New Living Translation
Deuteronomy 17:15
15If 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.
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 everyone else will hear about it and be afraid to act so arrogantly. 14“You are about to enter the land the Lord your God is giving you. When you take it over and settle there, you may think, ‘We should select a king to rule over us like the other nations around us.’ 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. 16“The king must not build up a large stable of horses for himself or send his people to Egypt to buy horses, for the Lord has told you, ‘You must never return to Egypt.’ 17The 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.
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 Lord had told Samuel the previous day,
- 1 Samuel 10:24Then Samuel said to all the people, “This is the man the Lord has chosen as your king. No one in all Israel is like him!” And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”
- 1 Samuel 16:12So Jesse sent for him. He was dark and handsome, with beautiful eyes. And the Lord said, “This is the one; anoint him.”
- 2 Samuel 5:2In the past, when Saul was our king, you were the one who really led the forces of Israel. And the Lord told you, ‘You will be the shepherd of my people Israel. You will be Israel’s leader.’”
- 1 Chronicles 12:23These are the numbers of armed warriors who joined David at Hebron. They were all eager to see David become king instead of Saul, just as the Lord had promised.
- 1 Chronicles 22:10He is the one who will build a Temple to honor my name. He will be my son, and I will be his father. And I will secure the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’
- 1 Chronicles 28:5And from among my sons—for the Lord has given me many—he chose Solomon to succeed me on the throne of Israel and to rule over the Lord’s kingdom.
- Psalms 2:2The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the Lord and against his anointed one.
- Jeremiah 30:21They will have their own ruler again, and he will come from their own people. I will invite him to approach me,” says the Lord, “for who would dare to come unless invited?
- Matthew 22:17Now tell us what you think about this: Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
- Jeremiah 2:25When will you stop running? When will you stop panting after other gods? But you say, ‘Save your breath. I’m in love with these foreign gods, and I can’t stop loving them now!’
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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