Deuteronomy 17 · Verse 16

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.
Deuteronomy 17:16, King James Version

Deuteronomy 17:16 in other translations

BSBBut the king must not acquire many horses for himself or send the people back to Egypt to acquire more horses, for the LORD has said, ‘You are never to go back that way again.’
WEBOnly he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he may multiply horses; because the LORD has said to you, “You shall not go back that way again.”
ASVOnly he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he may multiply horses; forasmuch as Jehovah hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.
YLT‘Only, he doth not multiply to himself horses, nor cause the people to turn back to Egypt, so as to multiply horses, seeing Jehovah hath said to you, Ye do not add to turn back in this way any more.
DARBYOnly he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor lead back the people to Egypt, to multiply horses; for Jehovah hath said unto you, Ye shall not return again any more that way.
BBEAnd he is not to get together a great army of horses for himself, or make the people go back to Egypt to get horses for him: because the Lord has said, You will never again go back that way.
WebsterBut 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 to you, ye shall henceforth return no more that way.

What does Deuteronomy 17:16 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
16. he shall not multiply horses to himself--The use of these animals was not absolutely prohibited, nor is there any reason to conclude that they might not be employed as part of the state equipage. But the multiplication of horses would inevitably lead to many evils, to increased intercourse with foreign nations, especially with Egypt, to the importation of an animal to which the character of the country was not suited, to the establishment of an Oriental military despotism, to proud and pompous parade in peace, to a dependence upon Egypt in time of war, and a consequent withdrawal of trust and confidence in God. (2Sa 8:4; 1Ki 10:26; 2Ch 1:16; 9:28; Is 31:3).

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 16 He shall not multiply horses - As horses appear to have been generally furnished by Egypt, God prohibits these, 1. Lest there should be such commerce with Egypt as might lead to idolatry. 2. Lest the people might depend on a well-appointed cavalry as a means of security, and so cease from trusting in the strength and protection of God. And, 3. That they might not be tempted to extend their dominion by means of cavalry, and so get scattered among the surrounding idolatrous nations, and thus cease, in process of time, to be that distinct and separate people which God intended they should be, and without which the prophecies relative to the Messiah could not be known to have their due and full accomplishment.

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 17:16 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.

רַק֮rakonlyH7535
לֹא\־lo'-notH3808
יַרְבֶּה\־yar.beh-he will increaseH7235
לּ֣וֹlofor <the> himself
סוּסִים֒su.SimhorsesH5483
וְלֹֽא\־ve.lo'-and notH3808
יָשִׁ֤יבya.Shivhe will make returnH7725
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הָעָם֙ha.'Amthe peopleH5971
מִצְרַ֔יְמָהmitz.Ray.mahEgypt towardsH4714
לְמַ֖עַןle.Ma.'anso asH4616
הַרְבּ֣וֹתhar.Botto increaseH7235
ס֑וּסSushorse[s]H5483
וַֽיהוָה֙va.Yah.wehand YahwehH3068
אָמַ֣ר'a.Marhe has saidH559
לָכֶ֔םla.Khemto <the> you
לֹ֣אlo'notH3808
תֹסִפ֗וּןto.si.Funyou will repeat !H3254
לָשׁ֛וּבla.Shuvto returnH7725
בַּדֶּ֥רֶךְba.De.rekhon the wayH1870
הַזֶּ֖הha.Zeh<the> thisH2088
עֽוֹד\׃odagainH5750

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

Cross references for Deuteronomy 17:16

  • Isaiah 31:1-3

    Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord! Yet he also is wise, and will bring evil, and will not call back his words: but will arise against the house of the evildoers, and against the help of them that work iniquity. Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the Lord shall stretch out his hand, both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that is holpen shall fall down, and they all shall fail together.

  • Deuteronomy 28:68

    And the Lord shall bring thee into Egypt again with ships, by the way whereof I spake unto thee, Thou shalt see it no more again: and there ye shall be sold unto your enemies for bondmen and bondwomen, and no man shall buy you.

  • Ezekiel 17:15

    But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? shall he escape that doeth such things? or shall he break the covenant, and be delivered?

  • Hosea 11:5

    He shall not return into the land of Egypt, but the Assyrian shall be his king, because they refused to return.

  • Psalms 20:7

    Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.

  • 1 Kings 4:26

    And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.

  • 1 Kings 10:26-28

    And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he bestowed in the cities for chariots, and with the king at Jerusalem. And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycomore trees that are in the vale, for abundance. And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn: the king’s merchants received the linen yarn at a price.

  • Numbers 14:3-4

    And wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt? And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt.

  • Exodus 13:17

    And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt:

  • Jeremiah 42:14-16

    Saying, No; but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread; and there will we dwell: And now therefore hear the word of the Lord, ye remnant of Judah; Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; If ye wholly set your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to sojourn there; Then it shall come to pass, that the sword, which ye feared, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine, whereof ye were afraid, shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die.

  • Exodus 14:13

    And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.

  • 1 Kings 1:5

    Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
multiply horses.Multiplying horses for chariots of war and cavalry, or for luxury, would increase the splendour of a monarch, and form a ground of confidence distinct from a proper confidence in God, and inconsistent with it, and with considering him as the glory of Israel. Egypt abounded in horses; and the desire of multiplying these would induce the prince to encourage a trade with that kingdom; and this might make way for the Israelites being again subjugated by the Egyptians, or at least corrupted by their idolatries and vices. Whereas, it was the command of God that they should no more return thither, but be totally detached from them. Besides, they might be tempted to extend their dominion by means of cavalry, and so get scattered among the surrounding idolatrous nations, and thus cease to be that distinct, separate people, which God intended they should be.
1Sa 8:11; 2Sa 8:4; 1Ki 1:5; 4:26; 10:26-28; 2Ch 9:25; Ps 20:7
Isa 36:8,9; Ho 14:3
cause.
Isa 31:1-3; Jer 42:14; Eze 17:15
Ye shall henceforth.
28:68; Ex 13:17; 14:13; Nu 14:3,4; Jer 42:15,16; Ho 11:5

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

Context

  • 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.

  • Deuteronomy 17:17

    Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.

Read all of Deuteronomy 17

Deuteronomy 17:16 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Empero que no se aumente caballos, ni haga volver el pueblo á Egipto para acrecentar caballos: porque Jehová os ha dicho: No procuraréis volver más por este camino.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Seulement, il n’aura pas une multitude de chevaux, et il ne fera pas retourner le peuple en Égypte pour avoir beaucoup de chevaux; car l’ Éternel vous a dit: Vous ne retournerez plus jamais par ce chemin-là.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Nur soll er sich die Rosse nicht mehren und soll das Volk nicht nach Ägypten zurückführen, um sich die Rosse zu mehren; denn Jehova hat euch gesagt: Ihr sollt fortan nicht wieder dieses Weges zurückkehren.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Cumque fuerit constitutus, non multiplicabit sibi equos, nec reducet populum in Ægyptum, equitatus numero sublevatus, præsertim cum Dominus præceperit vobis ut nequaquam amplius per eamdem viam revertamini.