Deuteronomy 26:18

18 Lo! the Lord hath chosen thee today, that thou be a special people to him, as he hath spoken to thee, and that thou keep all his commandments; (Lo! the Lord hath chosen thee today, that thou be a special people to him, as he hath promised thee, and also that thou obey all his commandments;)

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 Today Israel, thy Lord God commanded to thee, that thou do these behests and dooms, that thou keep and fulfill them of all thine heart, and of all thy soul. (Today Israel, the Lord thy God hath commanded thee, that thou obey these statutes and laws, or judgements, that thou keep and fulfill them with all thy heart, and with all thy soul.)

17 Thou hast chosen the Lord today, that he be God to thee, and that thou go in his ways, and that thou keep his ceremonies, and his behests, and his dooms, and obey to his commandment. (Thou hast chosen the Lord today, that he be thy God, and that thou go in his ways, and that thou keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his laws, or his judgements, and obey his bidding, or his orders.)

18 Lo! the Lord hath chosen thee today, that thou be a special people to him, as he hath spoken to thee, and that thou keep all his commandments; (Lo! the Lord hath chosen thee today, that thou be a special people to him, as he hath promised thee, and also that thou obey all his commandments;)

19 and he shall make thee higher than all folks, which he made into his praising, and name, and glory; that thou be an holy people to thy Lord God, as he hath spoken to thee. (and he shall grant thee more favour than all the nations which he hath made, to bring him praise, and fame, and glory/and thou shalt bring him praise, and fame, and glory; and thou shalt be a holy people to the Lord thy God, as he promised thee.)