Deuteronomy 17 · Verse 15

Deuteronomy 17:15

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.
Deuteronomy 17:15, King James Version

Deuteronomy 17:15 in other translations

BSByou are to appoint over yourselves the king whom the LORD your God shall choose. Appoint a king from among your brothers; you are not to set over yourselves a foreigner who is not one of your brothers.
WEByou shall surely set him whom the LORD your God chooses as king over yourselves. You shall set as king over you one from among your brothers. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother.
ASVthou shalt surely set him king over thee, whom Jehovah thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee; thou mayest not put a foreigner over thee, who is not thy brother.
YLTthou dost certainly set over thee a king on whom Jehovah doth fix; from the midst of thy brethren thou dost set over thee a king; thou art not able to set over thee a stranger, who is not thy brother.
DARBYthou shalt only set him king over thee whom Jehovah thy God will choose: from among thy brethren shalt thou set a king over thee; thou mayest not set a foreigner over thee, who is not thy brother.
BBEThen see that you take as your king the man named by the Lord your God: let your king be one of your countrymen, not a man of another nation who is not one of yourselves.
WebsterThou 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, who is not thy brother.

What does Deuteronomy 17:15 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
15. 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).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 15 One 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? Mat 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 notes, Mat 22:16 (note), etc.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Deuteronomy 17:14-20

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…

Read the full comment on Deuteronomy 17:14-20 →

Deuteronomy 17:15 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

שׂ֣וֹםSomindeed <appoint>H7760
תָּשִׂ֤יםta.Simyou will appointH7760
עָלֶ֙יךָ֙'a.Lei.khaover yourselfH5921
מֶ֔לֶךְMe.lekha kingH4428
אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherwhomH834
יִבְחַ֛רyiv.Charhe will chooseH977
יְהוָ֥הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ'e.lo.Hei.khaGod yourH430
בּ֑וֹbo<in> <the> him
מִקֶּ֣רֶבmi.Ke.revfrom [the] midst ofH7130
אַחֶ֗יךָ'a.Chei.Khacountrymen yourH251
תָּשִׂ֤יםta.Simyou will appointH7760
עָלֶ֙יךָ֙'a.Lei.khaover yourselfH5921
מֶ֔לֶךְMe.lekha kingH4428
לֹ֣אlo'notH3808
תוּכַ֗לtu.Khalyou will be ableH3201
לָתֵ֤תla.Tetto setH5414
עָלֶ֙יךָ֙'a.Lei.khaover yourselfH5921
אִ֣ישׁ'isha manH376
נָכְרִ֔יna.khe.RiforeignH5237
אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.SherwhoH834
לֹֽא\־lo'-notH3808
אָחִ֖יךָ'a.Chi.kha[is] countryman yourH251
הֽוּא\׃Hu'heH1931

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Deuteronomy 17:15

  • Jeremiah 30:21

    And their nobles shall be of themselves, and their governor shall proceed from the midst of them; and I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto me: for who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me? saith the Lord.

  • 1 Chronicles 22:10

    He shall build an house for my name; and he shall be my son, and I will be his father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever.

  • 1 Samuel 10:24

    And Samuel said to all the people, See ye him whom the Lord hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, God save the king.

  • 1 Samuel 16:12-13

    And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he. Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

  • 1 Chronicles 12:23

    And these are the numbers of the bands that were ready armed to the war, and came to David to Hebron, to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the Lord.

  • 1 Samuel 9:15-17

    Now the Lord had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying, To morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me. And when Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said unto him, Behold the man whom I spake to thee of! this same shall reign over my people.

  • Psalms 2:6

    Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.

  • Psalms 2:2

    The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying,

  • Jeremiah 2:25

    Withhold thy foot from being unshod, and thy throat from thirst: but thou saidst, There is no hope: no; for I have loved strangers, and after them will I go.

  • 2 Samuel 5:2

    Also in time past, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the Lord said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel.

  • Matthew 22:17

    Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Cesar, or not?

  • 1 Chronicles 28:5

    And of all my sons, (for the Lord hath given me many sons,) he hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
whom.
1Sa 9:15-17; 10:24; 16:12,13; 2Sa 5:2; 1Ch 12:23; 22:10; 28:5
Ps 2:2,6
from among.
Jer 30:21; Mt 22:17
not set.
Jer 2:25

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Deuteronomy 17:14

    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;

  • Deuteronomy 17:15

    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.

  • Deuteronomy 17:16

    But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the Lord hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.

Read all of Deuteronomy 17

Deuteronomy 17:15 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Sin duda pondrás por rey sobre ti al que Jehová tu Dios escogiere: de entre tus hermanos pondrás rey sobre ti: no podrás poner sobre ti hombre extranjero, que no sea tu hermano.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
tu établiras sur toi le roi que l’ Éternel, ton Dieu, choisira; tu établiras sur toi un roi d’entre tes frères; tu ne pourras pas établir sur toi un homme étranger, qui ne soit pas ton frère.
German
Elberfelder 1871
so sollst du nur den König über dich setzen, den Jehova, dein Gott, erwählen wird; aus der Mitte deiner Brüder sollst du einen König über dich setzen; du sollst nicht einen fremden Mann über dich setzen, der nicht dein Bruder ist.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
eum constitues, quem Dominus Deus tuus elegerit de numero fratrum tuorum. Non poteris alterius gentis hominem regem facere, qui non sit frater tuus.