Deuteronomy 17:14-20 · Bible study
Deuteronomy 17:14-20 Commentary: The King and the Law
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Study of Deuteronomy 17:14-20: God permits Israel a king but sets boundaries to keep the king humble and under His law.
Research Summary
- Meaning: God permits Israel to have a king but only on terms that keep the ruler humble, accountable to the law, and dependent on God rather than military or economic power.
- Key Words: Choose (Hebrew בָּחַר, bachar), divine election; Copy (מִשְׁנֵה, mishneh), a duplicate or second version of the law, giving the book of Deuteronomy its name; Fear (יָרֵא, yare'), reverent obedience that shapes daily life.
- Main Debate: Is this passage a command to establish a monarchy, or a permission given in response to a future request? Most commentators see it as a concession and warning, not a command. A minority in Jewish tradition read it as an obligation to appoint a king.
- Theological Theme: God's sovereignty over human political structures. All human authority is delegated and bounded by God's word. The king is not a law unto himself but the law's first servant.
- Best Use: A foundation for biblical teaching on leadership, accountability, and the danger of concentrated power without accountability to God's Word.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
14When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, “Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,”
15you are to appoint over yourselves the king whom the LORD your God shall choose. Appoint a king from among your brothers; you are not to set over yourselves a foreigner who is not one of your brothers.
16But the king must not acquire many horses for himself or send the people back to Egypt to acquire more horses, for the LORD has said, ‘You are never to go back that way again.’
17He must not take many wives for himself, lest his heart go astray. He must not accumulate for himself large amounts of silver and gold.
18When he is seated on his royal throne, he must write for himself a copy of this instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests.
19It is to remain with him, and he is to read from it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by carefully observing all the words of this instruction and these statutes.
20Then his heart will not be exalted above his countrymen, and he will not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or to the left, in order that he and his sons may reign many years over his kingdom in Israel.
WEB World English Bible 2000
14When you have come to the land which Yahweh your God gives you, and possess it and dwell in it, and say, “I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me,”
15you shall surely set him whom Yahweh your God chooses as king over yourselves. You shall set as king over you one from among your brothers. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother.
16Only he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he may multiply horses; because Yahweh has said to you, “You shall not go back that way again.”
17He shall not multiply wives to himself, that his heart not turn away. He shall not greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.
18It shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write himself a copy of this law in a book, out of that which is before the Levitical priests.
19It shall be with him, and he shall read from it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear Yahweh his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them;
20that his heart not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he not turn away from the commandment to the right hand, or to the left, to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children, in the middle of Israel.
KJV King James Version 1769
14When thou art come unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me;
15Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the Lord thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother.
16But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the Lord hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.
17Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.
18And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites:
19And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them:
20That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
14When thou art come unto the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are round about me;
15thou shalt surely set him king over thee, whom Jehovah thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee; thou mayest not put a foreigner over thee, who is not thy brother.
16Only he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he may multiply horses; forasmuch as Jehovah hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.
17Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.
18And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book, out of that which is before the priests the Levites:
19and it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life; that he may learn to fear Jehovah his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them;
20that his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children, in the midst of Israel.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
14`When thou comest in unto the land which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee, and hast possessed it, and dwelt in it, and thou hast said, Let me set over me a king like all the nations which are round about me, --
15thou dost certainly set over thee a king on whom Jehovah doth fix; from the midst of thy brethren thou dost set over thee a king; thou art not able to set over thee a stranger, who is not thy brother.
16`Only, he doth not multiply to himself horses, nor cause the people to turn back to Egypt, so as to multiply horses, seeing Jehovah hath said to you, Ye do not add to turn back in this way any more.
17And he doth not multiply to himself wives, and his heart doth not turn aside, and silver and gold he doth not multiply to himself--exceedingly.
