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

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Study note

Setting — Moses addresses the Israelites on the plains of Moab, outlining the constitutional limits for the monarchy they are about to establish. The command restricts royal power by prohibiting reliance on military might and foreign alliances.

The words — יַרְבֶּה (yarbeh) means "he will increase" or "multiply," and יָשִׁיב (yashiv) means "he will cause to return" or "send back." These verbs frame the king's prohibited actions of accumulating horses and redirecting the nation toward Egypt.

The thread — The prohibition against returning to Egypt echoes the covenant curse in Deuteronomy 28:68, which warns of forced repatriation by ship. Later prophets cite this boundary when condemning Judah's kings for seeking military aid from Egypt rather than trusting Yahweh, as seen in Isaiah 31:1 and Ezekiel 17:15.

Why it lands — The text demands that leaders reject self-reliant power structures and foreign dependencies. It requires readers to recognize that institutional strength must never override covenant loyalty.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

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.

Cross-references

Isaiah 31:1 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.
Deuteronomy 28:68 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.”
Ezekiel 17:15 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?’
Psalms 20:7 Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.
Hosea 11:5 Will they not return to the land of Egypt and be ruled by Assyria because they refused to repent?
Exodus 13:17 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.”
Numbers 14:3 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?”
1 Kings 4:26 Solomon had 4,000 stalls for his chariot horses and 12,000 horses.
1 Kings 10:26 Solomon accumulated 1,400 chariots and 12,000 horses, which he stationed in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem.
Exodus 14:13 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.