John Calvin Commentary Exodus 19:5

"Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be mine own possession from among all peoples: for all the earth is mine:" — Exodus 19:5 (ASV)

Now, therefore. God declares that He will always be the same, and will constantly persevere²⁰⁹ (in blessing them), provided the Israelites do not degenerate, but remain devoted to their Deliverer. At the same time, He also reminds them why He has been so bountiful to them: namely, that they may continually aspire to the end of their calling. For He had not intended to perform toward them a single act of liberality, but to purchase them as His peculiar people.

This privilege He sets before them in the word סגלה,²¹⁰ segullah, which means all things most precious, whatever, in fact, is deposited in a treasury. Although the word “peculium” (a peculiar possession), by which the ancient interpreter²¹¹ translated it, is not unsuitable to the passage, it is plain from the immediate context that it denotes the separation of this people from all others, since these words directly follow: "for," or "although," all the earth is Mine.

The particle כי, ki, is often taken adversatively, and there is no doubt that God would more exalt His grace by comparing this one nation with the whole world, as it is said in the song of Moses:

When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel; for the Lord’s portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. (Deuteronomy 32:8).

The sum then is, that while the whole earth is in God’s dominion, yet the race of Israel has been chosen by Him to excel all nations. From this it is evident that while the condition of all is alike, some are not distinguished from others by nature, but by gratuitous adoption.

But, in order that they should remain in the possession of so great a blessing, fidelity towards God is required on their part. And, first, they are commanded to listen to His voice (since no sacrifice is more pleasing to Him than obedience, 1 Samuel 15:22); and then a definition of obedience is added, namely, to keep His covenant.

²⁰⁹ Added from Fr.

²¹⁰ סגלה, S. M. says this is equivalent to אוצר חביב, a beloved treasure, The root סגל does not occur in Hebrew, but in Arabic it signifies to mark with the owner’s seal; so that the noun should mean, a possession on which the owner has stamped his mark. Comp. 2 Timothy 2:19, and Ezekiel 9:4-6. — W

²¹¹ i.e., The Vulgate. Our The Vulgate. Our A.V. combines both ideas.combines both ideas.