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Deuteronomy 17:16
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Principles Governing Kings

14 “When you come to the land which the Lord your God is giving you, and possess it and dwell in it, and say, a‘I will set a king over me like all the nations that are around me,’  
15 you shall surely set a king over you awhom the Lord your God chooses; one bfrom among your brethren you shall set as king over you; you may not set a foreigner over you, who is not your brother.  
16 But he shall not multiply ahorses for himself, nor cause the people bto return to Egypt to multiply horses, for cthe Lord has said to you, d‘You shall not return that way again.’  
17 Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and agold for himself.  
18 “Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one abefore the priests, the Levites.  
19 And ait shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes,  
Commentaries:
Forerunner Commentary
What is the Forerunner Commentary?
<< Deuteronomy 17:15   Deuteronomy 17:17 >>

What Does Deuteronomy 17:16 Mean?



Deuteronomy 17:16

Given the size and scope of the empire he inherited from his father David, Solomon no doubt needed means for transportation and trade. Beyond this, horses were prime war materiel in those days, particularly for pulling chariots, so multiplying horses can indicate territorial aggression and a warlike spirit. Most importantly, it can show a lack of faith in God and too great a faith in armies.

I Kings 10:26, 28 says that Solomon had thousands of horses imported from Egypt. The next verse reveals further proof of his departure from these royal guidelines: He also imported chariots and sold horses and chariots to other nations. What surfaces here is nothing more than a tenth-century BC arms race! Solomon armed the Hittites and Syria, providing them with the means to attack Israel and Judah in later years (I Kings 11:23-25; 20:1; II Chronicles 22:5). In so doing, he violated one of the "smaller" precepts of God's law, first given to Israel 450 years earlier.

Martin G. Collins
The Enduring Results of Compromise

Related Topics: Arms Race | Compromise | Faith in Armies | Hittites | Importing Chariots | Israel's Lack of Faith | Lack of Faith | Lack of Faith in God | Multiplying Horses | Royal Guidelines | Selling Chariots | Smaller Precepts of God's Law | Syria | Territorial Aggression | Warlike Spirit




Other Forerunner Commentary entries containing Deuteronomy 17:16:

1 Samuel 8:7-8
1 Samuel 8:7-8
1 Samuel 8:19-20
1 Kings 3:5-10
1 Kings 11:42
2 Chronicles 9:22-28


 
<< Deuteronomy 17:15   Deuteronomy 17:17 >>

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