Deuteronomy 26:18

18 et Dominus elegit te hodie ut sis ei populus peculiaris sicut locutus est tibi et custodias omnia praecepta eius

Deuteronomy 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.

Deuteronomy 26:18 In-Context

16 hodie Dominus Deus tuus praecepit tibi ut facias mandata haec atque iudicia et custodias et impleas ex toto corde tuo et ex tota anima tua
17 Dominum elegisti hodie ut sit tibi Deus et ambules in viis eius et custodias caerimonias illius et mandata atque iudicia et oboedias eius imperio
18 et Dominus elegit te hodie ut sis ei populus peculiaris sicut locutus est tibi et custodias omnia praecepta eius
19 et faciat te excelsiorem cunctis gentibus quas creavit in laudem et nomen et gloriam suam ut sis populus sanctus Domini Dei tui sicut locutus est
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.