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

13When all the people hear about it, they will be afraid and will never defy ⌞God’s law⌟ again. 14You will enter the land that the Lord your God is giving you. You will take possession of it and live there. You will say, “Let’s have our own king like all the other nations around us.” Be sure to appoint the king the Lord your God will choose. He must be one of your own people. Never let a foreigner be king, because he’s not one of your own people. 16The king must never own a large number of horses or make the people return to Egypt to get more horses. The Lord has told you, “You will never go back there again.” 17The king must never have a large number of wives, or he will turn away ⌞from God⌟. And he must never own a lot of gold and silver.

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 Lord had revealed the following message to Samuel one day before Saul came:
• 1 Samuel 10:24Samuel asked the people, “Do you see whom the Lord has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people.” Then all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”
• 1 Samuel 16:12So Jesse sent for him. He had a healthy complexion, attractive eyes, and a handsome appearance. The Lord said, “Go ahead, anoint him. He is the one.”
• 2 Samuel 5:2“Even in the past when Saul ruled us, you were the one who led Israel in battle. The Lord has said to you, ‘You will be shepherd of my people Israel, the leader of Israel.’ ”
• 1 Chronicles 12:23These are the numbers of the men equipped for war. The men joined David at Hebron to turn Saul’s kingship over to David, as the Lord had said.
• 1 Chronicles 22:10He will build a temple for my name. He will be my son, and I will be his father. I will establish the throne of his kingdom permanently over Israel.’ ”
• 1 Chronicles 28:5And of all my sons (the Lord has given me many sons) he chose my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the Lord’s kingdom to rule Israel.
• Psalms 2:2Kings take their stands. Rulers make plans together against the Lord and against his Messiah by saying,
• Jeremiah 30:21Their leader will be someone from their own people. Their ruler will come from among them. I’ll bring him near, and he will come close to me. Who would dare to come near me?” asks the Lord.
• Matthew 22:17So tell us what you think. Is it right to pay taxes to the emperor or not?”
• Jeremiah 2:25Don’t run until your feet are bare and your throats are dry. But you say that it’s useless. You love foreign gods and 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