Exodus 19:6
New International Version
you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”

New Living Translation
And you will be my kingdom of priests, my holy nation.’ This is the message you must give to the people of Israel.”

English Standard Version
and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”

Berean Standard Bible
And unto Me you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to speak to the Israelites.”

King James Bible
And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

New King James Version
And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”

New American Standard Bible
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.”

NASB 1995
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.”

NASB 1977
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.”

Legacy Standard Bible
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.”

Amplified Bible
and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation [set apart for My purpose].’ These are the words that you shall speak to the Israelites.”

Christian Standard Bible
and you will be my kingdom of priests and my holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to say to the Israelites.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
and you will be My kingdom of priests and My holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to say to the Israelites.”

American Standard Version
and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And you will be to me a kingdom and Priests and a holy people’; say these words to the house of Israel.”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And ye shall be to me a royal priesthood and a holy nation: these words shalt thou speak to the children of Israel.

Contemporary English Version
but you will be my holy nation and serve me as priests. Moses, that is what you must tell the Israelites.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And you shall be to me a priestly kingdom, and a holy nation. Those are the words thou shalt speak to the children of Israel.

English Revised Version
and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
You will be my kingdom of priests and my holy nation.' These are the words you must speak to the Israelites."

Good News Translation
a people dedicated to me alone, and you will serve me as priests."

International Standard Version
but you are to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation to me.' These are the words you are to declare to the Israelis."

JPS Tanakh 1917
and ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.'

Literal Standard Version
and you are to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation: these [are] the words which you speak to the sons of Israel.”

Majority Standard Bible
And unto Me you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to speak to the Israelites.”

New American Bible
You will be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation. That is what you must tell the Israelites.

NET Bible
and you will be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you will speak to the Israelites."

New Revised Standard Version
but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the Israelites.”

New Heart English Bible
and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.' These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel."

Webster's Bible Translation
And ye shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak to the children of Israel.

World English Bible
and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”

Young's Literal Translation
and ye -- ye are to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation: these are the words which thou dost speak unto the sons of Israel.'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Israel at Mount Sinai
5Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine. 6And unto Me you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to speak to the Israelites.” 7So Moses went back and summoned the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the LORD had commanded him.…

Cross References
1 Peter 2:5
you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

Revelation 1:6
who has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father--to Him be the glory and power forever and ever! Amen.

Revelation 5:10
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign upon the earth."

Exodus 15:26
saying, "If you will listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His eyes, and pay attention to His commands, and keep all His statutes, then I will not bring on you any of the diseases I inflicted on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you."

Exodus 22:31
You are to be My holy people. You must not eat the meat of a mauled animal found in the field; you are to throw it to the dogs.

Leviticus 19:2
"Speak to the whole congregation of Israel and tell them: Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.


Treasury of Scripture

And you shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.

a kingdom

Deuteronomy 33:2-4
And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them…

Isaiah 61:6
But ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD: men shall call you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.

Romans 12:1
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

and an

Leviticus 11:44,45
For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth…

Leviticus 19:2
Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.

Leviticus 20:24,26
But I have said unto you, Ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land that floweth with milk and honey: I am the LORD your God, which have separated you from other people…

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Children Holy Israel Israelites Kingdom Nation Priests Speak Words
Exodus 19
1. The people arrive at Sinai
3. God's message by Moses unto the people out of the mount
8. The people are prepared against the third day, for the giving of the law
12. The mountain must not be touched
16. The fearful presence of God upon the mount














(6) A kingdom of priests.--All of them both "kings and priests unto God"--kings as lords over themselves, equals one to another, owing allegiance to God only--priests, as entitled to draw near to God in prayer without an intermediary, to bring Him their offerings, pay Him their vows, and hold communion with Him in heart and soul. The same privileges are declared by St. Peter (1Peter 2:9) and St. John (Revelation 1:6) to belong to all Christians, who in this respect, as in so many others, are now "the Israel of God" (Galatians 6:16).

An holy nation.--It is not the duty of personal, but the privilege of official, holiness that is here intended. Each Israelite was to be as near to God, as fully entitled to approach Him, as the priests of other nations either were or thought themselves. Personal holiness was the natural and fitting outcome from this official holiness; but it is not here spoken of. God has, however, previously required it of Israel by the words "If ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant" (Exodus 19:5).

Verse 6. - Ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests. Or "a royalty of priests" - at once a royal and a priestly race - all of you at once both priests and kings. (So the LXX. render, βασίλειον ἱεράτευμα; the Targums of Onkelos and Jerusalem, "kings and priests;" that of Jonathan, "crowned kings and ministering priests.") They would be "kings," not only as "lords over death, the devil, hell, and all evil" (Luther), but also partly as having no earthly king set over them, but designed to live under a theocracy (1 Samuel 12:12), and partly as intended to exercise lordship over the heathen. Their unfaithfulness and disobedience soon forfeited both privileges. They would be "priests," as entitled - each one of them - to draw near to God directly in prayer and praise, though not in sacrifice, and also as intermediaries between God and the heathen world, to whom they were to be examples, instructors, prophets. And an holy nation. A nation unlike other nations - a nation consecrated to God's service, outwardly marked as his by the symbol of circumcision, his (if they chose) inwardly by the purity and holiness whereto they could attain. These are the words. Much speaking was not needed. The question was a very simple one. Would they accept the covenant or no, upon the conditions offered? It was not likely that they would reject such gracious proposals.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And unto Me
לִ֛י (lî)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's Hebrew

you
וְאַתֶּ֧ם (wə·’at·tem)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - second person masculine plural
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

shall be
תִּהְיוּ־ (tih·yū-)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

a kingdom
מַמְלֶ֥כֶת (mam·le·ḵeṯ)
Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 4467: Kingdom, sovereignty, dominion, reign

of priests
כֹּהֲנִ֖ים (kō·hă·nîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3548: Priest

and a holy
קָד֑וֹשׁ (qā·ḏō·wōš)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 6918: Sacred, God, an angel, a saint, a sanctuary

nation.’
וְג֣וֹי (wə·ḡō·w)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 1471: A foreign nation, a Gentile, a troop of animals, a flight of locusts

These
אֵ֚לֶּה (’êl·leh)
Pronoun - common plural
Strong's 428: These, those

are the words
הַדְּבָרִ֔ים (had·də·ḇā·rîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

that
אֲשֶׁ֥ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

you are to speak
תְּדַבֵּ֖ר (tə·ḏab·bêr)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

the Israelites.”
בְּנֵ֥י (bə·nê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son


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OT Law: Exodus 19:6 And you shall be to me (Exo. Ex)
Exodus 19:5
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