Ulangan 7:7

The Basis of Israel’s Election

7:7 It is not because you were more numerous than all the other peoples that the Lord favored and chose you – for in fact you were the least numerous of all peoples.

Ulangan 10:15

10:15 However, only to your ancestors did he ¹  show his loving favor, ²  and he chose you, their descendants, ³  from all peoples – as is apparent today.

Ulangan 33:12

Blessing on Benjamin

33:12 Of Benjamin he said:

The beloved of the Lord will live safely by him;

he protects him all the time,

and the Lord ⁴  places him on his chest. ⁵ 

[10:15]  ¹ tn Heb “the Lord.” See note on “he” in 10:4.

[10:15]  ² tn Heb “take delight to love.” Here again the verb אָהַב (’ahav, “love”), juxtaposed with בָחַר (bakhar, “choose”), is a term in covenant contexts that describes the Lord’s initiative in calling the patriarchal ancestors to be the founders of a people special to him (cf. the note on the word “loved” in Deut 4:37).

[10:15]  ³ tn The Hebrew text includes “after them,” but it is redundant in English style and has not been included in the translation.

[33:12]  ⁴ tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[33:12]  ⁵ tn Heb “between his shoulders.” This suggests the scene in John 13:23 with Jesus and the Beloved Disciple.