Exodus 19:5

5 Nu dan, indien gij naarstiglijk Mijner stem zult gehoorzamen, en Mijn verbond houden, zo zult gij Mijn eigendom zijn uit alle volken, want de ganse aarde is Mijn;

Exodus 19:5 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 19:5

Now therefore
Since they had received such marks of his favour, and were laid under great obligations to him:

if ye will obey my voice indeed;
truly, sincerely, and heartily; or "in hearkening hearken", or "in obeying obey" ^F7; that is, closely and attentively hearken to what he should say to them, and thoroughly and constantly yield a cheerful obedience to his commands:

and keep my covenant;
now about to be made with them, which would consist of promises of good things to be done to them on his part, and of duties to be performed by them on their part, and so would constitute a formal covenant by stipulation and restipulation:

then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people;
be as highly valued by him, and as carefully preserved as the richest treasure among men; even as the treasure of princes, consisting of gold and silver, precious stones, pearls and jewels, and everything that is valuable; and of this he would give such proof and demonstration, as would make it appear that they were esteemed by him above all people upon the face of the earth; being chosen for his peculiar treasure, and redeemed out of the house of bondage and slavery to be his peculiar people, and distinguished from all others by particular favours and blessings:

for all the earth is mine;
as it is, and the inhabitants of it, by creation, sustentation, preservation, and dominion, all being made, upheld, preserved, and governed by him; and therefore, as he had a right to all, could choose what part he pleased for his special use and service; or "though all the earth is mine" ^F8, as Marinus in Aben Ezra, which yet the latter does not seem to approve of; and then the sense is, though the whole world was his, and all that is in it, yet such was his special affection, and peculiar regard to Israel, as to choose them, and esteem them as his portion and inheritance, his jewel, and peculiar treasure.

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FOOTNOTES:

F7 (wemvt ewmv) "obediendo obedieritis", Pagninus, Montanus; "audiendo audiveritis", Drusius; "auscultando auscultabitis", Piscator; so Ainsworth.
F8 (yk) "tametsi", Vatablus; "quamvis", Piscator, Drusius.

Exodus 19:5 In-Context

3 En Mozes klom op tot God. En de HEERE riep tot hem van den berg, zeggende: Aldus zult gij tot het huis van Jakob spreken, en den kinderen Israels verkondigen:

4 Gijlieden hebt gezien, wat Ik den Egyptenaren gedaan heb; hoe Ik u op vleugelen der arenden gedragen en u tot Mij gebracht hebt.

5 Nu dan, indien gij naarstiglijk Mijner stem zult gehoorzamen, en Mijn verbond houden, zo zult gij Mijn eigendom zijn uit alle volken, want de ganse aarde is Mijn;

6 En gij zult Mij een priesterlijk koninkrijk, en een heilig volk zijn. Dit zijn de woorden, die gij tot de kinderen Israels spreken zult.

7 En Mozes kwam en riep de oudsten des volks, en stelde voor hun aangezichten al deze woorden, die de HEERE hem geboden had.