Deuteronomy 17:18

Deu 17:18 And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of [that which is] before the priests the Levites:

Ver. 18. He shall write him a copy.] The Jews say, that if printing had been found out then, yet was the king bound to write two copies of the law with his own hand, one to keep in the treasury, and another to carry about him. This book of God was David’s delight. {Psa 119:70} Alphonsus, king of Aragon, is reported to have read over the Bible fourteen times, with Lyra’s notes upon it. Charles the Wise, of France, not only caused the Bible to be translated into French, as our King Alfred translated the Psalter himself into his Saxon tongue, but was also very studious in the Holy Scripture. And that peerless princess, Queen Elizabeth, as she passed in triumphal state through the streets of London after her coronation, when the Bible was presented to her at the little conduit in Cheapside, received the same with both her hands, and kissing it, laid it to her breasts, saying, that the same had ever been her chiefest delight, and should be the rule whereby she meant to frame her government. {a}

{a} Speed’s Hist.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Deu_17:18-19

He shall read therein.

How we may read the Scriptures with most spiritual profit

The Holy Scripture is, as Austin saith, a golden epistle sent to us from God. This is to be read diligently. Ignorance of Scripture is the mother of error, not devotion. Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures (Mat_22:29). We are commanded to search the Scriptures (Joh_5:39). The Greek word signifies to search as for a vein of silver. How diligently doth a child read over his fathers will and testament, and a citizen peruse his charter! With the like diligence should we read Gods Word, which is our Magna Charta for heaven. It is a mercy the Bible is not prohibited. Trajan, the emperor, forbade the Jews to read in the book of the law. But there is no danger of touching this tree of Holy Scriptures; if we do not eat of this tree of knowledge we shall surely die.

I. Remove those things which will hinder your profiting.

1. Remove the love of every sin. The body cannot thrive in a fever; nor can the soul under the feverish heat of lust.

2. Take heed of the thorns which will choke the Word read. A covetous man is a pluralist; he hath such diversity of secular employments, that he can scarce find time to read; or if he doth, what solecisms doth he commit in reading! While his eye is upon the Bible, his heart is upon the world; it is not the writings of the apostles he is so much taken with, as the writings in his account book. Is this man likely to profit? You may as soon extract oils and syrups out of a flint, as he any real benefit out of Scripture.

3. Take heed of jesting with Scripture. This is playing with fire.

II. Prepare your hearts to the reading of the Word. The heart is an instrument that needs putting in tune. This preparation to reading consists in two things--

1. In summoning our thoughts together to attend that solemn work we are going about. The thoughts are stragglers; therefore rally them together.

2. In purging out those unclean affections which do indispose us to reading. Many come rashly to the reading of the Word; and no wonder, if they come without preparation, that they go away without profit.

III. Read the scripture with reverence. Think every line you read God is speaking to you. When Ehud told Eglon he had a message to him from God, he arose from his throne (Jdg_3:20). The Word written is a message to us from Jehovah; with what veneration should we receive it!

IV. Read the books of scripture in order. Though occurrences may sometimes divert our method, yet for a constant course it is best to observe an order in reading. Order is a help to memory: we do not begin to read a friends letter in the middle.

V. Get a right understanding of Scripture (Psa_119:73). If the Word shoot above our head, it can never hit our heart.

VI. Read the Word with seriousness. Well may we be serious if we consider the importance of those truths which are bound up in this sacred volume. It is not a vain thing for you, because it is your life (chap. 32:47). If a letter were to be broken open and read, wherein a mans whole estate were concerned, how serious would he be in reading of it! In the Scripture our salvation is concerned; it treats of the love of Christ, a serious subject (Tit_3:4).

VII. Labour to remember what you read. The memory should be like the chest in the ark, where the law was put. Some can better remember a piece of news than a line of Scripture; their memories are like those ponds where the frogs live, but the fish die.

VIII. Meditate upon what you read. Meditation is the bellows of the affections: While I was musing the fire burned (Psa_39:3). The reason we come away so cold from reading the Word is, because we do not warm ourselves at the fire of meditation.

IX. Come to the reading of Scripture with humble hearts. An arrogant person disdains the counsels of the Word, and hates the reproofs; is he likely to profit? God giveth grace unto the humble (Jam_4:6). The most eminent saints have been but of low stature in their own eyes; like the sun in the zenith, they showed least when they were at the highest.

X. Give credence to the Word written. Believe it to be of God; see the name of God in every line. The Romans, that they might gain credit to their laws, reported that they were inspired by the gods at Rome. Believe the Scripture to be Divinely inspired. Whence should the Scripture come, if not from God?

1. Sinners could not be the authors of Scripture. Would they indite such holy lines? or inveigh so fiercely against those sins which they love?

2. Saints could not be the authors of Scripture. How could it stand with their sanctity to counterfeit Gods name, and put Thus saith the Lord to a book of their own devising?

3. Angels could not be the authors of Scripture. What angel in heaven durst personate God, and say, I am the Lord? Believe the pedigree of Scripture to be sacred, and to come from the Father of lights.

XI. Highly prize the Scriptures (Psa_119:72). St. Gregory calls the Bible the heart and soul of God. It is the library of the Holy Ghost. It is the compass by which the rudder of our wheel is to be steered; it is the field in which Christ, the Pearl of price, is hid; it is a rock of diamonds; it is a sacred eye-salve; it mends their eyes that look upon it; it is a spiritual optic-glass in which the glory of God is resplendent; it is the universal medicine for the soul.

XII. Get an ardent love to the word. Prizing relates to judgment, love to the affections. Consider how I love Thy precepts (Psa_119:159; Rom_7:22). He is likely to grow rich who delights in his trade; a lover of learning will be a scholar. St. Austin tells us, before his conversion he took no pleasure in the Scriptures, but afterwards they were his chaste delights.

XIII. Come to the reading of the Word with honest hearts.

1. Willing to know the whole counsel of God.

2. Desirous of being made better by it.

XIV. Learn to apply scripture. Take every word as spoken to yourselves.

XV. Observe the preceptive part of the Word, as well as the permissive. Such as east their eye upon the promise, with a neglect of the command, are not edified by Scripture; they look more after comfort than duty. The body may be swelled with wind as well as flesh: a man may be filled with false comfort, as well as that which is genuine and real.

XVI. Let your thoughts dwell upon the most material passages of Scripture. The bee fastens on those flowers where she may suck most sweetness. Though the whole contexture of Scripture is excellent, yet some parts of it may have a greater emphasis, and be more quick and pungent.

XVII. Compare yourselves with the word. See how the Scripture and your hearts agree, how your dial goes with this sun. Are your hearts, as it were, a transcript of Scripture? Is the Word copied out into your hearts?

XVIII. Take special notice of those scriptures which speak to your particular case. Were a consumptive person to read Galen or Hippocrates, he would chiefly observe what they writ about a consumption. Great regard is to be had to those paragraphs of Scripture which are most apposite to ones present case. I shall instance only in three cases--

1. Affliction.

2. Desertion.

3. Sin.

XIX. Take special notice of the examples in scripture. Make the examples of others living sermons to you.

1. Observe the examples of Gods judgments upon sinners. They have been hanged up in chains in terrorem.

2. Observe the examples of Gods mercy to saints. Jeremy, was preserved in the dungeon, the three children in the furnace, Daniel in the lions den. These examples are props to faith, spurs to holiness.

XX. Leave not off reading in the bible till you find your hearts warmed.

XXI. Set upon the practice of what you read. I have done Thy commandments (Psa_119:166). A student in physic doth not satisfy himself to read over a system or body of physic, but he falls upon practising physic: the life-blood of religion lies in the practical part. So, in the text: He shall read in the book of the law all the days of his life; that he may learn to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them. Christians should be walking Bibles.

XXII. Make use of Christs prophetical office. He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah, to whom it is given to open the book of God, and to loose the seven seals thereof (Rev_5:5). Christ doth so teach as He doth quicken.

XXIII. Tread often upon the threshold of the sanctuary. Ministers are Gods interpreters; it is their work to expound dark places of Scripture. We read of pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers (Jdg_7:16). Ministers are earthen pitchers (2Co_4:7). But these pitchers have lamps within them, to light souls in the dark.

