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Selected Verse: Deuteronomy 17:16 - Strong Concordance
| Verse |
Translation |
Text |
| De 17:16 |
Strong Concordance |
But he shall not multiply [07235] horses [05483] to himself, nor cause the people [05971] to return [07725] to Egypt [04714], to the end that he should multiply [07235] horses [05483]: forasmuch as the LORD [03068] hath said [0559] unto you, Ye shall henceforth [03254] return [07725] no more that way [01870]. |
| |
King James |
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. |
Summary Of Commentaries Associated With The Selected Verse
| A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882] |
| he shall not multiply horses to himself--The use of these animals was not absolutely prohibited, nor is there any reason to conclude that they might not be employed as part of the state equipage. But the multiplication of horses would inevitably lead to many evils, to increased intercourse with foreign nations, especially with Egypt, to the importation of an animal to which the character of the country was not suited, to the establishment of an Oriental military despotism, to proud and pompous parade in peace, to a dependence upon Egypt in time of war, and a consequent withdrawal of trust and confidence in God. (Sa2 8:4; Kg1 10:26; Ch2 1:16; Ch2 9:28; Isa 31:3). |
| Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834] |
The horse was not anciently used in the East for purposes of agriculture or traveling, but ordinarily for war only. He appears constantly in Scripture as the symbol and embodiment of fleshly strength and the might of the creature (compare Psa 20:7; Psa 33:16-17; Psa 147:10; Job 39:19 ff), and is sometimes significantly spoken of simply as "the strong one" (compare Jer 8:16). The spirit of the prohibition therefore is that the king of Israel must not, like other earthly potentates, put his trust in costly and formidable preparations for war (compare Hos 1:7).
Egypt was the principal source from where the nations of western Asia drew their supplies of this animal (compare Exo 14:5 ff; Kg1 10:28-29; Kg2 7:6); but contact, traffic, or alliance which would "cause the people to return to Egypt" would be to reverse that great and beneficent wonderwork of God which inaugurated the Mosaic covenant, the deliverance from the bondage of Egypt; and to bring about of set purpose that which God threatened Deu 28:68 as the most severe punishment for Israel's sin. |
| Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65] |
| He shall not multiply horses - Tho' he might have horses for his own use, yet he was not to have many horses for his officers and guard, much less for war, lest he should trust in them. The multiplying horses is also forbidden, lest it should raise too great a correspondence with Egypt which furnished Canaan with them. The Lord hath said - The Lord hath now said to me, and I by his command declare it to you. Ye shall no more return that way - Into Egypt, lest ye be again infected with her idolatries. |
| Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826 |
He shall not multiply horses - As horses appear to have been generally furnished by Egypt, God prohibits these,
1. Lest there should be such commerce with Egypt as might lead to idolatry.
2. Lest the people might depend on a well-appointed cavalry as a means of security, and so cease from trusting in the strength and protection of God. And,
3. That they might not be tempted to extend their dominion by means of cavalry, and so get scattered among the surrounding idolatrous nations, and thus cease, in process of time, to be that distinct and separate people which God intended they should be, and without which the prophecies relative to the Messiah could not be known to have their due and full accomplishment. |
3 Now the Egyptians [04714] are men [0120], and not God [0410]; and their horses [05483] flesh [01320], and not spirit [07307]. When the LORD [03068] shall stretch out [05186] his hand [03027], both he that helpeth [05826] shall fall [03782], and he that is holpen [05826] shall fall down [05307], and they all shall fail [03615] together [03162].
28 And they brought [03318] unto Solomon [08010] horses [05483] out of Egypt [04714], and out of all lands [0776].
16 And Solomon [08010] had horses [05483] brought [04161] out of Egypt [04714], and linen yarn [04723]: the king's [04428] merchants [05503] received [03947] the linen yarn [04723] at a price [04242].
26 And Solomon [08010] gathered together [0622] chariots [07393] and horsemen [06571]: and he had a thousand [0505] and four [0702] hundred [03967] chariots [07393], and twelve [08147] [06240] thousand [0505] horsemen [06571], whom he bestowed [05148] in the cities [05892] for chariots [07393], and with the king [04428] at Jerusalem [03389].
4 And David [01732] took [03920] from him a thousand [0505] chariots, and seven [07651] hundred [03967] horsemen [06571], and twenty [06242] thousand [0505] footmen [0376] [07273]: and David [01732] houghed [06131] all the chariot [07393] horses, but reserved [03498] of them for an hundred [03967] chariots [07393].
68 And the LORD [03068] shall bring [07725] thee into Egypt [04714] again [07725] with ships [0591], by the way [01870] whereof I spake [0559] unto thee, Thou shalt see [07200] it no more again [03254]: and there ye shall be sold [04376] unto your enemies [0341] for bondmen [05650] and bondwomen [08198], and no man shall buy [07069] you.
6 For the Lord [0136] had made the host [04264] of the Syrians [0758] to hear [08085] a noise [06963] of chariots [07393], and a noise [06963] of horses [05483], even the noise [06963] of a great [01419] host [02428]: and they said [0559] one [0376] to another [0251], Lo, the king [04428] of Israel [03478] hath hired [07936] against us the kings [04428] of the Hittites [02850], and the kings [04428] of the Egyptians [04714], to come [0935] upon us.
28 And Solomon [08010] had horses [05483] brought [04161] out of Egypt [04714], and linen yarn [04723]: the king's [04428] merchants [05503] received [03947] the linen yarn [04723] at a price [04242].
29 And a chariot [04818] came up [05927] and went out [03318] of Egypt [04714] for six [08337] hundred [03967] shekels of silver [03701], and an horse [05483] for an hundred [03967] and fifty [02572]: and so for all the kings [04428] of the Hittites [02850], and for the kings [04428] of Syria [0758], did they bring them out [03318] by their means [03027].
5 And it was told [05046] the king [04428] of Egypt [04714] that the people [05971] fled [01272]: and the heart [03824] of Pharaoh [06547] and of his servants [05650] was turned [02015] against the people [05971], and they said [0559], Why have we done [06213] this, that we have let Israel [03478] go [07971] from serving [05647] us?
7 But I will have mercy [07355] upon the house [01004] of Judah [03063], and will save [03467] them by the LORD [03068] their God [0430], and will not save [03467] them by bow [07198], nor by sword [02719], nor by battle [04421], by horses [05483], nor by horsemen [06571].
16 The snorting [05170] of his horses [05483] was heard [08085] from Dan [01835]: the whole land [0776] trembled [07493] at the sound [06963] of the neighing [04684] of his strong ones [047]; for they are come [0935], and have devoured [0398] the land [0776], and all [04393] that is in it; the city [05892], and those that dwell [03427] therein.
19 Hast thou given [05414] the horse [05483] strength [01369]? hast thou clothed [03847] his neck [06677] with thunder [07483]?
10 He delighteth [02654] not in the strength [01369] of the horse [05483]: he taketh not pleasure [07521] in the legs [07785] of a man [0376].
16 There is no king [04428] saved [03467] by the multitude [07230] of an host [02428]: a mighty man [01368] is not delivered [05337] by much [07230] strength [03581].
17 An horse [05483] is a vain thing [08267] for safety [08668]: neither shall he deliver [04422] any by his great [07230] strength [02428].
7 Some trust in chariots [07393], and some in horses [05483]: but we will remember [02142] the name [08034] of the LORD [03068] our God [0430].