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Deuteronomy 17:18

in Deuteronomy 17

When he is seated on his royal throne, he must write for himself a copy of this instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book, out of that which is before the priests the Levites:

KJV

And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites:

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This verse in Deuteronomy 17

Commentary

7 notes on this verse

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

He shall write him a copy of this law - משנה התורה הזאת mishneh hattorah hazzoth, an iteration or duplicate of this law; translated by the Septuagint, το δευτερονομιον τουτο this deuteronomy. From this version both the Vulgate Latin and all the modern versions have taken the name of this book; and from the original word the Jews call it Mishneh. See the preface to this book.

This site's exposition

he shall write him a copy of this law

The king copies the law out from the master text held by the priests the Levites, and the Jewish tradition Adam Clarke reports has him do it with his own hand rather than a scribe's. The Hebrew behind a copy of this law is mishneh hattorah, which the Septuagint rendered to deuteronomion touto, and the name of the whole book came into Latin and English from that rendering. Matthew Henry weighs what the demand costs a man whose hands are full of a kingdom's business from the day he takes the throne. 2 Kings 11:12 puts the testimony into the hands of Joash at his crowning, and 2 Kings 22 has Josiah hearing a book of the law that had gone missing.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament (1765)

He shall write - With his own hand, as the Jews say. Out of that - Out of the original, which was carefully kept by the priests in the sanctuary, that it might be a perfect copy, and that it might have the greater influence upon him, coming to him as from the hand and presence of God.
And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom,....

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

When he begins to apply himself to business, he must apply himself to this in the first place. He that sits upon the throne of a kingdom cannot but have his hands full. The affairs of his kingdom both at home and abroad call for a large share of his time and thoughts, and yet he must write himself a copy of the law.

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

Each monarch, on his accession, was to be furnished with a true and faithful copy, which he was to keep constantly beside him, and daily peruse it, that his character and sentiments being cast into its sanctifying mould, he might discharge his royal functions in the spirit of faith and piety, of humility and a love or righteousness.
It is in striking consistency with the dignity which everywhere throughout the Mosaic legislation surrounds the chosen people of God, that even if they will be “like as all the nations about” Deu 17:14, and be governed by a king, care should nevertheless be taken that he shall be no Oriental despot. He is to be of no royal caste, but “one from among thy brethren” Deu 17:15; he is to bear himself as a kind of “primus inter pares,” his heart “not being lifted up above his brethren” Deu 17:20; he is, like his subjects, to be bound by the fundamental laws and institutions of the nation, and obliged, as they were, to do his duty in his station of life with constant reference thereto. The spirit of the text is that of Mat 23:9. A copy of this law - The whole Pentateuch, or, at any rate, the legal portion of the Pentateuch. A book ... before the priests the Levites - Compare the marginal reference.

The words behind it

16 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • וְהָיָ֣הand it will be

    vehayahH1961 →3559 times

  • כְשִׁבְתּ֔וֹwhen sits he

    kheshivtoH3427 →1079 times

  • עַ֖לon

    ʾalH5921 →5755 times

  • כִּסֵּ֣א[the] throne of

    kise'H3678 →

  • מַמְלַכְתּ֑וֹkingdom his

    mamlakhtoH4467 →117 times

  • וְכָ֨תַבand he will write

    vekhatavH3789 →224 times

  • ל֜וֹfor <the> himself

    lo

  • אֶת־<obj.>

    ʾet-H853 →10935 times

  • מִשְׁנֵ֨ה<the> copy of

    mishnehH4932 →

  • הַתּוֹרָ֤הthe law

    hatorahH8451 →219 times

  • הַזֹּאת֙<the> this

    hazotH2063 →603 times

  • עַל־on

    ʾal-H5921 →5755 times

  • סֵ֔פֶרa scroll

    seferH5612 →186 times

  • מִלִּפְנֵ֥יfrom to before

    milifneiH6440 →2123 times

  • הַכֹּהֲנִ֖יםthe priests

    hakohanimH3548 →750 times

  • הַלְוִיִּֽם׃the Levites

    halviyimH3881 →291 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

10 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Psalms 119:9How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to Your word.10 works2 Chronicles 34:15And Hilkiah said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD!” And he gave it to Shaphan.4 works2 Kings 11:12Then Jehoiada brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, presented him with the Testimony, and proclaimed him king. They anointed him, and the people clapped their hands and declared, “Long live the king!”4 worksDeuteronomy 31:24–26When Moses had finished writing in a book the words of this law from beginning to end,4 worksDeuteronomy 31:9So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel.4 works2 Kings 22:8Then Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD!” And he gave it to Shaphan, who read it.4 works
The other 4 cross-references, with their words ▾
Acts 26:3especially since you are acquainted with all the Jewish customs and controversies. I beg you, therefore, to listen to me patiently.2 worksNehemiah 8:2On the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could listen and understand.2 worksPsalms 122:5For there the thrones of judgment stand, the thrones of the house of David.2 works1 Kings 1:13Go at once to King David and say, ‘My lord the king, did you not swear to your maidservant, “Surely your son Solomon will reign after me, and he will sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’1 works

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    2 Kings 11:12

    Then Jehoiada brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, presented him with the Testimony, and proclaimed him king. They anointed him, and the people clapped their hands and declared, “Long live…

    it leads to

    • 1 Samuel 10:24

      Samuel said to all the people, “Do you see the one the LORD has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people.” And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”

    • Exodus 25:16

      And place inside the ark the Testimony, which I will give you.

    • 2 Samuel 1:10

      So I stood over him and killed him, because I knew that after he had fallen he could not survive. And I took the crown that was on his head and the band that…

    • 1 Kings 1:39

      Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the ram’s horn, and all the people proclaimed, “Long live King Solomon!”

  • Through

    2 Kings 22:8

    Then Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD!” And he gave it to Shaphan, who read it.

    it leads to

    • Deuteronomy 31:24–26

      When Moses had finished writing in a book the words of this law from beginning to end,

    • 2 Chronicles 34:14–28

      While they were bringing out the money that had been taken into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the LORD written by Moses.

  • Through

    Deuteronomy 31:9

    So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel.

    it leads to

    • Numbers 4:15

      When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy objects and all their equipment, as soon as the camp is ready to move, the Kohathites shall come and do the carrying. But they…

    • Joshua 3:3

      and commanded the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God being carried by the Levitical priests, you are to set out from your positions and follow it.

Where this verse is studied

On this page

Studies1

About Deuteronomy

Moses Comes Down from Mount Sinai, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Moses Comes Down from Mount Sinai, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
Deuteronomy: the study guide →Read Deuteronomy 17 →

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; 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); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in Deuteronomy 17 →