Deuteronomy 17:15

Deuteronomy 17:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Thou 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.
• New International Version (NIV)be sure to appoint over you a king the Lord your God chooses. He must be from among your fellow Israelites. Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not an Israelite.
• English Standard Version (ESV)you may indeed set a king over you whom the Lord your God will choose. One from among your brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother.
• New King James Version (NKJV)you shall surely set a king over you whom the Lord your God chooses; one from among your brethren you shall set as king over you; you may not set a foreigner over you, who is not your brother.

Context of Deuteronomy 17:15

13Then all the people will hear about it, be afraid, and no longer behave arrogantly. 14“When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, take possession of it, live in it, and say, ‘I will set a king over me like all the nations around me,’ you are to appoint over you the king the Lord your God chooses. Appoint a king from your brothers. You are not to set a foreigner over you, or one who is not of your people. 16However, he must not acquire many horses for himself or send the people back to Egypt to acquire many horses, for the Lord has told you, ‘You are never to go back that way again.’ 17He must not acquire many wives for himself so that his heart won’t go astray. He must not acquire very large amounts of silver and gold for himself.

Deuteronomy 17:15 word by word

שׂ֣וֹם תָּשִׂ֤ים עָלֶ֙יךָ֙ מֶ֔לֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִבְחַ֛ר יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ בּ֑וֹ מִקֶּ֣רֶב אַחֶ֗יךָ תָּשִׂ֤ים עָלֶ֙יךָ֙ מֶ֔לֶךְ לֹ֣א תוּכַ֗ל לָתֵ֤ת עָלֶ֙יךָ֙ אִ֣ישׁ נָכְרִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־אָחִ֖יךָ הֽוּא׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thou shalt in any wiseשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: appointH7760
• kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• over thee, whom the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• thy Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• shall chooseבָּחַרbâchar · to chooseH977
• from amongקֶ֫רֶבqereb · entrails: amongH7130
• thy brethrenאָח'âch · brother: compatriotH251
• over thee: thou mayestיָכֹלyâkôl yâkôl · be ableH3201
• not setנָתַןnâthan · to give: putH5414
• a strangerאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• a strangerנׇכְרִיnokrîy · foreignH5237

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 17:15

• 1 Samuel 9:15Now the day before Saul’s arrival, the Lord had informed Samuel,
• 1 Samuel 10:24Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the one the Lord has chosen? There is no one like him among the entire population.” And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”
• 1 Samuel 16:12So Jesse sent for him. He had beautiful eyes and a healthy, handsome appearance. Then the Lord said, “Anoint him, for he is the one.”
• 2 Samuel 5:2Even while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led us out to battle and brought us back. The Lord also said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will be ruler over Israel.’”
• 1 Chronicles 12:23The numbers of the armed troops who came to David at Hebron to turn Saul’s kingdom over to him, according to the Lord’s word, were as follows:
• 1 Chronicles 22:10He is the one who will build a house for my name. He will be my son, and I will be his father. I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’
• 1 Chronicles 28:5And out of all my sons — for the Lord has given me many sons — he has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the Lord’s kingdom over Israel.
• Psalms 2:2The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers conspire together against the Lord and his Anointed One:
• Jeremiah 30:21Jacob’s leader will be one of them; his ruler will issue from him. I will invite him to me, and he will approach me, for who would otherwise risk his life to approach me? This is the Lord’s declaration.
• Matthew 22:17Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
• Jeremiah 2:25Keep your feet from going bare and your throat from thirst. But you say, “It’s hopeless; I love strangers, and I will continue to follow them.”

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 17:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15One from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee - It was on the ground of this command that the Jews proposed that insidious question to our Lord, Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, Or No? Matthew 22:17; for they were then under the authority of a foreign power. Had Christ said Yes, then they would have condemned him by this law; had he said No, then they would have accused him to Caesar. See this subject discussed in great detail in the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15The king, like the judges and officers (compare Deuteronomy 16:18), is to be chosen by the people; but their choice is to be in accordance with the will of God, and to be made from among “their brethren.” Compare 1 Samuel 9:15; 1 Samuel 10:24; 1 Samuel 16:1; 1 Kings 19:16. Thou mayest not set a stranger over thee - The Jews extended this prohibition to all offices whatsoever (compare Jeremiah 30:21); and naturally attached the greatest importance to it…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-20Verses 14-20 God himself was in a particular manner Israel's King; and if they set another over them, it was necessary that he should choose the person. Accordingly, when the people desired a king, they applied to Samuel, a prophet of the Lord. In all cases, God's choice, if we can but know it, should direct, determine, and overrule ours. Laws are given for the prince that should be elected. He must carefully avoid every thing that would turn him from God…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 15the king whom the LORD your God shall choose: Having a human king was not against God’s plan for Israel (compare 1 Samuel 8:6–7). God had promised Abraham and Sarah that their descendants would include kings (Genesis 17:6, 16; see also Genesis 35:11). However, the misuse of kingship was condemned. The Bible also teaches that the Messiah (God's chosen one) would have a kingly role (2 Samuel 7:11–15; Psalms 2; 110; Isaiah 9:6–7). This shows that God’s plan…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother--that is, by their free and voluntary choice. But God, in the retributions of His providence, did allow foreign princes to usurp the dominion (Jr 38:17; Mt 22:17).Read the comment

Topics related to Deuteronomy 17:15

• Aliens
• King
• Solomon
• Strangers

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Mouth
• Atonement, Day of
• Criticism
• Exodus, the Book of
• Foreigner
• Genesis
• King; Kingdom
• Law, Judicial

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings