Focused Passage

Deuteronomy 7:6-11

A Holy People Set Apart: Election, Separation, and the Logic of Covenant Love

From the separation and destruction command (vv. 1-5) through the election ground that explains why (vv. 6-11), to the blessing that follows obedience (vv. 12-16), and finally to the fear rebuttal that addresses Israel's likely objection (vv. 17-26) — the chapter moves from command through rationale through promise through confidence-building.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

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 the earth.

7 The LORD did not set His affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than the other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples.

8 But because the LORD loved you and kept the oath He swore to your fathers, He brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

9 Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps His covenant of loving devotion for a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.

10 But those who hate Him He repays to their faces with destruction; He will not hesitate to repay to his face the one who hates Him.

11 So keep the commandments and statutes and ordinances that I am giving you to follow this day.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 6

Cross-references

1 Peter 2:9 Classic cross-references Deuteronomy 14:2 Classic cross-references Exodus 19:5 Classic cross-references Isaiah 43:4 Classic cross-references Malachi 3:17 Classic cross-references

Original words

For כִּ֣י H3588 Conjunction you אַתָּ֔ה H859 Pronoun - second person masculine singular are a people עַ֤ם H5971 Noun - masculine singular holy קָדוֹשׁ֙ H6918 Adjective - masculine singular to the LORD לַיהוָ֖ה H3068 Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular your God אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular The LORD יְהוָ֣ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular your God אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular has chosen you בָּחַ֣ר׀ H977 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular to be לִהְי֥וֹת H1961 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct a people לְעַ֣ם H5971 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct for His לוֹ֙ Preposition | third person masculine singular prized possession סְגֻלָּ֔ה H5459 Noun - feminine singular out of all מִכֹּל֙ H3605 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct peoples הָֽעַמִּ֔ים H5971 Article | Noun - masculine plural - אֲשֶׁ֖ר H834 Pronoun - relative on עַל־ H5921 Preposition the face פְּנֵ֥י H6440 Noun - common plural construct of the earth הָאֲדָמָֽה׃ס H127 Article | Noun - feminine singular

Verse 7

Cross-references

Jeremiah 31:3 Classic cross-references Deuteronomy 23:5 Classic cross-references 1 John 4:10 Classic cross-references Psalms 44:3 Classic cross-references 2 Timothy 1:9 Classic cross-references

Original words

The LORD יְהוָ֛ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular did not לֹ֣א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle set His affection חָשַׁ֧ק H2836 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular on you בָּכֶ֖ם Preposition | second person masculine plural [and] choose וַיִּבְחַ֣ר H977 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular you בָּכֶ֑ם Preposition | second person masculine plural because you were more numerous מֵֽרֻבְּכֶ֞ם H7231 Preposition-m | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | second person masculine plural than the other מִכָּל־ H3605 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct peoples הָֽעַמִּ֗ים H5971 Article | Noun - masculine plural for כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction you אַתֶּ֥ם H859 Pronoun - second person masculine plural were the fewest הַמְעַ֖ט H4592 Article | Adjective - masculine singular of all מִכָּל־ H3605 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct peoples הָעַמִּֽים׃ H5971 Article | Noun - masculine plural

Verse 8

Cross-references

Deuteronomy 8:18 Classic cross-references Exodus 20:2 Classic cross-references Deuteronomy 4:34 Classic cross-references Ephesians 2:4 Classic cross-references Exodus 32:13 Classic cross-references

