Segulla, A Special Possession

The Hebrew language is rich with many words and concepts that do not carry over directly into English and so must be translated with a variety of English words or phrases.  We will look at some of these as we go through the Old Testament.  One special word, used by YHWH in Exodus, is segulla, a word that is repeated (in Greek) in the New Testament.

סְגֻלָּה

In Exodus 19: 4-6, God tells Moses that Israel has been carried on eagles' wings out of Egypt and set aside as a "particular people", a "treasured possession."  Carmen Imes, in her class on Exodus, focuses on the phrase "treasured possession."  It is the Hebrew word segulla, appearing eight times in the Old Testament. It means a special personal treasure, maybe a favorite piece of jewelry.  In the Old Testament, prior to the First Temple period, it appears as a description, by YHWH, of His special covenant people and is a sweet term of endearment.  (Wealthy king Solomon, with too many wives, uses the word in Ecclesiastes 2: 8 for material objects like gold and silver he has collected.) 

In the Septuagint the Hebrew word segulla is translated as the Greek peripoiesis. This Greek word, signifying God's love for the people of Israel, is then used in I Peter 2:9 to describe the followers of Messiah Yeshua (Jesus):

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

The term segulla is affectionate. Sarah E. Fisher, in this blog on Hebrew words, recalls a letter from her mother in which her mother calls Sarah her segulla. (I recommend that article and Sarah's blog, hebrewwordlessons.com. in general.)  Ben Frostad, another follower of Yeshua, traces the Scripture's use of segulla here. 

The God who carried Israel on eagles' wings, who promised to make them a royal priesthood and a holy nation, continues that work through Messiah Yeshua. The beloved treasure of YHWH is His followers. As one of those treasures, I am trying to better understand this strange Old Testament, God's covenant with Israel!