Chosen in the Old Testament

The Hebrew word for “choose” or “chosen” (bahar) sometimes relates to the choices people make, but usually it is used to talk about God’s choices.

In theological circles, “chosen” is typically the word used to explain how Israel became God’s people. Here and there, other explanations are given, such as that God “found” Israel in the desert, that he “adopted” them, that he “created” them, “called them into life” or “loved them”. But the term “chosen” is preferred, because it includes the idea of “choosing for a particular purpose”.

The classic passage that puts Israel’s status as the chosen people into words is Deuteronomy 7:6-7. It says the following about Israel:

“Do this because you belong to the LORD your God. From all the peoples on earth he chose you to be his own special people.

“The LORD did not love you and choose you because you outnumbered other peoples; you were the smallest nation on earth.”

It does not merely express the high status of Israel, but also the people’s calling: Israel must live in the world as the people of God and testify to him.

The idea of Israel as a chosen people rose to prominence in the time of the Babylonian exile. The people had lost their identity and started to doubt the purpose of their existence. The thought that God had chosen Israel as his own people, primarily served a pastoral function at the time. That idea was supposed to give the people a sense of worth and purpose. An important example of a text in which this theology is developed is Isaiah 40–55.