Devarim 26:17

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;

Devarim 26:17 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 26:17

Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God
Said, affirmed, protested, and in the most solemn manner declared, that the Lord was their God, and him only; and that they would have no other God, nor worship, serve, or obey any other. The Lord is the God of all mankind, as he is the Creator and Preserver of them, and was of the people of Israel in a peculiar manner, they being chosen, redeemed, and privileged by him above all others; and especially is of his elect in Christ among all nations, whom he has loved and set apart for himself, and determined to save; whom he has adopted and regenerated; he provides for them, protects and preserves them, gives them grace here and glory hereafter: he is their God in Christ, and by virtue of the covenant of his grace made with them in him; and is known by them to be so in the effectual calling by the application of covenant blessings to them; and which is certified to them by the Spirit of God, upon which they claim their interest in him, and make profession of him as their God:

and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes and his
commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice;
that is, this was then their resolution and determination, their protestation and declaration, to walk in all the ways of God, both in private and in public, he directed unto; and to observe all his laws, ceremonial, moral, and judicial, which he had given them as the rule of their walk and behaviour; and to regard whatsoever he should reveal by his prophets and ministers as his will; and a view of covenant interest in God lays all good men under the strongest obligation in the strength of divine grace to attend to his will; nor can there be a greater motive to them than covenant love, grace, and mercy.

Devarim 26:17 In-Context

15 Look down from Thy me’on kadosh (holy dwelling place), from Shomayim, and bless Thy people Yisroel, and ha’adamah which Thou hast given us, as Thou didst swear unto Avoteinu, Eretz zavat cholov udevash.
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.
The Orthodox Jewish Bible fourth edition, OJB. Copyright 2002,2003,2008,2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International. All rights reserved.