XXIV. Pray that God will make you profit. I am the Lord thy God, which teacheth thee to profit (Isa_48:17). Make Davids prayer: Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law (Psa_119:18). Pray to God to take off the veil on the Scripture, that you may understand it; and the veil on your heart, that you may believe it. Pray that God will not only give you His Word as a rule of holiness, but His grace as a principle of holiness. I shall conclude all with two corollaries--

1. Content not yourselves with the bare reading of Scripture, but labour to find some spiritual increment and profit. Get the Word transcribed into your hearts: The law of his God is in his heart (Psa_37:31). Never leave till you are assimilated into the Word. Such as profit by reading of the Book of God are the best Christians alive; they answer Gods cost, they credit religion, they save their souls.

2. You who have profited by reading the Holy Scriptures, adore Gods distinguishing grace. (T. Watson, M. A.)

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The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Deu 17:18-19. He shall write — With his own hand, say the Jews. Out of that which is before the priests — Out of that original, which was carefully kept by the priests in the sanctuary, that it might be a perfect copy, and that it might have the greater influence upon him, coming to him as from the hand and presence of God. He shall read therein — Diligently and constantly: neither the greatness of his place, nor the weight and multitude of his business, shall excuse or hinder him; all the days of his life — It is not enough to have Bibles, but we must use them, yea, use them daily. Our souls must have constant meals of that manna, which, if well digested, will afford them true nourishment and strength.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

17:18 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.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Meaning, the Deuteronomy.

He shall cause it to be written by them, or he shall write it by their example.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

he shall write him a copy of this law in a book--The original scroll of the ancient Scriptures was deposited in the sanctuary under the strict custody of the priests (see on Deu 31:26; Kg2 22:8). Each monarch, on his accession, was to be furnished with a true and faithful copy, which he was to keep constantly beside him, and daily peruse it, that his character and sentiments being cast into its sanctifying mould, he might discharge his royal functions in the spirit of faith and piety, of humility and a love or righteousness.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 18. He shall write him a copy of this law] משנה התורה הזאת mishneh hattorah hazzoth, an iteration or duplicate of this law; translated by the Septuagint, το δευτερονομιον τουτο this deuteronomy. From this version both the Vulgate Latin and all the modern versions have taken the name of this book; and from the original word the Jews call it Mishneh. See the preface to this book.

Out of that which is before the priests the Levites] It is likely this means, that the copy which the king was to write out was to be taken from the autograph kept in the tabernacle before the Lord, from which, as a standard, every copy was taken and with which doubtless every copy was compared; and it is probable that the priests and Levites had the revising of every copy that was taken off, in order to prevent errors from creeping into the sacred text.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(18) He shall write him a copy of this law.—This phrase is the source of the Greek title of the book, Deuteronomion, or in English, Deuteronomy. The word appears also in Jos_8:32. The English conveys the right sense of the word, which primarily denotes repetition. In Hebrew it is Mishneh, the name afterwards given to the “text” of the Talmud, of which the idea is to repeat the law; though it is a somewhat peculiar repetition, in which minutiœ are chiefly dealt with, and weightier matters left out.

There are traces of this direction (1) in the coronation of Joash (2Ch_23:11, “they gave him the testimony;” (2) in the reign of Jehoshaphat, who had the Book of the Law taught to his people (2Ch_17:9); and (3) in the delivery of the book when discovered in the Temple to Josiah (2Ch_34:18), and in the effect of the perusal of it upon that king. But it is singular that we do not hear of the Book of the Law in connection with David and Solomon. Possibly, as David was a prophet himself, and not only a king, it may be thought unnecessary to make special mention of his study of the law. In many things he acted upon the direct commands of God to himself or to his seers.

We must not forget that the true king of Israel is He whose special mission it was “to fulfil the law and the prophets.” “Lo, I come, in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.”

