Deuteronomy 17:16 “But the king must not acquire many horses for himself or send the peop…”

Deuteronomy 17:16

But 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.’

Berean Standard Bible

Other translations

King James Version

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.

World English Bible

Only 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.”

American Standard Version

Only 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.

Geneva Bible 1599

In any wise he shall not prepare him many horses, nor bring the people againe to Egypt, for to encrease the number of horses, seeing the Lord hath sayd vnto you, Ye shall henceforth goe no more againe that way.

Darby Translation

Only 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.

Young's Literal Translation

'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.

Bible in Basic English

And 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.

.mt-body { max-height: none !important; -webkit-mask-image: none !important; mask-image: none !important; } .mt-bar { display: none !important; } .o-trans::after { display: block !important; }

Cross references

“multiply horses”

Psalm 20:7 1 Kings 4:26 1 Kings 10:26–28 1 Kings 1:5 1 Samuel 8:11 2 Samuel 8:4

Psalm 20:7 · BSB

Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

1 Kings 4:26 · BSB

Solomon had 4,000 stalls for his chariot horses and 12,000 horses.

1 Kings 10:26–28 · BSB

Solomon accumulated 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses, which he stationed in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem.

1 Kings 1:5 · BSB

At that time Adonijah, David’s son by Haggith, began to exalt himself, saying, “I will be king!” And he acquired chariots and horsemen and fifty men to run ahead of him.

1 Samuel 8:11 · BSB

He said, “This will be the manner of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them to serve his own chariots and horses, and to run in front of his chariots.

2 Samuel 8:4 · BSB

David captured from him a thousand chariots, seven thousand charioteers, and twenty thousand foot soldiers, and he hamstrung all the horses except a hundred he kept for the chariots.

“cause”

Isaiah 31:1–3 Ezekiel 17:15 Jeremiah 42:14

Isaiah 31:1–3 · BSB

Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in their abundance of chariots and in their multitude of horsemen. They do not look to the Holy One of Israel; they do not seek the LORD.

Ezekiel 17:15 · BSB

But this king rebelled against Babylon by sending his envoys to Egypt to ask for horses and a large army. Will he flourish? Will the one who does such things escape? Can he break a covenant and yet escape?’

Jeremiah 42:14 · BSB

and if you say, ‘No, but we will go to the land of Egypt and live there, where we will not see war or hear the sound of the ram’s horn or hunger for bread,’

“Ye shall henceforth”

Deuteronomy 28:68 Hosea 11:5 Exodus 13:17 Exodus 14:13 Numbers 14:3 Numbers 14:4

Deuteronomy 28:68 · BSB

The LORD will return you to Egypt in ships by a route that I said you should never see again. There you will sell yourselves to your enemies as male and female slaves, but no one will buy you.”

Hosea 11:5 · BSB

Will they not return to the land of Egypt and be ruled by Assyria because they refused to repent?

Exodus 13:17 · BSB

When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them along the road through the land of the Philistines, though it was shorter. For God said, “If the people face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.”

Exodus 14:13 · BSB

But Moses told the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the LORD’s salvation, which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again.

Numbers 14:3 · BSB

Why is the LORD bringing us into this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and children will become plunder. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?”

Numbers 14:4 · BSB

So they said to one another, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.”

Cross references adapted from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0) and the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

In context

15you 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.

17He must not take many wives for himself, lest his heart go astray. He must not accumulate for himself large amounts of silver and gold.

Read Deuteronomy 17