Exodus 19:6

“and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.””
Exodus 19:6 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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At Sinai, God recalls how he carried them "on eagles' wings"Faithfulness God calls a people of his own, a kingdom of priestsThe Church and Community

With the Hebrew beneath

and youוְאַתֶּםshall beתִּהְיוּto meלִיa kingdomמַמְלֶכֶתof priestsכֹּהֲנִיםand a holyוְ קָדוֹשׁnation.’גוֹיTheseאֵלֶּהare the wordsהַדְּבָרִיםthatאֲשֶׁרyou shall speakתְּדַבֵּרto the sonsאֶל בְּנֵיof Israel.”יִשְׂרָאֵל

Allusion · Revelation 1:6

Go to Revelation 1:6

Both texts join “kingdom” and “priests”: Exodus 19:6, “a kingdom of priests.”

They share words that are rare in the original, without a quotation.

מַמְלֶכֶתmamlejetH4467βασιλείανbasileianG932“kingdom”
כֹּהֲנִיםkohanimH3548ἱερεῖςhiereisG2409“priest”

Exodus 19:6, word by word

shall beתִּהְיוּtihyu

To be: "I will be their Elohim".

Where else “tihyu” appears

a kingdomמַמְלֶכֶתmamlechet

kingdom

A land ruled by a king.

Where else “mamlechet” appears

of priestsכֹּהֲנִיםkohanim

priest

One who serves in the sanctuary and offers for the people.

Where else “kohanim” appears

and a holyקָדוֹשׁkadosh

holy

Set apart for God, distinct from the common.

Where else “kadosh” appears

nation.’גוֹיgoy

nation

A people with their land; also Israel.

Where else “goy” appears

are the wordsדְּבָרִיםdevarim

word

What someone says or announces, above all what YHWH says.

Where else “devarim” appears

you shall speakתְּדַבֵּרtedaber

speak

To speak, say something; above all God to his people.

Where else “tedaber” appears

to the sonsבְּנֵיbene

descendant

A descendant or member of a people: "sons of Israel".

Where else “bene” appears

of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyisrael

Israel

Israel, the new name Jacob received from God, explained as "you have striven with God" (Genesis 32:28); then the name of the people that came from him and, after the division, of the northern kingdom.

Where else “yisrael” appears

Translation note

Peter applies these words to those who believe in Jesus (1 Peter 2:9); see also Revelation 1:6.

The context

5And now, if you will listen carefully to my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my special treasure out of all the peoples; for all the earth is mine;

6 · This verse (above)

7So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that YHWH had commanded him.

Read all of Exodus 19

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