18`And it hath been, when he sitteth on the throne of his kingdom, that he hath written for himself the copy of this law, on a book, from that before the priests the Levites,
19and it hath been with him, and he hath read in it all days of his life, so that he doth learn to fear Jehovah his God, to keep all the words of this law, and these statutes, to do them;
20so that his heart is not high above his brethren, and so as not to turn aside from the command, right or left, so that he prolongeth days over his kingdom, he and his sons, in the midst of Israel.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
14When thou comest unto the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are about me;
15thou shalt only set him king over thee whom Jehovah thy God will choose: from among thy brethren shalt thou set a king over thee; thou mayest not set a foreigner over thee, who is not thy brother.
16Only he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor lead back the people to Egypt, to multiply horses; for Jehovah hath said unto you, Ye shall not return again any more that way.
17Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away; neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.
18And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests, the Levites;
19and it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life; that he may learn to fear Jehovah his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them;
20that his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left; that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his sons, in the midst of Israel.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
14When thou art come into the land, which the Lord thy God will give thee, and possessest it, and shalt say: I will set a king over me, as all nations have that are round about:
15Thou shalt set him whom the Lord thy God shall choose out of the number of thy brethren. Thou mayst not make a man of another nation king, that is not thy brother.
16And when he is made king, he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor lead back the people into Egypt, being lifted up with the number of his horsemen, especially since the Lord hath commanded you to return no more the same way.
17He shall not have many wives, that may allure his mind, nor immense sums of silver and gold.
18But after he is raised to the throne of his kingdom, he shall copy out to himself the Deuteronomy of this law in a volume, taking the copy of the priests of the Levitical tribe,
19And he shall have it with him, and shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, and keep his words and ceremonies, that are commanded in the law;
20And that his heart be not lifted up with pride over his brethren, nor decline to the right or to the left, that he and his sons may reign a long time over Israel.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Deuteronomy 17:14
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this passage grants permission for a king, not a command. God foresees Israel's desire to be 'like all the nations' and provides conditions to prevent royal despotism. Calvin notes that 'the power of kings is here put beneath that of God', the king is not an absolute monarch. Barnes adds that the restrictions on horses, wives, and wealth keep the ruler from trusting in human strength or foreign alliances, a warning Solomon would later ignore. The central positive duty is the king's personal copy of the law, which he must read daily. Clarke emphasizes that this practice 'was the surest way to bring the king to an acquaintance with the Divine law.' The goal is a humble heart that does not lift itself above fellow Israelites. All sources see this as a unique ideal for ancient monarchies.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Permission view: The passage assumes the people's request ('I will set a king over me') and sets conditions, without commanding a king. God's displeasure with the request in 1 Samuel 8 supports this reading.
- Command view: Some Rabbis and later reformers argue that the words 'you shall surely set him king over you' (v.15) constitute an obligation to establish a monarchy.
- Prophetic anticipation view: Some critical scholars see the passage as a later composition, written after the monarchy to justify its existence and correct its abuses.
What is clear: All agree that the king must be chosen by God, must be an Israelite, and must be subject to the law, with the chief mark of fidelity being daily reading of Scripture.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Is kingship commanded or permitted? | All traditions agree that the passage addresses a future situation where Israel will desire a king. | Some Jewish commentators and certain Reformed interpreters read the opening as a command to appoint a king, while most Christian and Jewish scholars view it as a permission granted under conditions. |
| Identity of the 'copy of this law' | The king must write (or have written) a personal copy of the law, read it daily, and obey it. | Whether 'this law' refers only to Deuteronomy (as the Septuagint translation 'Deuteronomy' suggests) or to the entire Torah, and whether the king wrote it with his own hand (Clarke, Wesley) or simply had it transcribed (Keil). |
| Application of prohibitions to Christian leaders | The principles of humility, accountability to Scripture, and avoidance of trust in wealth or military might apply to all leaders. | Some argue the passage directly applies to modern civil rulers; others see it as unique to the theocratic monarchy of Israel and apply it only indirectly by analogy. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Deuteronomy 17:14-20 comes near the end of Moses' address to Israel, as the nation prepares to enter Canaan. Israel had been governed directly by God through prophets and judges, but Moses anticipates a future shift. The phrase 'like all the nations that are around me' echoes the desire recorded later in 1 Samuel 8, where the elders ask for a king 'to judge us like all the nations.' In the ancient Near East, kings were common, Egypt, Assyria, Babylon all had strong monarchs who claimed divine status or special favor from their gods. This passage presents a radically different vision: the king is chosen by Yahweh, from among his own people, and subject to the law.
