The Meaning of Deuteronomy 17:14 Explained

Deuteronomy 17:14

KJV: 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;

YLT: When thou comest in unto the land which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee, and hast possessed it, and dwelt in it, and thou hast said, Let me set over me a king like all the nations which are round about me, --

Darby: When thou comest unto the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are about me;

ASV: When thou art come unto the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are round about me;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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; 

What does Deuteronomy 17:14 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 17

1  The things sacrificed must be sound
2  Idolaters must be slain
8  Hard controversies are to be determined by the priests and judges
12  The one who shows contempt for the judge must die
14  The election
16  and duty of a king

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 17:14 mean?

When you come to the land which Yahweh your God is giving you and possess it and dwell in it and say I will set over me a king like all the nations that [are] around me
כִּֽי־ תָבֹ֣א אֶל־ הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ נֹתֵ֣ן לָ֔ךְ וִֽירִשְׁתָּ֖הּ וְיָשַׁ֣בְתָּה בָּ֑הּ וְאָמַרְתָּ֗ אָשִׂ֤ימָה עָלַי֙ מֶ֔לֶךְ כְּכָל־ הַגּוֹיִ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר סְבִיבֹתָֽי

תָבֹ֣א  you  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
הָאָ֗רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
יְהוָ֤ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
נֹתֵ֣ן  is  giving 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
וִֽירִשְׁתָּ֖הּ  and  possess  it 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: יָרַשׁ  
Sense: to seize, dispossess, take possession off, inherit, disinherit, occupy, impoverish, be an heir.
וְיָשַׁ֣בְתָּה  and  dwell 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
בָּ֑הּ  in  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
וְאָמַרְתָּ֗  and  say 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אָשִׂ֤ימָה  I  will  set 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect Cohortative, first person common singular
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
עָלַי֙  over  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
מֶ֔לֶךְ  a  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
כְּכָל־  like  all 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הַגּוֹיִ֖ם  the  nations 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
אֲשֶׁ֥ר  that  [are] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
סְבִיבֹתָֽי  around  me 
Parse: Adverb, first person common singular
Root: מוּסָב 
Sense: places round about, circuit, round about adv.