17:14 When you come to the land the Lord your God is giving you and take it over and live in it and then say, “I will select a king like all the nations surrounding me,” 17:15 you must select without fail 1 a king whom the Lord your God chooses. From among your fellow citizens 2 you must appoint a king – you may not designate a foreigner who is not one of your fellow Israelites. 3
1 tn The Hebrew text uses the infinitive absolute for emphasis, indicated in the translation by the words “without fail.”
2 tn Heb “your brothers,” but not referring to siblings (cf. NIV “your brother Israelites”; NLT “a fellow Israelite”). The same phrase also occurs in v. 20.
3 tn Heb “your brothers.” See the preceding note on “fellow citizens.”