Chosen

The concept of being chosen (Hebrew bahar; Greek eklektos) runs throughout Scripture as a description of God's sovereign selection of persons or peoples for a particular purpose. In the Old Testament, the term is applied to warriors selected for their skill (Exod. 15:4; Judg. 20:16), to Israel as God's chosen nation (Deut. 7:7; Ps. 105:43; Isa. 45:4), and to Jerusalem and the temple as the place God chose for his name to dwell (1 Kgs. 11:13). The choosing of Israel is explicitly not based on their size or merit but on God's love and covenant faithfulness (Deut. 7:7–8).

In the New Testament, chosen or elect describes those whom God calls in Christ (Matt. 22:14; Rom. 8:33; Eph. 1:4; 1 Pet. 2:9). The doctrine of divine election has been a central and contested subject in Christian theology, with different traditions emphasizing God's sovereign initiative and human responsibility in different ways. Jesus himself is called the Chosen One of God (Luke 23:35).