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

18. a copy of this law] Lit. a duplicate of what was before, or in charge of, the priests (Deu_31:9; Deu_31:26). Here we have the beginning of that confidence in written revelation and the canon which brought so much good and evil to the religious life of Israel. On the mistranslation of this phrase by the LXX in the title they gave to the whole book see Introd. § 1.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom,.... When he is settled on it, and is even amidst all the pomp and glory of it: that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book; which copy the Septuagint and Vulgate Latin versions interpret of this book of Deuteronomy, which is a summary abstract and repetition of the various laws of God to the people of Israel; though the Jewish writers commonly understand it of the whole Pentateuch, the five books of Moses; which perhaps may be enlarging it too much, as it would be reducing it to too little to restrain it to this law concerning kings, as the Targum of Jonathan. The word "Mishneh", rendered "copy", signifies "double"; hence some take it to mean a double exemplar or copy of the law he was obliged to write out, whereby it would be the more imprinted on his mind, and he would be furnished with it for his use at home and abroad, as the Jewish writers observe; so Jarchi by the copy understands two books of the law, one to be left in his treasury, the other to go out and in with him. The same is said in the Talmud (m), and with which Maimonides (n) agrees, whose words are,"at the time a king sits on the throne of his kingdom, he writes for himself a book of the law, besides what his fathers left him; and he copies it out of the book of the court by the order of the sanhedrim of seventy one; if his fathers have left him none, or it is lost, he writes two books of the law, one he leaves in the house of his treasures, which he is commanded, as everyone of Israel is, and the second never departs from him;''but one may seem sufficient on all occasions, and for all purposes; and this was to be wrote out of that which is before the priests and Levites; the original copy of it, which was deposited in the side of the ark; see Deu 31:26.

(m) T. Bab. Sanhedrn, fol. 21. 2. (n) Ut supra (Maimon. Hilchot Sanhedrin, c. 2.), sect. 1.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

It is in striking consistency with the dignity which everywhere throughout the Mosaic legislation surrounds the chosen people of God, that even if they will be “like as all the nations about” Deu 17:14, and be governed by a king, care should nevertheless be taken that he shall be no Oriental despot. He is to be of no royal caste, but “one from among thy brethren” Deu 17:15; he is to bear himself as a kind of “primus inter pares,” his heart “not being lifted up above his brethren” Deu 17:20; he is, like his subjects, to be bound by the fundamental laws and institutions of the nation, and obliged, as they were, to do his duty in his station of life with constant reference thereto. The spirit of the text is that of Mat 23:9.

A copy of this law - The whole Pentateuch, or, at any rate, the legal portion of the Pentateuch.

A book ... before the priests the Levites - Compare the marginal reference.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Of this law, perhaps from the 14th verse to the end of the chapter (Haydock) or the whole Book of Deuteronomy, which contains an abridgment of the law, (Josue viii. 32.; Menochius) or even the five books, which were formerly written without any division, and went under the name of the law. (Grotius; &c.) --- Hebrew seems favourable to this last opinion, (Calmet) "he shall write a copy of this law in a book, out of that which is kept by the priests," unless Moses might only require that he should have a copy of what he was then delivering. (Haydock) --- Some say that the king was obliged to take two copies, one of which he was to have always about him. It is not certain whether he was obliged to write himself, as Philo asserts, or another might do it for him. The diadem and the law were presented to Joas, when he ascended the throne, 2 Paralipomenon xxiii. 11. (Calmet) --- If (Haydock) Josias had not seen a copy of the law before the 18th year of his reign, this precept must have been very ill observed, 4 Kings xxii. 11. (Calmet) --- But, very probably, that book, which Helcias discovered in the temple, was the autograph of Moses, and therefore made a deeper impression upon all who saw and heard it read, than if it had been read than if it had been only an ordinary copy. This copy might have been mislaid or secreted in those troublesome times; and then the high priest brought it to light again, he as well as the king and all the people, were filled with joy and amazement. (Haydock) --- It was the custom of the Jews to present a copy of the law to their kings, when they first sat upon the throne; and hence, perhaps, they make a similar present to the Pope, when he goes to take possession of the Lateran church. (Morus.) --- They presented one to Innocent II when he made his entry into Paris, 1146, and another to king Louis the Fat, as Suger informs us. (Calmet) --- Priests. Temporal princes who desire to become virtuous and wise, will ever take the law of God at the priest’s hands. (Worthington)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

He shall write; either with his own hand, as the Jews say; or, at least, by his command and procurement.

