Jews As A Chosen People - Chosenness in The Bible

Chosenness in The Bible

According to the traditional Jewish interpretation of the Bible, Israel's character as the chosen people is unconditional, as it says in Deuteronomy 14:2,

"For you are a holy people to YHWH your God, and God has chosen you to be his treasured people from all the nations that are on the face of the earth."

The Torah also says,

"Now therefore, if you will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then you shall be a peculiar treasure unto me from all the peoples, for all the earth is mine" (Exodus 19:5).

God promises that he will never exchange his people with any other:

"And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you." (Genesis 17:7).

Other Torah verses about chosenness,

• "And you shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation" (Exodus 19:6).
• "The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because you were more in number than any people; for you were the fewest of all people; but because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your ancestors." (Deuteronomy 7:7-8).

The obligation imposed upon the Israelites was emphasized by the prophet Amos (3:2):

"You only have I singled out of all the families of the earth: therefore will I visit upon you all your iniquities."