Biblical Parallels Index – Devarim 17
Overview
This index is meant to help the reader explore Biblical parallels, be they two accounts of the same event, stories with similar motifs and themes, or units of text which are linguistically similar and perhaps alluding one to the other. The page includes links to tools that aid in comparison, primary sources that touch upon the parallels, and summaries of and links to articles which analyze them in depth.Monarchy
Makbilot BaMikra demonstrates that the laws relating to the appointment of a king are revisited in Shemuel I 8 when the people demand a king. Comparing the two passages makes one question whether Tanakh views the monarchy as a positive or negative institution. On one hand, Devarim 17 instructs, "שׂוֹם תָּשִׂים עָלֶיךָ מֶלֶךְ", commanding (or at least permitting) the people to anoint a king. Yet, when the nation requests a monarch in Sefe Shemuel they encounter resistance:
Tools
- Use the Tanakh Lab to compare Hashem's words regarding appointing a king in Devarim 17 with the people's request in Shemuel I 8:5-6. Are the people requesting the same type of monarch that Hashem is describing in Devarim? If so, why is their request viewed negatively? If not, how does their vision of the institution differ from Hashem's, and why might it be problematic?
Primary Sources
Many commentators attempt to answer the above questions. See Radak, R. Yosef ibn Kaspi, and Ralbag among others.
Articles
- See Concerns Regarding the Monarchy for discussion of why the people's request for a king was problematic, given that Torah appears to sanction the institution. The article surveys a range of exegetical approaches to the question. Some commentators assert that the people's desire that the king "fight our wars" was the problem as it portrays a lack of belief in Hashem as the nation's true savior. Others maintain that the description of the monarch as one who "shall judge us" was the issue, as it is an inappropriate mixing of the roles of king and judge. Finally, a third group of commentators pick up on the desire to "be like all the nations", viewing this as a rejection of Torah law.
- See Monarchy, by R. Chaim Navon and "פרשת שופטים - מצוות מינוי מלך ושאלת המשטר המדיני הרצוי על פי התורה". by R"E Samet for analysis of a range of perspectives on whether the passage in Devarim 17 constitutes a commandment to appoint a king and the pros and cons of monarchy.
- See בחירתו והתאמתו של שאול למלכות, by Rut Paz, and Making Shaul the King, by R. Amnon Bazak,for analysis of Shaul’s fitness for kingship in light of the requirements of Devarim 17.
- Rut Paz goes through each of the unique laws of the king (that he should not have excessive money, wives or horses etc.) and notes how, in the beginning of his journey to kingship, Shaul meets each "requirement".
- R. Bazak focuses on just one trait, Torah's requirement that a king exhibit humility (proscribing laws "לְבִלְתִּי רוּם לְבָבוֹ"). he notes that Shaul does indeed exhibit such modesty, but simultaneously appears at times to cross the line from modesty to meekness. The latter is not desired in a king, and when Shaul becomes a follower rather than a leader, it leads to his downfall.