Deuteronomy 17:17
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The verse doesn't just warn against many wives and riches; it links them directly to the danger of the king's heart turning away. This isn't just about potential idolatry, but also about neglecting his duties and oppressing his people, showing how personal indulgence can corrupt leadership.
And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage is part of God's instructions to Israel about what life will be like once they've settled in the Promised Land and decided to establish a monarchy. It follows the laws for how to choose a king, emphasizing that he must be chosen by God and be one of their own people, and precedes the detailed laws about the king's personal devotion to God's word. The prohibitions here—against excessive horses, wives, silver, and gold—are meant to keep the king from acting like the idolatrous rulers of surrounding nations.
Why would God tell a king not to get too many wives? It wasn't just about a busy schedule; it was about the heart's allegiance.
This verse hits on a critical point for Israel's future king: keeping his heart focused on God.
The Danger of Distraction
The instruction 'lest his heart turn away' points to a real spiritual danger. For a king, especially one surrounded by the temptations of power and foreign customs, a multitude of wives (often from neighboring, non-Israelite nations) could easily pull his devotion away from the Lord.
Think of Solomon. His vast number of wives, a clear violation of this principle, ultimately led him into idolatry. His heart, once devoted to God, was divided and then lost to the worship of other gods.
Loyalty Over Luxury
This isn't just about marital status. It's a principle that applies to anything that can divide our ultimate loyalty. The verse links this directly to wealth.
God didn't tell kings to be poor, but there was a line they shouldn't cross with silver and gold. What was that line?
The prohibition against 'excessive silver and gold' isn't a blanket condemnation of wealth for a king. Instead, it addresses the purpose and acquisition of that wealth.
For the Kingdom, Not for Self
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Commentaries suggest kings might need wealth for the needs of the commonwealth – supporting the military, the temple, and the people. However, accumulating it for personal extravagance or pride was forbidden.
The Heart's Inclination
Like too many wives, excessive personal wealth could 'lift up his heart in confidence and pride,' leading to a neglect of God and oppression of the people. It fosters self-sufficiency, a dangerous state for anyone, especially a leader.
This principle warns us that wealth itself isn't the enemy, but rather an unchecked desire for it and the pride it can breed.
Understand the original words
lebab · Hebrew Noun
A person's inner life, encompassing the intellect, emotions, will, and conscience. Biblically, it is the center of human decision-making and the seat of one's moral character, which God examines to determine true loyalty.
This passage directly illustrates the negative consequence warned about in Deuteronomy, showing how Solomon's numerous foreign wives turned his heart away from the Lord.
Proverbs 30:8-9Agur's prayer reflects a similar concern about excessive wealth, asking to be kept from lying and deceit, and from poverty that might lead to stealing and profaning God's name, echoing the danger of riches corrupting one's devotion.
1 Timothy 6:10This New Testament passage reiterates the theme that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, aligning with the Old Testament warning against excessive accumulation of wealth.
Ecclesiastes 5:10This verse speaks to the insatiable nature of wealth accumulation, stating that 'whoever loves money never has enough,' highlighting the perpetual desire that can lead one astray.
gillDeuteronomy 17:17: "Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold."
Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away,.... From attending to the duty of his office, the care and government of his people, and from serious religion; and particularly from the worship of the true God, as the heart of Solomon was turned away from it by his numerous idolatrous wives, 1 Kings 11:3 , it is a…
calvinDeuteronomy 17:14-20: "When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me;"
When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me;
Quum ingressus fueris terrain quam Jehova Deus tuus dat tibi, et…
The verse doesn't just warn against many wives and riches; it links them directly to the danger of the king's heart turning away. This isn't just about potential idolatry, but also about neglecting his duties and oppressing his people, showing how personal indulgence can corrupt leadership.
This passage is part of God's instructions to Israel about what life will be like once they've settled in the Promised Land and decided to establish a monarchy. It follows the laws for how to choose a king, emphasizing that he must be chosen by God and be one of their own people, and precedes the detailed laws about the king's personal devotion to God's word. The prohibitions here—against excessive horses, wives, silver, and gold—are meant to keep the king from acting like the idolatrous rulers of surrounding nations.
This passage is part of God's instructions to Israel about what life will be like once they've settled in the Promised Land and decided to establish a monarchy. It follows the laws for how to choose a king, emphasizing that he must be chosen by God and be one of their own people, and precedes the detailed laws about the king's personal devotion to God's word. The prohibitions here—against excessive horses, wives, silver, and gold—are meant to keep the king from acting like the idolatrous rulers of surrounding nations.
"And he shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire for himself excessive silver and gold." — The verse doesn't just warn against many wives and riches; it links them directly to the danger of the king's heart turning away. This isn't just about potential idolatry, but also about neglecting h…
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Last reviewed October 2026
