The Meaning of Deuteronomy 7:6 Explained

Deuteronomy 7:6

KJV: For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.

YLT: for a holy people art thou to Jehovah thy God; on thee hath Jehovah thy God fixed, to be to Him for a peculiar people, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the ground.

Darby: For a holy people art thou unto Jehovah thy God: Jehovah thy God hath chosen thee to be unto him a people for a possession, above all the peoples that are upon the face of the earth.

ASV: For thou art a holy people unto Jehovah thy God: Jehovah thy God hath chosen thee to be a people for his own possession, above all peoples that are upon the face of the earth.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For thou [art] an holy  people  unto the LORD  thy God:  the LORD  thy God  hath chosen  thee to be a special  people  unto himself, above all people  that [are] upon the face  of the earth. 

What does Deuteronomy 7:6 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 7:1-11 - No Compromise With Idolatry
The great Lawgiver had His eye constantly on the coming generation. It is good when the children are so arrested by our religious life, that they come to ask us to tell them the reasons that account for it. Seek to live so purely and devoutly, and yet so attractively, that the young people around will be compelled to inquire after your secret, Luke 11:1.
We are not only to teach the children, but to guard them against forming friendships and making marriage alliances with those who might divert them from God. In the New Testament, Christians are forbidden to marry except "in the Lord," and equally stringent are prohibitions against worldly intercourse, 1 Corinthians 7:39; 2 Corinthians 6:14.
God can break the seven-fold power of sin in the heart of those who are absolutely given over to Him and are willing to surrender their evil ways. This is pledged to us by His fidelity and love, Deuteronomy 7:8-9. [source]

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 7

1  All communion with the nations is forbidden
5  for fear of idolatry,
6  for the holiness of the people,
9  for the nature of God in his mercy and justice,
17  and for the assuredness of victory which God will give over them

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 7:6 mean?

For people a holy you [are] to Yahweh your God you has chosen Yahweh your God to be for Himself a people a special treasure above all the peoples that on the face of the earth -
כִּ֣י עַ֤ם קָדוֹשׁ֙ אַתָּ֔ה לַיהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ בְּךָ֞ בָּחַ֣ר ׀ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ לִהְי֥וֹת לוֹ֙ לְעַ֣ם סְגֻלָּ֔ה מִכֹּל֙ הָֽעַמִּ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־ פְּנֵ֥י הָאֲדָמָֽה ס

עַ֤ם  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
קָדוֹשׁ֙  a  holy 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: קָדֹושׁ  
Sense: sacred, holy, Holy One, saint, set apart.
אַתָּ֔ה  you  [are] 
Parse: Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
לַיהוָ֖ה  to  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
בָּחַ֣ר ׀  has  chosen 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּחוּר 
Sense: to choose, elect, decide for.
יְהוָ֣ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
לִהְי֥וֹת  to  be 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לוֹ֙  for  Himself 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
לְעַ֣ם  a  people 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
סְגֻלָּ֔ה  a  special  treasure 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: סְגֻלָּה  
Sense: possession, property.
מִכֹּל֙  above  all 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הָֽעַמִּ֔ים  the  peoples 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
אֲשֶׁ֖ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
פְּנֵ֥י  the  face 
Parse: Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
הָאֲדָמָֽה  of  the  earth 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲדָמָה 
Sense: ground, land.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation