Can someone please tell me exactly where in the Bible does it specify the Jews as the Chosen People?

Question

If there isn't anything specific about that, where did it come from? And if there is, why do people say things like "they (the Jews) think they are the "chosen ones"?

I asked this question because so many people say that the Jews "think" that they are the Chosen People as if we made it up and are just trying to act superior or something. I say this because as Jew, I have never thought of myself as "chosen" or better than anyone else. There's even a joke about it: A Jewish man goes to Heaven to speak to G-d. He says, "I am a representative of the Jewish people on earth and we'd like to ask you a question. Is it true that we are the chosen people? G-d says, "Yes, you are the chosen people. The man says, "Well, would you do us a favor? Would you mind choosing somebody else for a change?"

Answer 1

The Chosen People
by Rabbi Shraga Simmons
Appreciating an often-misunderstood idea.
The Jewish nation is often referred to as "the Chosen People."
Many people (including Jews) are uncomfortable with this idea. They perceive the concept of a "Chosen People" as racist and mindful of the Nazi concept of a supreme "Aryan" nation. It appears to contradict the accepted Western ideal of all people being equal before God.
Is the Jewish concept of choseness racist?
When the Torah refers to the Jewish people as "chosen," it is not in any way asserting that Jews are racially superior. Americans, Russians, Europeans, Asians and Ethiopians are all part of the Jewish people. It is impossible to define choseness as anything related to race, since Jews are racially diverse.
Yet while the term "Chosen People" (Am Nivchar) does not mean racially superior, choseness does imply a special uniqueness.
What is this uniqueness?
Historically, it goes back to Abraham. Abraham lived in a world steeped in idolatry, which he concluded was contradicted by the reality of design in nature.
So Abraham came to a belief in God, and took upon himself the mission of teaching others of the monotheistic ideal. Abraham was even willing to suffer persecution for his beliefs. After years of enormous effort, dedication and a willingness to accept the responsibility to be God's representative in this world, God chose Abraham and his descendents to be the teachers of this monotheistic message.
In other words it is not so much that God chose the Jews; it is more accurate that the Jews (through Abraham) chose God.
Choseness was not part of God's "original plan." Initially all of humanity was to serve the role of God's messengers, but after the fall of Adam, humanity lost that privilege, and it was open for grabs. Only Abraham chose to take the mantel. If others would have (and they were offered the choice), they too would have joined in this special covenant which was sealed upon the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.
If a privilege is offered to everyone willing to pay the necessary price, nobody can protest that those willing to make the extra effort are being shown favoritism. For example: It is reasonable that an employee who agrees to work overtime, attend training seminars, and manage special projects, should be entitled to a performance bonus -- particularly if each employee was given the same opportunity.
The essence of being chosen means responsibility. It is a responsibility to change the world -- not by converting everyone to Judaism, but by living as a model community upheld by ethics, morals and beliefs of one God. In that way, we can influence the rest of mankind, a "light unto the nations" (Isaiah 42:6).
Judaism is Universal
Further, Judaism is not exclusionary. A human being need not to be Jewish to reach a high spiritual level. Enoch "walked with God," and Noah had quite a high level of relationship, though neither were Jewish. Our tradition is that all of the 70 nations must function together and play an integral part in that "being" called humanity.
According to Judaism (Talmud - Sanhedrin 58b), any person can achieve a place in the World to Come by faithfully observing the seven basic laws of humanity. These seven laws are named the "Laws of Noah," since all humans are descended from Noah:
1) Do not murder.
2) Do not steal.
3) Do not worship false gods.
4) Do not be sexually immoral.
5) Do not eat the limb of an animal before it is killed.
6) Do not curse God.
7) Set up courts and bring offenders to justice.
Torah is for all humanity. King Solomon built the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, he specifically asked God to heed the prayer of non-Jews who come to the Temple (1-Kings 8:41-43). The Temple was the universal center of spirituality, which the prophet Isaiah referred to as a "house of prayer for all nations." Non-Jews were welcome to bring offerings to the Temple as well. In fact, the service in the Holy Temple during the week of Sukkot featured a total of 70 bull offerings, corresponding to each of the 70 nations of the world. In fact, the Talmud says that if the Romans would have realized how much they were benefiting from the Temple, they never would have destroyed it!
Most other religions say that non-believers are condemned to eternal damnation. Even the calendar systems of Christianity and Islam reflect an exclusionary philosophy; each begins with the birth of their respective religion. The Jewish calendar, on the other hand, begins with the creation of Adam, the first man, teaching us the intrinsic value of every human, even though the Jewish religion was not yet born.
For this reason, Jews do not proselytize in search of converts. One can still merit a place in heaven, no conversion necessary.
Conversion
An important component of Judaism's non-exclusionary approach is that any person -- regardless of national or racial background -- can choose to accept the Torah and become part of the Jewish nation. Indeed, some of the greatest names in Jewish history - Ruth, the ancestor of King David, and Onkelos the Talmudic Sage -- were converts to Judaism.
According to the Code of Jewish Law (the "Shulchan Aruch"), there are three requirements for a valid conversion (paralleling the Jewish experience at Mount Sinai):
1) Mitzvot - The convert must believe in God and the divinity of the Torah, as well as accept to observe all 613 mitzvot (commandments) of the Torah. This includes observance of Shabbat, Kashrut, etc., as detailed in the Code of Jewish Law, the authoritative source for Jewish observance.
2) Milah - Male converts must undergo circumcision by a qualified "Mohel."
3) Mikveh - All converts must immerse in the Mikveh, a ritual bath linked to a reservoir of rain water.
All of the above must be done before a halachically-valid rabbinical court of three Jewish men who themselves believe in God, accept the divinity of the Torah, and observe the mitzvot.
Author Biography:
Rabbi Shraga Simmons spent his childhood trekking through snow in Buffalo, New York. He has worked in the fields of journalism and public relations, and is now the Co-editor of Aish.com in Jerusalem.
http://tinyurl.com/y2tymh
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Answer 2

It comes from mistranslations and misinterpretations. I know what you are saying. The way I learned it, G-d offered the Torah to everyone and we chose to accept the responsibility of it--hence we became chosen people. Not that we're special or anything, we just have more rules to follow. Like the first born gets more responsibility.

Answer 3

Try reading the OT. And by reading it, I mean don't just stop after Cain kills Abel, or after the flood. Read the whole thing.

According to that book, everything God did, he did so the tribe of Israel could flourish. Even when they were driven into slavery. The Jews don't just think it, they know it, because the Tanakh and their faith teaches it.

Answer 4

"Now therefore, if you will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then you shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people. For all the earth is mine: and you shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation." (Exodus 19:5-6)

"You are a holy people unto the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a peculiar people unto Himself, above all peoples that are upon the face of the earth." (Deuteronomy 14:2)

"The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because you were more in number than any people; for you were the fewest of all people; but because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your ancestors." (Deuteronomy 7:7-8)

And so on. The entire "OT" is saturated with this kind of talk.

Basically, God's a racist.

Answer 5

Read Exodus, the Jews were held bondage by the Romans. GOD himself heard the crys of the people. He then chose Moses to led the people out of Egypt. GOD did the seven wonders of the world, turning water into blood, killing the first born by pestilence.

Afterwards, he led the people (Jews) into the promise land.

Jews still do not believe this to this day which is sad, because they were the first children of GOD

Answer 6

Deuteronomy 7:6
For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.

Answer 7

Holy Bible
New Testament
Rom 11
but.....

Answer 8

Yeah, the whole Old Testament from Abraham on...

Answer 9

Someplace in the bible it says he cast them off as his people and when they killed Jesus then he took people out of all nations to serve him. Others who know the bible I think Romans someplace

Answer 10

The Jews are one tribe of twelve tribes, the tribe of Judah. The quotes given are for Israel which makes up all twelve tribes until Jacob (Israel) passed the blessing onto Joseph's two sons.

Judah was the lower Kingdom and ruled over all twelve tribes. David was from the tribe of Judah.

The promise of national identity was not to Judah, but rather was Joseph's.

The chosen people are the entire twelve tribes, but the Jews were promised an everlasting Kingship over the chosen people. Which, in Christianity, was made possible by the promises of Jesus. In Judaism, the Messiah has not come yet.

**Promises to JUDAH - the Jewish people - Remember: Jacob, who wrestled with the Angel; the LORD changed Jacob's name to ISRAEL after this event. JACOB/ISRAEL had 12 sons. In Genesis 49 we read, each son was given specific promises of blessing - but NOT the birthright promises. JUDAH and his progeny (hundreds of years later) would be first known as a Jewish nation after their return from Babylonian captivity. JUDAH was given very specific promises of blessing by his father such as: 1. he will be as a lion, 2. his brothers would bow down before him; and 3. the scepter to rule and a law giver would never depart from him until Shiloh comes to reign. But JUDAH did not receive God's cumulative Birthright promises of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. You can be read about GOD's promises in Genesis 49:8-12.
http://www.ilibros.net/Promises.html

**1910 BC (3910 years ago)
Joseph sold into slavery
Joseph's brothers are jealous of Joseph, so they sell him into slavery. Joseph ends up in Egypt, where he rises to power as a trusted assistant of a pharaoh. His father and his brothers later leave Canaan, because of a famine, and move to Egypt.
http://www.100prophecies.org/timeline.htm

From Genesis
48:13. And he set Ephraim on his right hand, that is, towards the left hand of Israel; but Manasses on his left hand, to wit, towards his father's right hand, and brought them near to him.
48:14. But he, stretching forth his right hand, put it upon the head of Ephraim, the younger brother; and the left upon the head of Manasses, who was the elder, changing his hands
48:15. And Jacob blessed the sons of Joseph, and said: God, in whose sight my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, God that feedeth me from my youth until this day:
48:16. The angel that delivereth me from all evils, bless these boys: AND LET MY NAME BE CALLED UPON THEM, and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and may they grow into a multitude upon the earth.

As you can see, Judah and Israel are not the same people as Jacob himself said to let his name be called upon the two sons of Joseph.

With that being said, the quotes from the bible above this one are correct. Israel's blessing are not upon Jews, but upon the two sons of Joseph and the lion of Judah shall rule over them. The lion of the tribe of Judah is Jesus Christ.

** to Answer your further details. God did choose another people. He chose Joseph's two sons who were half-Egyptian and they became a company of Nations and the greatest Nation the world has ever known. Two brother Nations. Looking through history you will easily discover their identity. They are still allies and pretty much tell modern Israel how to deal with their enemies.