Deuteronomy 17:17

Deuteronomy 17:17 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.
• New International Version (NIV)He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulate large amounts of silver and gold.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold.
• New Living Translation (NLT)The king must not take many wives for himself, because they will turn his heart away from the Lord. And he must not accumulate large amounts of wealth in silver and gold for himself.

Context of Deuteronomy 17:17

15you 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. 16But he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall not return that way again.’ Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself. 18“Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. 19And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes,

Deuteronomy 17:17 word by word

וְלֹ֤א יַרְבֶּה־לּוֹ֙ נָשִׁ֔ים וְלֹ֥א יָס֖וּר לְבָב֑וֹ וְכֶ֣סֶף וְזָהָ֔ב לֹ֥א יַרְבֶּה־לּ֖וֹ מְאֹֽד׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Neither shall he multiplyרָבָהrâbâh · to multiplyH7235
• wivesאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
• to himself, that his heartלֵבָבlêbâb · heartH3824
• turnסוּרsûr ώûr · to turn aside: turn asideH5493
• not away: neither shall he greatlyמְאֹדme'ôd · muchH3966
• to himself silverכֶּ֫סֶףkeseph · silver: moneyH3701
• and goldזָהָבzâhâb · goldH2091

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 17:17

• Genesis 2:24Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
• 2 Samuel 3:2Sons were born to David in Hebron: His firstborn was Amnon by Ahinoam the Jezreelitess;
• 1 Kings 11:1But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites—
• Nehemiah 13:26Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations there was no king like him, who was beloved of his God; and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless pagan women caused even him to sin.
• Malachi 2:15But did He not make them one, Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.
• Matthew 19:5and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?
• 1 Kings 10:21All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Not one was silver, for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon.
• Psalms 62:10Do not trust in oppression, Nor vainly hope in robbery; If riches increase, Do not set your heart on them.
• Proverbs 30:8Remove falsehood and lies far from me; Give me neither poverty nor riches— Feed me with the food allotted to me;
• Matthew 6:19“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;
• Matthew 13:22Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.
• Matthew 19:23Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.
• Luke 12:15And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”
• 1 Timothy 6:9But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 17:17

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 17Neither shall he multiply wives - For this would necessarily lead to foreign alliances, and be the means of introducing the manners and customs of other nations, and their idolatry also. Solomon sinned against this precept, and brought ruin on himself and on the land by it; see 1 Kings 11:4.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17Multiplication of wives would lead to sensuality, and so to an apostasy no less fatal in effect than downright idolatry (compare Exodus 34:16). This rule, like the others, abridges to the ruler of Israel liberties usually enjoyed without stint by the kings of the East. The restriction was in the days of Moses unprecedented; and demanded a higher standard in the king of Israel than was looked for among his equals in other nations. Neither shall he greatly…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. 17many wives: Here God does not ban or support polygamy (having more than one wife). This principle intends to control and manage the practice. In ancient times, kings married many wives to form political alliances with other kingdoms. This showed they relied on human power instead of God's provision. Kings David and Solomon ignored this warning, causing great harm to themselves and the nation (2 Samuel 5:13; 12:11; 1 Kings 11:3–4). must not accumulate…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1717. Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away--There were the strongest reasons for recording an express prohibition on this point, founded on the practice of neighboring countries in which polygamy prevailed, and whose kings had numerous harems; besides, the monarch of Israel was to be absolutely independent of the people and had nothing but the divine law to restrain his passions. The mischievous effects resulting from the…Read the comment

Topics related to Deuteronomy 17:17

• King
• Polygamy
• Rulers
• Solomon

In the dictionaries

• Mouth
• Atonement, Day of
• Criticism
• Exodus, the Book of
• Genesis
• Gold
• King; Kingdom
• Law in the Old Testament
• Law, Judicial
• Leviticus

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