Deu 17:14-18 | TNotes

17:15 ^a the man the Lord your God chooses: Human monarchy was not contrary to God’s will for Israel (cp. 1 Sam 8:6-7 ^b)—God promised Abraham and Sarah that their descendants would include kings (Gen 17:6 ^c, 16 ^d; see also Gen 35:11 ^e). But the abuses of kingship were condemned. The theology that views the Messiah in a kingly role (2 Sam 7:11-15 ^f; Pss 2 ^g; 110 ^h; Isa 9:6-7 ⁱ) provides for both human and divine royalty.
17:16 ^j never return to Egypt: Going there would show a king’s lack of dependence on God, who had redeemed Israel from bondage to Egypt. The best horses were found in Egypt (see 1 Kgs 10:28-29 ^k).
17:17 ^l many wives: Polygamy is neither prohibited nor sanctioned here. This guideline was meant to moderate and regulate the practice. In the ancient world, kings married many wives to cement political alliances with other kingdoms, showing trust in human power rather than God’s provision. David (2 Sam 5:13 ^m; 12:11 ⁿ) and Solomon (1 Kgs 11:3-4 ^o) both ignored this warning to their own great harm and that of the nation.

• must not accumulate: The amassing of wealth was another sign of dependence on human resources.
17:18 ^p This body of instruction (literally this torah) refers to the book of Deuteronomy or perhaps only to this passage concerning the Israelite monarchy. For torah, see study note on 4:44.

Thematic note: Purge the Evil
Sin is so abhorrent to God that it cannot coexist with him. The same should be true for his people. God is holy, and he expects his people to reflect his holiness (Lev 11:45 ^q; 19:2 ^r).
God required severe measures to remove sin from the covenant community. God offered forgiveness, but only for the truly repentant; those who hardened their hearts could expect God’s judgment—a purging process that devours sinners and their sins and leaves nothing behind (see Deut 9:3 ^s; 13:5 ^t; Isa 33:14 ^u; Heb 12:28-29 ^v). Such cleansing is meant to heal the community of believers and deter others from rebelling against the Lord (Deut 17:13 ^w).
In the Old Testament, God’s judgment among his people was often immediate (see, e.g., Num 11:1-3 ^x; 16:1-50 ^y; Josh 7 ^z). God thus made his people keenly aware of his demand for obedience and of the penalty for those who did not comply.
God’s retribution is now reserved for the future day of judgment, when the sins of the unrighteous will be exposed and judged (Rom 14:10 ^aa; 2 Cor 5:10 ^ab; Heb 9:27 ^ac; 1 Pet 4:5 ^ad). However, some instances of calamity can be understood as God’s judgment on his disobedient children (e.g., Acts 5:1-11 ^ae; see 1 Cor 11:27-30 ^af). It is still a “terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb 10:31 ^ag).

Passages for Further Study
Lev 19:1-2 ^ah; Deut 9:3-6 ^ai; 13:5 ^aj; 17:2-13 ^ak; Josh 7:1-26 ^al; 2 Chr 34:3-8 ^am; Isa 1:24-26 ^an; 4:2-6 ^ao; 33:14 ^ap; Ezek 20:32-38 ^aq; Matt 18:8-9 ^ar; Acts 5:1-11 ^as; Rom 14:10 ^at; 1 Cor 11:27-30 ^au; 2 Cor 5:10 ^av; Heb 9:27-28 ^aw; 10:31 ^ax; 12:28-29 ^ay; Jas 5:19-20 ^az; 1 Pet 4:5 ^ba