The first occurrence.
“Now therefore, if you will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure unto Me above all people: for all the earth is Mine.” Exo 19:5
The primitive root.
Strong’s H5459, segullah, a concrete noun meaning, “jewel, wealth;” according to the Ancient Hebrew Lexicon, the noun is from סגל segul, an unused primitive root meaning, “to shut up.” The 3-letter root is sin + gimel + lamed.
sin ס = the thorn, thus grab, hate, protect
gimel ג = the foot, thus foot, walk, gather
lamed ל = the shepherd’s staff, thus teach, yoke, to, bind
The story: Protecting (sin, as a shepherd draws thorn bushes around his flock at night to protect them from predators when in the field) that which has been gathered (gimel) and bound together (as a yoke – signified by the staff, lamed – binds a pair of oxen together). Thus “to shut up” would be the same idea as putting valuables in a safe or a vault.
“Now therefore, if you will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure unto Me above all people: for all the earth is Mine.” Exo 19:5
For you are an holy people unto YHVH your God: YHVH your God has chosen you to be a treasured people unto Himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. Deu 7:6
For you are an holy people unto YHVH your God, and YHVH has chosen you to be a treasured people unto Himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth. Deu 14:2
And YHVH has confirmed you this day to be His treasured people, as He has promised you, and that you should keep all His commandments … Deu 26:18
For YHVH has chosen Jacob for Himself, and Israel for His special treasure. Psa 135:4
“And they shall be Mine,” says YHVH of hosts, “in that day when I make up My jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spares his own son that serves him.” Mal 3:17
If we keep Him, that is, keep His covenant (Deu 26:18), then He keeps us (Mal 3:17). ♥
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