The prohibition against multiplying horses is practical and theological. Horses came primarily from Egypt, and a standing cavalry would require trade and alliances with the nation from which Israel had been delivered. The repeated command 'You shall not go back that way again' keeps the memory of the Exodus fresh. The restriction on many wives guards against foreign influence and idolatry, a danger illustrated by Solomon's later marriages. The prohibition on vast wealth protects the king from pride and self-reliance. The duties of writing and reading the law daily are unprecedented in ancient royal ideals. As Barnes notes, the king is to be no Oriental despot but a 'primus inter pares', first among equals.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants among Hebrew manuscripts for Deuteronomy 17:14-20. The Septuagint renders the phrase mishneh hattorah hazot (v.18) as to deuteronomion touto, 'this second law,' which gave the book of Deuteronomy its Greek name. The Vulgate follows this tradition. The differences between English translations (e.g., 'horses' vs. 'horsemen') reflect interpretive choices rather than textual disagreement.
Reception History
The influence of this passage appears throughout Israel's history. In 1 Samuel 8, when the elders demand a king, Samuel warns them with language that echoes Deuteronomy 17, the king will take sons, daughters, fields, and flocks. The failures of later kings like Solomon (who multiplied wives, horses, and wealth) are read by Jewish and Christian commentators as proof that the law was disregarded. The Septuagint translation gave the book its name, and early church writers saw the passage as limiting secular power under divine law. In the Reformation, Calvin and others used it to argue that kings are not above God's word. The image of the king writing his own copy of the law has inspired Christian leaders through the centuries to ground their authority in Scripture.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- The Permission and Its Condition (vv14-15): Israel may have a king, but God chooses the man, and he must be an Israelite. God's sovereignty over the monarchy is absolute from the start.
- The Three Prohibitions (vv16-17): The king must not trust in military power (horses), worldly influence (many wives), or wealth (silver and gold). These are the common temptations of power.
- The Positive Duty (vv18-20): The king must write his own copy of the law, read it daily, and obey it. This keeps his heart humble and his reign aligned with God's will.
Five-Point Outline
- Desire for a king (v14), The people's wish for a visible leader.
- Divine choice (v15), The king is appointed by God, not popular vote.
- Limitations on power (vv16-17), Horses, wives, wealth: the three anchors of pride.
- Submission to Scripture (vv18-19), The king writes, reads, and does the law.
- Promise of longevity (v20), A humble king and his dynasty will last.
Illustration Hooks
- A newly elected mayor inherits a city budget and must decide which projects to fund, but a charter signed by the founders limits how much debt they can take on. The king's restrictions work like a constitutional check.
- A CEO who must read the company's mission statement aloud at every board meeting to stay focused on the founding purpose. The king reading the law daily performs a similar discipline.
- Parents letting a teenager borrow the family car but setting clear rules: no speeding, no calling after 10pm, and you pay for gas. Permission comes with boundaries.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- Is it wrong for Christians to desire strong political leaders, or is it just part of our fallen nature?
- How can we hold our leaders accountable to God's standards today, when we don't have a literal king?
- Does this passage justify Christian involvement in politics, or does it show that human power is always risky?
Leading a Discussion
This passage shows God's wisdom in both allowing and limiting human leadership. Israel wanted a king like other nations, but God made that king answerable to His law. As you discuss, think about how we balance trust in human leaders with submission to God's authority.
Discussion Questions
- Read verses 14-15. Why do you think Moses says 'I will set a king over me' as something the people will say? What does that suggest about their motivation?
- What does it mean that the king must be 'whom Yahweh your God shall choose'? How does this differ from how other nations picked their kings?
- Verses 16-17 warn against multiplying horses, wives, and wealth. What is the danger in each of these? Why are they grouped together?
- Why does God specifically forbid returning to Egypt? What might that represent symbolically for the king and for the nation?
