Deuteronomy 26:18
in Deuteronomy 26And today the LORD has proclaimed that you are His people and treasured possession as He promised, that you are to keep all His commandments,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and Jehovah hath avouched thee this day to be a people for his own possession, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments;
KJV
And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments;
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This verse in Deuteronomy 26
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThese are evidently symbolic—hands, of action; heart, of deliberation; mouth, of speech. There is an excellent text on the subject of the penitent: "You have chosen God today to be your God, and the Lord has chosen you today to be his people." God makes his own the person who is eager to serve truth and reality and comes as a suppliant. Even if he is only one in number, he is honored on equal terms with the whole people. He is a part of the people.
This site's exposition
And the Lord hath avouched thee this day
on Deuteronomy 26:18-19
The same declaration is now made from the other side, and the two verses together are the covenant formula whole: the people have said the Lord is their God, and the Lord has said this people is his. Peculiar people renders the Hebrew segullah, the treasured property of a king, used of Israel first at Exodus 19:5, carried on at Malachi 3:17, and taken up of the church at Titus 2:14 and 1 Peter 2:9. Being set high above all nations in praise and name and honour is the promise 28:1 repeats at the head of the blessings, and holiness is stated here as the purpose the whole arrangement serves.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
): The Lord has avouched, not only taken, but publicly owned thee to be his segullah, his peculiar people, as he has promised thee, that is, according to the true intent and meaning of the promise.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Avouched thee - Hath owned thee for such before all the world by eminent and glorious manifestations of his power and favour, by a solemn entering into covenant with thee, and giving peculiar laws, promises, and privileges to thee above all mankind.
And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
And the Lord hath avouched - Publicly declared, by the blessings he pours down upon them, that he has taken them to be his peculiar people. Thus the covenant is made and ratified between God and his followers.
The words behind it
13 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַֽיהוָ֞ה | vayahweh | and Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| הֶאֱמִֽירְךָ֣ | heemirekha | he has declared you | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הַיּ֗וֹם | haiyom | this day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| לִהְי֥וֹת | lihyot | to become | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| לוֹ֙ | lo | for <the> him | ||
| לְעַ֣ם | leam | <into> a people of | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| סְגֻלָּ֔ה | segulah | possession | H5459 → | 8 times |
| כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר | kaasher | just as | H834 → | 5497 times |
| דִּבֶּר־ | diber- | he spoke | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| לָ֑ךְ | lakh | to <the> you | ||
| וְלִשְׁמֹ֖ר | velishmor | and to keep | H8104 → | 468 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| מִצְוֹתָֽיו׃ | mitzvotav | commandments his | H4687 → | 181 times |
וַֽיהוָ֞הand Yahweh
vayahwehH3068 →6520 times
הֶאֱמִֽירְךָ֣he has declared you
heemirekhaH559 →5305 times
הַיּ֗וֹםthis day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
לִהְי֥וֹתto become
lihyotH1961 →3559 times
לוֹ֙for <the> him
lo
לְעַ֣ם<into> a people of
leamH5971 →1873 times
סְגֻלָּ֔הpossession
segulahH5459 →8 times
כַּאֲשֶׁ֖רjust as
kaasherH834 →5497 times
דִּבֶּר־he spoke
diber-H1696 →1141 times
לָ֑ךְto <the> you
lakh
וְלִשְׁמֹ֖רand to keep
velishmorH8104 →468 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
מִצְוֹתָֽיו׃commandments his
mitzvotavH4687 →181 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Deuteronomy 7:6For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His prized possession out of all peoples on the face of…
it leads to
- Exodus 19:5–6
Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine.
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- 1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 14:2
for you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD has chosen you to be a people for His prized possession out of all the peoples on the face of the…
- Exodus 19:5–6
Through
Deuteronomy 14:2for you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD has chosen you to be a people for His prized possession out of all the peoples on the face of the…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 7:6
For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His prized possession out of all peoples on the face of…
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 26:18–19
And today the LORD has proclaimed that you are His people and treasured possession as He promised, that you are to keep all His commandments,
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 7:6
Through
Titus 2:14He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.
it leads to
- Hebrews 9:14
how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our consciences from works of death, so that we may serve the living God!
- Ephesians 2:10
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.
- 1 Peter 1:18
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers,
- Hebrews 9:14
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata Book 2; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.