English Standard Version
Deuteronomy 17:15
15you 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.
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.
- 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.
- New Living Translation (NLT)If this happens, be sure to select as king the man the Lord your God chooses. You must appoint a fellow Israelite; he may not be a foreigner.
Context of Deuteronomy 17:15
13And all the people shall hear and fear and not act presumptuously again. 14"When you come to the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you possess it and dwell in it and then say, 'I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are around me,' 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. 16Only he must not acquire many horses for himself or cause the people to return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since the Lord has said to you, 'You shall never return that way again.' 17And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold.
Read all of Deuteronomy 17Deuteronomy 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 came, the Lord had revealed to Samuel:
- 1 Samuel 10:24And Samuel said to all the people, "Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen? There is none like him among all the people." And all the people shouted, "Long live the king!"
- 1 Samuel 16:12And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the Lord said, "Arise, anoint him, for this is he."
- 2 Samuel 5:2In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the Lord said to you, 'You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel.'"
- 1 Chronicles 12:23These are the numbers of the divisions of the armed troops who came to David in Hebron to turn the kingdom of Saul over to him, according to the word of the Lord.
- 1 Chronicles 22:10He shall build a house for my name. He shall be my son, and I will be his father, and I will establish his royal throne in Israel forever.'
- 1 Chronicles 28:5And of all my sons (for the Lord has given me many sons) he has chosen Solomon my son to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel.
- Psalms 2:2The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying,
- Jeremiah 30:21Their prince shall be one of themselves; their ruler shall come out from their midst; I will make him draw near, and he shall approach me, for who would dare of himself to approach me? declares the Lord.
- 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 unshod and your throat from thirst. But you said, 'It is hopeless, for I have loved foreigners, and after them I will go.'
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
In the dictionaries
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
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Commentaries