Deuteronomy 17:19
in Deuteronomy 17It is to remain with him, and he is to read from it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by carefully observing all the words of this instruction and these statutes.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life; that he may learn to fear Jehovah his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them;
KJV
And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them:
⋯
This verse in Deuteronomy 17
Commentary
6 notes on this verseAnd it shall be with him, etc. - It was the surest way to bring the king to an acquaintance with the Divine law to oblige him to write out a fair copy of it with his own hand, in which he was to read daily. This was essentially necessary, as these laws of God were all permanent, and no Israelitish king could make any new law, the kings of this people being ever considered as only the vice-gerents of Jehovah.
This site's exposition
And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein
on Deuteronomy 17:19-20
He reads in it all the days of his life, and the stated purpose is that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, so the king is a pupil of the law before he is its enforcer. Verse 20 gives the second purpose, that his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, which puts the throne under the same book as the man in the field. Turning aside neither to the right hand nor to the left has already been laid on the nation at Deuteronomy 5:32 and on the courts at verse 11, and Joshua 1:7-8 lays it on Moses' successor with this same book in view. The promise attached is length of days for him and for his children in the midst of Israel, and 1 Kings 11:11-13 is where that promise gets measured against Solomon.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
And it shall be with him,....
Let him not conceit himself better than they because he is greater and makes a fairer show; but let him remember that he is the minister of God to them for good ( major singulis, but minor universis -- greater than any one, but less than the whole ).
As the body is receiving benefit by its food continually, and not only when it is eating, so is the soul, by the word of God, if it meditate therein day and night, Ps. i.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
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.
The words behind it
23 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהָיְתָ֣ה | vehayetah | and it will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| עִמּ֔וֹ | imo | with him | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| וְקָ֥רָא | vekara' | and he will read | H7121 → | 733 times |
| ב֖וֹ | vo | <in> <the> it | ||
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| יְמֵ֣י | yemei | [the] days of | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| חַיָּ֑יו | chaiyav | life his | H2416 → | 498 times |
| לְמַ֣עַן | lemaan | so that | H4616 → | 272 times |
| יִלְמַ֗ד | yilmad | he may learn | H3925 → | 85 times |
| לְיִרְאָה֙ | leyirah | to fear | H3372 → | 315 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהָ֔יו | ʾelohav | God his | H430 → | 2601 times |
| לִ֠שְׁמֹר | lishmor | to keep | H8104 → | 468 times |
| אֶֽת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| דִּבְרֵ֞י | divrei | [the] words of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| הַתּוֹרָ֥ה | hatorah | the law | H8451 → | 219 times |
| הַזֹּ֛את | hazot | <the> this | H2063 → | 603 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַחֻקִּ֥ים | hachukim | the statutes | H2706 → | 127 times |
| הָאֵ֖לֶּה | haeleh | <the> these | H428 → | 746 times |
| לַעֲשֹׂתָֽם׃ | laasotam | to do them | H6213 → | 2628 times |
וְהָיְתָ֣הand it will be
vehayetahH1961 →3559 times
עִמּ֔וֹwith him
imoH5973 →1050 times
וְקָ֥רָאand he will read
vekara'H7121 →733 times
ב֖וֹ<in> <the> it
vo
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
יְמֵ֣י[the] days of
yemeiH3117 →2304 times
חַיָּ֑יוlife his
chaiyavH2416 →498 times
לְמַ֣עַןso that
lemaanH4616 →272 times
יִלְמַ֗דhe may learn
yilmadH3925 →85 times
לְיִרְאָה֙to fear
leyirahH3372 →315 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יְהוָ֣הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהָ֔יוGod his
ʾelohavH430 →2601 times
לִ֠שְׁמֹרto keep
lishmorH8104 →468 times
אֶֽת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
דִּבְרֵ֞י[the] words of
divreiH1697 →1440 times
הַתּוֹרָ֥הthe law
hatorahH8451 →219 times
הַזֹּ֛את<the> this
hazotH2063 →603 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
הַחֻקִּ֥יםthe statutes
hachukimH2706 →127 times
הָאֵ֖לֶּה<the> these
haelehH428 →746 times
לַעֲשֹׂתָֽם׃to do them
laasotamH6213 →2628 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
Joshua 1:8This Book of the Law must not depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. For then you will prosper…
it leads to
- Psalms 119:15
I will meditate on Your precepts and regard Your ways.
- Psalms 19:14
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
- Colossians 3:16
Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to…
- Proverbs 3:1
My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments;
- Deuteronomy 29:9
So keep and follow the words of this covenant, that you may prosper in all you do.
- Psalms 119:15
Through
Psalms 1:2But his delight is in the Law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night.
it leads to
- Joshua 1:8
This Book of the Law must not depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. For then you will prosper…
- Psalms 119:92
If Your law had not been my delight, then I would have perished in my affliction.
- Psalms 119:11
I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You.
- Joshua 1:8
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.