Devarim 26:18

18 And Hashem hath distinguished thee today to be His Am Segullah (treasured people), as He hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest be shomer over all His mitzvot;

Devarim 26:18 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 26:18

And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar
people
Affirmed and declared them to be his special people, above all people on the face of the earth, and that they were looked upon and considered by him as his jewels, his peculiar treasure:

as he hath promised thee;
on condition of their obedience to him, as he did in ( Exodus 19:5 ) ;

and that [thou] shouldest keep all his commandments;
at the same time declared this as his will, that they should observe all his precepts, to which they were laid under obligation by the special favour and peculiar privileges he bestowed upon them, ( Deuteronomy 7:6 Deuteronomy 7:7 ) . The Targums interpret both these verses of the people of Israel choosing and making the Lord their King, and of his being made King over them; and so it respects their peculiar form of civil government, being a theocracy. The Lord's people in Christ are a peculiar people; they are distinct from all people, and are peculiarly regarded by him; they are the objects of his peculiar love, and receive peculiar favours from him; and whom having chosen and redeemed, he calls by his special grace, and witnesses their special relation to him by his Spirit; which grace obliges and excites them to a cheerful obedience to his commands.

Devarim 26:18 In-Context

16 This day Hashem Eloheicha hath commanded thee to do these chukkim and mishpatim; thou shalt therefore be shomer over and do them with kol levavecha, and with kol nafshecha.

17 Thou hast distinguished Hashem this day to be thy Elohim, and to walk in His ways, and to be shomer over His chukkim, and His mitzvot, and His mishpatim, and to give heed unto His voice;

18 And Hashem hath distinguished thee today to be His Am Segullah (treasured people), as He hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest be shomer over all His mitzvot;

19 And to set thee high above kol HaGoyim which He hath made, in tehillah (praise), and in shem, and in tiferet; and that thou mayest be an Am Kadosh unto Hashem Eloheicha, as He hath spoken.