Out of that which is before the priests the Levites, i.e. out of the original, which was carefully kept by the priests in the sanctuary, Deu 31:26; 2Ki 22:8, partly that it might be a true and perfect copy, and partly that it might have the greater authority and influence upon him, coming to him as from the hand and presence of God.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

18. A copy of this law — Moses designs to provide for a holy king. The people might be like the nations around them in having a king, but the king was to be unlike the rulers of other nations. With this law to teach him, if properly heeded, his heart would not be lifted up above his brethren. He would turn aside from the commandment neither to the right nor to the left. The king whom Jehovah is to choose appears in marked contrast with the Eastern despots, who arrogated to themselves supremacy above all. They demanded adoration as if they were divine. The heart of Israel’s king is not to be so lifted up.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

A copy of this law; literally, a double of this Law, i.e. not, as the LXX have it, "This reiteration of the Law" (tomion touto), but a duplicate or copy of the Pentateuchal Law. The Jews understand by "double" that two copies of the Law were to be made by the king (Maimon., "De Regibus," e. 3. but this is unnecessary: every copy of a law is a double of it. Oat of that which is before the priests. The priests were the custodians of the written Law; (Deu_31:26) and from the text of their codex was the king"s copy to be written.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He shall write - With his own hand, as the Jews say. Out of that - Out of the original, which was carefully kept by the priests in the sanctuary, that it might be a perfect copy, and that it might have the greater influence upon him, coming to him as from the hand and presence of God.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

And thirdly, instead of hanging his heart upon these earthly things, when he at upon his royal throne he was to have a copy of the law written out by the Levitical priests, that he might keep the law by him, and read therein all the days of his life. כּתב does not involve writing with his own hand (Philo), but simply having it written. הזּאת התּורה משׁנה does not mean τὸ δευτερονόμιον τοῦτο (lxx), "this repetition of the law," as הזּאת cannot stand for הזּה; but a copy of this law, as most of the Rabbins correctly explain it in accordance with the Chaldee version, though they make mishneh to signify duplum, two copies (see Hvernick, Introduction). - Every copy of a book is really a repetition of it. "From before the priests," i.e., of the law which lies before the priests or is kept by them. The object of the daily reading in the law (Deu 17:19 and Deu 17:20) was "to learn the fear of the Lord, and to keep His commandments" (cf. Deu 5:25; Deu 6:2; Deu 14:23), that his heart might not be lifted up above his brethren, that he might not become proud (Deu 8:14), and might not turn aside from the commandments to the right hand or to the left, that he and his descendants might live long upon the throne.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

When he sits on the throne of his kingdom

Here "throne" represents the person's power and authority as king. To sit on the throne means to become king. AT: "When he becomes king" (See: Metonymy)

he must write for himself in a scroll a copy of this law

Possible meanings are 1) "he must personally write in a scroll a copy of this law for himself" or 2) "he must appoint someone to write in a scroll a copy of this law for him"

from the law that is before the priests, who are Levites

"from the copy of the law that the Levitical priests keep"

so as to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to observe them

These two phrases mean basically the same thing and emphasize that the king must obey all of God's law. (See: Parallelism)

translationWords

throne

kingdom

scroll

law

priest

Levi

life

honor

Yahweh

God

word

statute

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

והיה כשבתו AND IT SHALL BE WHEN HE SITTETH [UPON THE THRONE OF HIS KINGDOM] — if he acts thus (as prescribed in the previous verses) he is worthy that his kingdom should endure (Sifrei Devarim 160:1).

את משנה התורה [HE SHALL WRITE HIM] A משנה תורה — i.e. two scrolls of the Law, one that is placed in his treasury and the other that goes out and comes in with him (i.e. a small scroll which he carries everywhere with him) (Sanhedrin 21b). Onkelos, however, renders משנה by פתשגן, a copy; he thus interpreted the word משנה in the sense of שנן, repeating and uttering.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.