Deuteronomy 17:20
in Deuteronomy 17Then his heart will not be exalted above his countrymen, and he will not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or to the left, in order that he and his sons may reign many years over his kingdom in Israel.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
that his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children, in the midst of Israel.
KJV
That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.
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This verse in Deuteronomy 17
Commentary
7 notes on this verseHe, and his children, in the midst of Israel - From this verse it has been inferred that the crown of Israel was designed to be hereditary, and this is very probable; for long experience has proved to almost all the nations of the world that hereditary succession in the regal government is, on the whole, the safest, and best calculated to secure the public tranquillity.
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 Church Fathers1 voice
A commentator
Basil of CaesareaHOMILY ON THE WORDS 'GIVE HEED TO YOURSELF.' · Written before 379.
proposed
You are a wayfarer, like to him who prayed, "Direct my steps." "Give heed to yourself" that you may swerve not from the path, that you decline neither to the right nor the left. Keep to the king's highway. The architect should lay the firm foundation of faith which is Jesus Christ and let the builder look to his materials: not wood, nor hay nor stubble but gold, silver, precious stones.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren,....
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 ).
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children--From this it appears that the crown in Israel was to be hereditary, unless forfeited by personal crime.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
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
19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לְבִלְתִּ֤י | levilti | to not | H1115 → | 112 times |
| רוּם־ | rum- | to be high | H7311 → | 190 times |
| לְבָבוֹ֙ | levavo | heart his | H3824 → | 252 times |
| מֵֽאֶחָ֔יו | meechav | more than countrymen his | H251 → | 630 times |
| וּלְבִלְתִּ֛י | ulevilti | and to not | H1115 → | 112 times |
| ס֥וּר | sur | to turn aside | H5493 → | 299 times |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַמִּצְוָ֖ה | hamitzvah | the commandment | H4687 → | 181 times |
| יָמִ֣ין | yamin | right [hand] | H3225 → | 140 times |
| וּשְׂמֹ֑אול | usemol | and left [hand] | H8040 → | 54 times |
| לְמַעַן֩ | lemaan | so that | H4616 → | 272 times |
| יַאֲרִ֨יךְ | yaarikh | he may prolong | H748 → | 34 times |
| יָמִ֧ים | yamim | days | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | over | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| מַמְלַכְתּ֛וֹ | mamlakhto | kingdom his | H4467 → | 117 times |
| ה֥וּא | hu' | he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| וּבָנָ֖יו | uvanav | and descendants his | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| בְּקֶ֥רֶב | bekerev | in [the] midst of | H7130 → | 227 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ ס | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
לְבִלְתִּ֤יto not
leviltiH1115 →112 times
רוּם־to be high
rum-H7311 →190 times
לְבָבוֹ֙heart his
levavoH3824 →252 times
מֵֽאֶחָ֔יוmore than countrymen his
meechavH251 →630 times
וּלְבִלְתִּ֛יand to not
uleviltiH1115 →112 times
ס֥וּרto turn aside
surH5493 →299 times
מִן־from
min-H4480 →1188 times
הַמִּצְוָ֖הthe commandment
hamitzvahH4687 →181 times
יָמִ֣יןright [hand]
yaminH3225 →140 times
וּשְׂמֹ֑אולand left [hand]
usemolH8040 →54 times
לְמַעַן֩so that
lemaanH4616 →272 times
יַאֲרִ֨יךְhe may prolong
yaarikhH748 →34 times
יָמִ֧יםdays
yamimH3117 →2304 times
עַל־over
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
מַמְלַכְתּ֛וֹkingdom his
mamlakhtoH4467 →117 times
ה֥וּאhe
hu'H1931 →1879 times
וּבָנָ֖יוand descendants his
uvanavH1121 →4930 times
בְּקֶ֥רֶבin [the] midst of
bekerevH7130 →227 times
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ סIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 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 5:32So be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; you are not to turn aside to the right or to the left.
it leads to
- Proverbs 4:27
Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your feet away from evil.
- Joshua 23:6
Be very strong, then, so that you can keep and obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, not turning aside from it to the right or to the…
- Joshua 1:7
Above all, be strong and very courageous. Be careful to observe all the law that My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that…
- Deuteronomy 28:14
Do not turn aside to the right or to the left from any of the words I command you today, and do not go after other gods to serve them.
- Proverbs 4:27
Through
1 Kings 15:5For David had done what was right in the eyes of the LORD and had not turned aside from anything the LORD commanded all the days of his life, except in the matter of…
it leads to
- 1 Kings 14:8
I tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you. But you were not like My servant David, who kept My commandments and followed Me with all his heart,…
- 2 Samuel 11:15–17
In the letter he wrote: “Put Uriah at the front of the fiercest battle; then withdraw from him, so that he may be struck down and killed.”
- 1 Kings 14:8
Through
Isaiah 2:12For the Day of the LORD of Hosts will come against all the proud and lofty, against all that is exalted—it will be humbled—
it leads to
- Malachi 4:1
“For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, when all the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble; the day is coming when I will set them ablaze,” says the LORD of…
- Isaiah 23:9
The LORD of Hosts planned it, to defile all its glorious beauty, to disgrace all the renowned of the earth.
- Malachi 4:1
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Basil of Caesarea, HOMILY ON THE WORDS 'GIVE HEED TO YOURSELF.'; 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.