Deuteronomy 17:16

¹⁴ 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;

¹⁵ Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother.

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.

¹⁷ Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.

¹⁸ And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites:

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: 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.’
KJV: 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.
WEB: Only he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he may multiply horses; because the LORD has said to you, “You shall not go back that way again.”
ASV: Only he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he may multiply horses; forasmuch as Jehovah hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.
DARBY: Only he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor lead back the people to Egypt, to multiply horses; for Jehovah hath said unto you, Ye shall not return again any more that way.
BLB: Only, he shall not multiply for himself horses nor cause to return the people to Egypt so as to multiply horses, for YHWH has said to you⁺, ‘You⁺ shall not return this way again.’

ÅB: Men han skal ikke holde mange hester og ikke sende folket tilbake til Egypt for å hente mange hester; for Herren har sagt til dere: Dere skal nå ikke mere vende tilbake den vei.
OTB: Kongen må ikke skaffe seg mange hester eller sende folk til Egypt for å få flere, siden Herren har sagt til deg: ‘Du må aldri gå tilbake den veien igjen.’
B1930: Men han skal ikke holde mange hester og ikke sende folket tilbake til Egypten for å hente mange hester; for Herren har sagt til eder: I skal nu ikke mere vende tilbake den vei.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Isaiah 31:1–3
Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD!
Read in context
Deuteronomy 28:68
And the LORD shall bring thee into Egypt again with ships, by the way whereof I spake unto thee, Thou shalt see it no more again: and there ye shall be sold unto your enemies for bondmen and bondwomen, and no man shall buy you.
Read in context
Ezekiel 17:15
But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and much people. Shall he prosper? shall he escape that doeth such things? or shall he break the covenant, and be delivered?
Read in context
Hosea 11:5
He shall not return into the land of Egypt, but the Assyrian shall be his king, because they refused to return.
Read in context
Psalms 20:7
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.
Read in context
1 Kings 4:26
And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen.
Read in context
1 Kings 10:26–28
And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he bestowed in the cities for chariots, and with the king at Jerusalem.
Read in context
Numbers 14:3–4
And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?
Read in context