What is the meaning of Deuteronomy 17:17? He must not take many wives for himself God was laying down a safeguard for any future king of Israel. Rather than collecting a harem to display political power or personal pleasure, the ruler was to model covenant faithfulness in marriage. • Genesis 2:24 highlights God’s original design—“a man shall leave his father and mother and be united to his wife.” One wife, one flesh. • When David multiplied wives, family chaos followed (2 Samuel 11–18). • Solomon ignored this command, marrying “many foreign women… and his wives turned his heart” (1 Kings 11:1). A king who honors the marriage covenant demonstrates that God’s pattern is sufficient and superior to the world’s customs. lest his heart go astray The core issue is spiritual loyalty. Multiple wives, especially alliances with pagan nations, would pull the king toward idolatry. • Deuteronomy 6:5 calls every Israelite to “love the LORD your God with all your heart.” Divided affections fracture that love. • 1 Kings 11:4 records the tragic outcome: “his wives turned his heart after other gods.” • James 1:14–15 shows the universal pattern—desire conceives sin, and sin brings death. God cares first about the inner life; protecting the heart protects the nation’s future. He must not accumulate for himself large amounts of silver and gold Wealth, like wives, can displace God in a ruler’s affections. The command pushes the king toward humble dependence on the Lord rather than on treasuries and trade agreements. • Deuteronomy 8:13–14 warns that prosperity can make the heart proud and forgetful of God. • Proverbs 30:8–9 asks for neither poverty nor riches “lest I be full and deny You.” • 1 Timothy 6:9–10 echoes the danger: “Those who want to be rich fall into temptation.” • Contrast Solomon’s vast income (1 Kings 10:14–23) with the instruction given here; his unchecked abundance eventually paved the way for spiritual erosion. By limiting wealth, God ensured His king would rely on covenant promises, not cash reserves. summary Deuteronomy 17:17 sets guardrails for Israel’s monarch: one wife, a single-hearted devotion, and restrained wealth. The verse insists that power must be exercised under God’s authority, with personal desires kept in check. Obedience protects the king’s heart, secures the nation’s fidelity, and showcases the sufficiency of God over every earthly allure. |
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