Deuteronomy 17:17Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart not turn away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.
The setting
Moab Plains, ~1400 BC. Moses describes three deadly temptations for future kings: military might, political marriages, and personal wealth...
The emotion here: paternal warning about predictable human weakness
The original word
yasur (יָסוּר) — to turn aside, depart from the path, apostatize
Why it matters
Solomon violated all three commands and lost the kingdom because of it
Read with care
What most readers miss in Deuteronomy 17:17
The order matters: horses (security), wives (alliances), gold (luxury) - each leads to the next
Common misconceptionPeople focus on polygamy and miss the point about accumulation. This is about anything that divides your heart from God - money, possessions, relationships that compromise your faith.
The thread continues
Verses that echo Deuteronomy 17:17
Bible Genome reading
Deuteronomy 17:17 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
Deuteronomy 17:17 comes from the book of Deuteronomy, written during the exodus period. These words are attributed to Moses. The dominant emotion in this verse is deciding, with a comfort power of 30% and a tone that is commanding. It belongs to the law genre of biblical literature. Key themes include faithfulness, leadership restraint. Notable phrases: multiply wives; heart not turn away. This verse contains a command.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same deciding
“"You shall have no other gods before me.”
— Deuteronomy 5:7
“"You shall not murder.”
— Exodus 20:13
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
— Matthew 23:12
“For God didn't give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.”
— 2 Timothy 1:7
“But Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none, but what I have, that I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!"”
— Acts 3:6
Your reflection
What does Deuteronomy 17:17 mean to you, today?
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