Exodus 19:5 Explained

"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:" — Exodus 19:5 (KJV)

The offer made at Sinai before any law was given, and its last clause undercuts every reading of it as favouritism.

Read it in context: The Book of Exodus. Also gathered under verses about obedience.

Exodus 19:5 in context

What does Exodus 19:5 mean?

'Peculiar treasure' translates a word for a king's personal hoard, held apart from the state treasury: valued, kept close. Then 'for all the earth is mine' — the reason given for choosing one people is that everything already belongs to God, which makes the choosing an act of purpose rather than of preference. Being singled out is not the same as being the only thing owned.

What is the context of Exodus 19:5?

Israel has been out of Egypt three months and is camped at the mountain. Nothing has been legislated yet. This is the proposal — the terms are set out before the commandments, and the people accept them in verse 8 without having heard them.

How do I pray Exodus 19:5?

Pray it against both errors it guards: that you are not particularly wanted, and that being wanted makes you the point. The last clause is the corrective and it is the half people drop. If you feel chosen, read it; if you feel overlooked, read the first half.

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