Exodus 19:5 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine;

NIV: Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine,

NASB: Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine;

CSB: Now if you will carefully listen to me and keep my covenant, you will be my own possession out of all the peoples, although the whole earth is mine,

NLT: Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me.

KJV: Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:

NKJV: Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.

God had one basic requirement for Israel's side of the Mosaic covenant: obedience. He will go on to establish a series of rules and laws, starting with the famous Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1–21). Israel's cooperation with these would result in all the blessings associated with being His chosen people (Deuteronomy 14:2). Starting with chapter 20, the rest of the book of Exodus will primarily be concerned with details of this covenant. Explicit warnings about obedience versus disobedience will follow later in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 30:15–18).

As the Creator of everything (Genesis 1:1), the Lord has absolute authority over the universe. He has the power to fulfill His promises. Any choices He makes are His own—they are not forced by anyone or anything. That includes Israel's role as His "chosen people." In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses will remind the people that they didn't earn that status for their own merits (Deuteronomy 7:7–8; 8:17; 9:4).

The Israelites are noted as God's "treasured possession" several times in the ESV translation of the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 7:6; 14:2; 26:18; Malachi 3:17).

Exodus 19:1–15 records God's instructions to Israel at the base of Mount Sinai, also referred to as "the mountain of God" or Horeb. The Lord tells Israel He is going to make them a special nation; this means establishing a covenant with the people. God will meet with Moses only. No man, woman, or animal may otherwise touch the mountain where God comes down.

God instructs the Israelites to prepare for His arrival on Mount Sinai in Horeb. They are to be clean and careful not to come onto the mountain itself. When God appears, He arrives amidst smoke, fire, lightning, earthquakes, and noise. Moses travels to the mountaintop and back, relaying messages about God's will. The first and most important of these are the fundamental principles of Old Testament law: the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1–21).

Prior chapters in the book of Exodus described Israel's history after Jacob and his family settled there (Genesis 46:27; 47:10). God used Moses to deliver divine messages and as a conduit for miraculous power. Once Israel was freed (Exodus 12:40–41), the Lord continued to care for them (Exodus 15:22–25; 16:13–15; 17:6, 8–13). In this chapter, Israel prepares to receive God's Law at Mount Sinai. Almost the entire rest of the book (Exodus 20—40) are details about these commands.

The book of Exodus establishes God's covenant relationship with the full-fledged nation of Israel. The descendants of Abraham prosper after settling in Egypt, only to be enslaved by a fearful, hateful Egyptian Pharaoh. God appoints Moses to lead the people out of this bondage. Moses serves as God's spokesman, as the Lord brings plagues and judgments on Egypt, leading to the release of Israel.