The Meaning of Deuteronomy 17:17 Explained

Deuteronomy 17:17

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

YLT: And he doth not multiply to himself wives, and his heart doth not turn aside, and silver and gold he doth not multiply to himself -- exceedingly.

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

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

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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

What does Deuteronomy 17:17 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 17:17 mean?

And neither shall he multiply for himself wives and lest turn away his heart and silver and gold Nor for himself greatly
וְלֹ֤א יַרְבֶּה־ לּוֹ֙ נָשִׁ֔ים וְלֹ֥א יָס֖וּר לְבָב֑וֹ וְכֶ֣סֶף וְזָהָ֔ב לֹ֥א לּ֖וֹ מְאֹֽד

וְלֹ֤א  And  neither 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יַרְבֶּה־  shall  he  multiply 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הַרְבָּה 
Sense: be or become great, be or become many, be or become much, be or become numerous.
לּוֹ֙  for  himself 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
נָשִׁ֔ים  wives 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
וְלֹ֥א  and  lest 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יָס֖וּר  turn  away 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סוּר 
Sense: to turn aside, depart.
לְבָב֑וֹ  his  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: לֵבָב  
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding.
וְכֶ֣סֶף  and  silver 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֶּסֶף  
Sense: silver, money.
וְזָהָ֔ב  and  gold 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: זָהָב  
Sense: gold.
לֹ֥א  Nor 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
לּ֖וֹ  for  himself 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
מְאֹֽד  greatly 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מְאֹד  
Sense: exceedingly, much subst.