Original words

But כִּי֩ H3588 Conjunction because the LORD יְהוָ֜ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular loved מֵֽאַהֲבַ֨ת H160 Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct you אֶתְכֶ֗ם H853 Direct object marker | second person masculine plural and kept וּמִשָּׁמְר֤וּ H8104 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker the oath הַשְּׁבֻעָה֙ H7621 Article | Noun - feminine singular - אֲשֶׁ֤ר H834 Pronoun - relative He swore נִשְׁבַּע֙ H7650 Verb - Nifal - Perfect - third person masculine singular to your fathers לַאֲבֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם H1 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural He יְהוָ֛ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular - אֶתְכֶ֖ם H853 Direct object marker | second person masculine plural brought you out הוֹצִ֧יא H3318 Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person masculine singular with a mighty חֲזָקָ֑ה H2389 Adjective - feminine singular hand בְּיָ֣ד H3027 Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular and redeemed you וַֽיִּפְדְּךָ֙ H6299 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | second person masculine singular from the house מִבֵּ֣ית H1004 Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct of slavery עֲבָדִ֔ים H5650 Noun - masculine plural from the hand מִיַּ֖ד H3027 Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct of Pharaoh פַּרְעֹ֥ה H6547 Noun - proper - masculine singular king מֶֽלֶךְ־ H4428 Noun - masculine singular construct of Egypt מִצְרָֽיִם׃ H4714 Noun - proper - feminine singular

Verse 9

Cross-references

Hebrews 10:23 Classic cross-references 2 Timothy 2:13 Classic cross-references 2 Thessalonians 3:3 Classic cross-references 1 Corinthians 10:13 Classic cross-references Daniel 9:4 Classic cross-references

Original words

Know therefore וְיָ֣דַעְתָּ֔ H3045 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular that כִּֽי־ H3588 Conjunction the LORD יְהוָ֥ה H3068 Noun - proper - masculine singular your God אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ H430 Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular . . . ה֣וּא H1931 Pronoun - third person masculine singular is God הָֽאֱלֹהִ֑ים H430 Article | Noun - masculine plural the faithful הַֽנֶּאֱמָ֔ן H539 Article | Verb - Nifal - Participle - masculine singular God הָאֵל֙ H410 Article | Noun - masculine singular who keeps שֹׁמֵ֧ר H8104 Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular His covenant הַבְּרִ֣ית H1285 Article | Noun - feminine singular of loving devotion וְהַחֶ֗סֶד H2617 Conjunctive waw, Article | Noun - masculine singular for a thousand לְאֶ֥לֶף H505 Preposition-l | Number - masculine singular construct generations דּֽוֹר׃ H1755 Noun - masculine singular of those who love Him לְאֹהֲבָ֛יו H157 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular and keep וּלְשֹׁמְרֵ֥י H8104 Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct His commandments מִצְוֹתוֹ H4687 Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine singular

Verse 10

Cross-references

Isaiah 59:18 Classic cross-references Psalms 68:1 Classic cross-references Psalms 81:15 Classic cross-references Exodus 20:5 Classic cross-references Nahum 1:2 Classic cross-references

Original words

But those who hate Him לְשֹׂנְאָ֛יו H8130 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular He repays וּמְשַׁלֵּ֧ם H7999 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular to אֶל־ H413 Preposition their faces פָּנָ֖יו H6440 Noun - common plural construct | third person masculine singular with destruction לְהַאֲבִיד֑וֹ H6 Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct | third person masculine singular He will not לֹ֤א H3808 Adverb - Negative particle hesitate יְאַחֵר֙ H309 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular to repay יְשַׁלֶּם־ H7999 Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular to אֶל־ H413 Preposition his face פָּנָ֖יו H6440 Noun - common plural construct | third person masculine singular the one who hates Him לְשֹׂ֣נְא֔וֹ H8130 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular

Verse 11

Cross-references

John 14:15 Classic cross-references

Original words

So keep וְשָׁמַרְתָּ֨ H8104 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker the commandments הַמִּצְוָ֜ה H4687 Article | Noun - feminine singular and וְאֶת־ H853 Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker statutes הַֽחֻקִּ֣ים H2706 Article | Noun - masculine plural and וְאֶת־ H853 Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker ordinances הַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֗ים H4941 Article | Noun - masculine plural that אֲשֶׁ֨ר H834 Pronoun - relative I אָנֹכִ֧י H595 Pronoun - first person common singular am giving you מְצַוְּךָ֛ H6680 Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular to follow לַעֲשׂוֹתָֽם׃פ H6213 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | third person masculine plural this day הַיּ֖וֹם H3117 Article | Noun - masculine singular

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