- Verses 18-20 describe the king's responsibility to write and read the law. Why is writing his own copy important? What does that show about his relationship to the law?
- How does the promise in verse 20 ('that his heart not be lifted up above his brothers') reshape our understanding of leadership and authority?
- If a king in Israel was meant to be different from other kings, what does that say about how Christians should approach positions of authority today?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Leviticus 14:34 | “When you have come into the land of Canaan, which I give to you for a possession, and I put a spreading mildew in a house in the land of your possession, |
| Deuteronomy 7:1 | When Yahweh your God brings you into the land where you go to possess it, and casts out many nations before you—the Hittite, the Girgashite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite—seven nations greater and mightier than you; |
| Deuteronomy 11:31 | For you are to pass over the Jordan to go in to possess the land which Yahweh your God gives you, and you shall possess it and dwell in it. |
| Deuteronomy 12:9 | for you haven’t yet come to the rest and to the inheritance which Yahweh your God gives you. |
| Deuteronomy 12:10 | But when you go over the Jordan and dwell in the land which Yahweh your God causes you to inherit, and he gives you rest from all your enemies around you, so that you dwell in safety, |
| Deuteronomy 18:9 | When you have come into the land which Yahweh your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the abominations of those nations. |
| Deuteronomy 26:1 | It shall be, when you have come in to the land which Yahweh your God gives you for an inheritance, possess it, and dwell in it, |
| Deuteronomy 26:9 | and he has brought us into this place, and has given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
11 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Adam Clarke points out that this command later became the basis for the Jews' trap question to Jesus about paying tribute to Caesar. They reasoned that if Jesus affirmed the tax, he would break this law; if he forbade it, they could denounce him to the Roman authorities.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes observes that Moses does not condemn the desire for a king but immediately sets strict conditions to prevent an Oriental despot. The king must be a fellow Israelite, not a foreigner, and is forbidden to amass horses, wives, or wealth—common tools of worldly power. These restrictions keep him humble and bound to God's law like any other brother.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin stresses that God deliberately subordinates the king's power to His own authority, warning that earthly pomp easily draws rulers away from true piety. The king must be chosen from among the covenant people, not a foreigner, and must personally copy and study the Law so that pride and apostasy are restrained.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible commentary reads this law as a guarded concession to Israel's demand for a king, written with Solomon's later excesses clearly in view. The restrictions on horses, wives and wealth echo the prophet's warnings, limiting the monarchy while requiring the king to remain a humble student of the Law.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Bible notes stress that Israel's king must not amass horses, wives, or riches, as these lead to pride and disobedience. Most crucially, the king must personally copy and read God's Law every day of his life, so he learns humility and keeps the commandments. His rule depends on staying subject to Scripture rather than accumulating worldly power.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that God's instruction here is a permission for a king, not a command, and only if the people insist on having one. The king must be chosen by God, be an Israelite, and avoid multiplying horses, wives, or wealth, lest his heart grow proud and turn from the law.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB treats these verses as Moses making provision for a future the people would eventually demand, not one God desired. The distinctive point is that Moses laid out restrictive principles to ensure Israel's king would remain under divine authority, including the requirement to personally copy and daily read the law, so his reign would be guided by Scripture rather than worldly power.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch stress that Israel's king was permitted, not commanded, and could coexist with God's rule only if chosen by God. The ban on many horses belongs to Moses' time, when a return to Egypt was a real danger, and does not refer to Solomon. A king must keep a personal copy of the law and read it daily.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
3. Deu 17:14-20 . The transition is natural from the judge to the kingdom ( 1 Sa 8:5 ; 2 Sa 15:4 sq.). Intro., § 4, I.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry highlights a key ordering: the laws for kings follow the laws for subjects because rulers must remember they are themselves under God's command. He notes that the people's future desire for a king springs from wanting national pomp and power like neighboring nations, not from God's initiative.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley stresses that the command for the king to write and daily read a copy of the law is designed to keep him humble. This regular practice constantly reminds the king that he answers to a higher Monarch and must give an account of his rule, which abates the pride of even the haughtiest person.