Texts in Conversation
Deuteronomy places Israel's king under the same expectation of divine appointment claimed by Hammurabi. Its limits on royal conduct make being chosen by God a reason for obedience, rather than permission to rule without restraint.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Code of Hammurabi 1:3
Babylonian Legal Text
Ancient Near East
They called Babylon by his illustrious name, made it great on earth, and founded in it an everlasting kingdom whose foundations are laid as solidly as those of heaven and earth. Then Anu and Bel called me by name: Hammurabi, the exalted prince, who revered the gods, to bring about the rule of righteousness in the land, to destroy the wicked and the evil-doers. So that the strong should not harm the weak, so that I should rule over the black-headed people like Shamash and enlighten the land, and further the well-being of mankind. I am Hammurabi, the prince called by Bel, who heaped up riches and plenty, who enriched Nippur and Dur-ilu beyond compare, the sublime patron of E-kur, who restored Eridu and purified the worship of E-apsu.
Deuteronomy 17:15
Hebrew Bible
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,” 15 you must select without fail a king whom the Lord your God chooses. From among your fellow citizens you must appoint a king—you may not designate a foreigner who is not one of your fellow Israelites. 16 Moreover, he must not accumulate horses for himself or allow the people to return to Egypt to do so, for the Lord has said you must never again return that way. 17 Furthermore, he must not marry many wives lest his affections turn aside, and he must not accumulate much silver and gold.
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Notes and References
“... 17:14-20. king chosen by deity. The *Sumerian King List, which purports to contain the names of kings from before the flood until the end of the *Ur III dynasty (c. 2000 B.C.), begins with the line, “When the kingship was lowered from heaven.” The assumption throughout Mesopotamian history is that every ruler received his certification to reign from the gods. Thus *Hammurabi (1792-1750 B.C.) speaks in the prologue to his law code of the gods’ establishment of “an enduring kingship” in *Babylon and how the gods Anum and *Enlil specifically chose him to rule on behalf of the people. The result is an obligation imposed on the king to rule wisely and with justice, never abusing his power and being responsible to the commands and requirements of the gods. The situation is slightly different in Egypt, where each pharaoh was considered to be a god. ...”
Walton, John H.
The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament
(p. 188) InterVarsity Press, 2000
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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