitrary rules but consequences of a prior act: God chose Israel, and that choice obliges them to live distinctively, not to earn the choice.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
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.
Cross-references
- Deuteronomy 7:6 For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His prized possession out of all peoples on the face of the earth.
- Leviticus 20:26 You are to be holy to Me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be My own.
- Exodus 19:5 Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine.
- Deuteronomy 26:18 And today the LORD has proclaimed that you are His people and treasured possession as He promised, that you are to keep all His commandments,
- 1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
- Leviticus 19:2 “Speak to the whole congregation of Israel and tell them: Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.
- Titus 2:14 He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.
- Leviticus 11:45 For I am the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt so that I would be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.
- Deuteronomy 28:9 The LORD will establish you as His holy people, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in His ways.
- Isaiah 62:12 And they will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of The LORD; and you will be called Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken.