Deuteronomy 17:14
in Deuteronomy 17When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, “Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
When thou art come unto the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are round about me;
KJV
When thou art come unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me;
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This verse in Deuteronomy 17
Commentary
6 notes on this verseTheir having a king is neither promised as a mercy nor commanded as a duty (nothing could be better for them than the divine regimen they were under), but it is permitted them if they desired it.
This site's exposition
When thou art come unto the land
on Deuteronomy 17:14-15
The request is quoted back almost word for word at 1 Samuel 8:5 and 8:20, where Israel asks for a king to judge us like all the nations. Matthew Henry reads the law as permission rather than promise, since the conditions in the verses that follow assume the request will one day be made and granted. The choice belongs to God and the man must come from among thy brethren, which is what 1 Samuel 10:24 and 16:1 show happening. Albert Barnes notes that later Jewish reading stretched the ban on a stranger to cover every office, which is part of what gave the question about tribute to Caesar at Matthew 22:17 its edge.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The Punishment of Idolatry. 1 Thou shalt not sacrifice unto the L ORD thy God any bullock, or sheep, wherein is blemish, or any evilfavouredness: for that is an abomination unto the L ORD thy God.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:83%@v1-2
When thou art come unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
He was to possess certain indispensable requisites. He was to be an Israelite, of the same race and religion, to preserve the purity of the established worship, as well as be a type of Christ, a spiritual king, one of their brethren.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
No encouragement is given to the desire, natural in an Oriental people, for monarchical government; but neither is such desire blamed, as appears from the fact that conditions are immediately laid down upon which it may be satisfied. Compare the marginal references.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
‘I WILL SET A KING OVER ME.’ In the opinion of our Rabbis. Sanhedrin 20b.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
THOU SHALT BY ALL MEANS SET HIM KING OVER THEE, WHOM THE ETERNAL THY G-D SHALL CHOOSE. In the opinion of the commentators. Ibn Ezra in the verse before us.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
20 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | if | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| תָבֹ֣א | tavo' | you will go | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | into | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הָאָ֗רֶץ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יְהוָ֤ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ | ʾeloheikha | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| נֹתֵ֣ן | noten | [is] about to give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לָ֔ךְ | lakh | to <the> you | ||
| וִֽירִשְׁתָּ֖הּ | virishtah | and you will take possession of it | H3423 → | 231 times |
| וְיָשַׁ֣בְתָּה | veyashavtah | and you will dwell | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| בָּ֑הּ | bah | in <the> it | ||
| וְאָמַרְתָּ֗ | veamarta | and you will say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אָשִׂ֤ימָה | ʾasimah | let me appoint | H7760 → | 584 times |
| עָלַי֙ | ʾalai | over myself | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| מֶ֔לֶךְ | melekh | a king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| כְּכָל־ | kekhol- | like all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַגּוֹיִ֖ם | hagoyim | the nations | H1471 → | 561 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| סְבִיבֹתָֽי׃ | sevivotai | [are] around me | H5439 → | 336 times |
כִּֽי־if
ki-H3588 →4482 times
תָבֹ֣אyou will go
tavo'H935 →2568 times
אֶל־into
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הָאָ֗רֶץthe land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יְהוָ֤הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙God your
ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times
נֹתֵ֣ן[is] about to give
notenH5414 →2011 times
לָ֔ךְto <the> you
lakh
וִֽירִשְׁתָּ֖הּand you will take possession of it
virishtahH3423 →231 times
וְיָשַׁ֣בְתָּהand you will dwell
veyashavtahH3427 →1079 times
בָּ֑הּin <the> it
bah
וְאָמַרְתָּ֗and you will say
veamartaH559 →5305 times
אָשִׂ֤ימָהlet me appoint
ʾasimahH7760 →584 times
עָלַי֙over myself
ʾalaiH5921 →5755 times
מֶ֔לֶךְa king
melekhH4428 →2525 times
כְּכָל־like all
kekhol-H3605 →5413 times
הַגּוֹיִ֖םthe nations
hagoyimH1471 →561 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
סְבִיבֹתָֽי׃[are] around me
sevivotaiH5439 →336 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Deuteronomy 18:9When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not imitate the detestable ways of the nations there.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 12:29–31
When the LORD your God cuts off before you the nations you are entering to dispossess, and you drive them out and live in their land,
- Leviticus 18:26–27
But you are to keep My statutes and ordinances, and you must not commit any of these abominations—neither your native-born nor the foreigner who lives among you.
- Leviticus 18:30
You must keep My charge not to practice any of the abominable customs that were practiced before you, so that you do not defile yourselves by them. I am the LORD your God.”
- Deuteronomy 12:29–31
Through
Joshua 1:13“Remember what Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you when he said, ‘The LORD your God will give you rest, and He will give you this land.’
it leads to
- Numbers 32:20–28
Moses replied, “If you will do this—if you will arm yourselves before the LORD for battle,
- Deuteronomy 3:18–20
At that time I commanded you: “The LORD your God has given you this land to possess. All your men of valor are to cross over, armed for battle, ahead of your brothers, the…
- Joshua 22:1–4
Then Joshua summoned the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half-tribe of Manasseh
- Numbers 32:20–28
Through
Deuteronomy 11:31For you are about to cross the Jordan to enter and possess the land that the LORD your God is giving you. When you take possession of it and settle in it,
it leads to
- Joshua 1:11
“Go through the camp and tell the people, ‘Prepare your provisions, for within three days you will cross the Jordan to go in and take possession of the land that the LORD your God…
- Joshua 1:11
Through
1 Samuel 12:19They pleaded with Samuel, “Pray to the LORD your God for your servants so that we will not die! For we have added to all our sins the evil of asking for a king.”
it leads to
- Exodus 9:28
Pray to the LORD, for there has been enough of God’s thunder and hail. I will let you go; you do not need to stay any longer.”
- Exodus 9:28
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.