דברים י״ז:י״ד-כ׳

לא ירבה לו סוסים. אֶלָּא כְּדֵי מֶרְכַּבְתּוֹ, שֶׁלֹּא ישיב את העם מצרימה, שֶׁהַסּוּסִים בָּאִים מִשָּׁם, כְּמָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בִּשְׁלֹמֹה (מלכים א י') וַתַּעֲלֶה וַתֵּצֵא מֶרְכָּבָה מִמִּצְרַיִם בְּשֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת כֶּסֶף וְסוּס בַּחֲמִשִּׁים וּמֵאָה (סנהדרין כ"א):

He may not acquire an abundance of horses for himself. Except as required for his riding entourage, so that he does not send the people back to Egypt, the source of supply for horses, as it is said concerning Shlomo, “Chariots were brought up out of Egypt for six hundred silver pieces, and horses for one hundred fifty.”

ולא ירבה לו נשים. אֶלָּא י"ח, שֶׁמָּצִינוּ שֶׁהָיוּ לוֹ לְדָוִד שֵׁשׁ נָשִׁים, וְנֶאֱמַר לוֹ (שמואל ב י״ב:ח׳) "וְאִם מְעָט וְאֹסִפָה לְּךָ כָּהֵנָּה וְכָהֵנָּה":

He may not acquire an abundance of wives. No more than eighteen, as we find that Dovid had six wives, and it was said to him, “If this is insufficient, then I shall add, for you, as many, and again.”

וכסף וזהב לא ירבה לו מאד. אֶלָּא כְּדֵי לִתֵּן לְאַכְסַנְיָא (ספרי; סנהדרין כ"א):

And silver and gold he may not accumulate for himself in great abundance. Except as required to maintain his retinue.

והיה כשבתו. אִם עָשָׂה כֵן כְּדַאי הוּא שֶׁתִּתְקַיֵּם מַלְכוּתוֹ (ספרי):

It shall be, that when he occupies. If he fulfills this, then he is worthy of his kingdom enduring.

את משנה התורה. שְׁתֵּי סִפְרֵי תוֹרָה, אַחַת שֶׁהִיא מֻנַּחַת בְּבֵית גְּנָזָיו, וְאַחַת שֶׁנִּכְנֶסֶת וְיוֹצֵאת עִמּוֹ (סנהדרין כ"א); וְאֻנְקְלוֹס תִּרְגֵּם "פַּתְשֶׁגֶן", פָּתַר משנה לְשׁוֹן שִׁנּוּן וְדִבּוּר:

A duplicate of [this] Torah. Two Torah scrolls, one to be stored in his treasure chamber, and one to accompany him on his arrivals and departures. Onkelos, however, translates “text,” rendering מִשְׁנֵה as “teaching,” or “word.”

דברי התורה. כְּמַשְׁמָעוֹ:

Every word of this Torah. This follows the plain meaning.

ולבלתי סור מן המצוה. אֲפִלּוּ מִצְוָה קַלָּה שֶׁל נָבִיא:

And he does not stray from the commandment. Even an easily fulfilled directive by a prophet.

למען יאריך ימים. מִכְּלַל הֵן אַתָּה שׁוֹמֵעַ לָאו; וְכֵן מָצִינוּ בְשָׁאוּל שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ שְׁמוּאֵל (שמואל א י') "שִׁבְעַת יָמִים תּוֹחֵל עַד בּוֹאִי אֵלֶיךָ", לְהַעֲלוֹת עוֹלוֹת, וּכְתִיב (שם י"ג) "וַיּוֹחֶל שִׁבְעַת יָמִים", וְלֹא שָׁמַר הַבְטָחָתוֹ לִשְׁמֹר כָּל הַיּוֹם, וְלֹא הִסְפִּיק לְהַעֲלוֹת הָעוֹלָה עַד שֶׁבָּא שְׁמוּאֵל וְאָמַר לוֹ "נִסְכָּלְתָּ לֹא שָׁמַרְתָּ וְגוֹ' וְעַתָּה מַמְלַכְתְּךָ לֹא תָקוּם", הָא לָמַדְתָּ שֶׁבִּשְׁבִיל מִצְוָה קַלָּה שֶׁל נָבִיא נֶעֱנַשׁ:

So that the days of his reign are lengthy. Implicit in the positive is the negative. We find this with Shaul, whom Shmuel told, “Wait seven days, until I come to you, etc.,” to offer olah-sacrifices. And it is written, “He waited seven days,” but did not keep his commitment to wait the entire day. He had hardly completed the olah-offering, when Shmuel arrived, and told him, “You have been foolish! You have not kept. etc., so now your reign will not endure.” Thus, you learn that, over an easily fulfilled directive by a prophet, he was punished.

הוא ובניו. מַגִּיד שֶׁאִם בְּנוֹ הָגוּן לְמַלְכוּת הוּא קוֹדֵם לְכָל אָדָם (הוריות י"א):

He and his sons. This teaches that if his son qualifies as a regent, he takes precedence over all other candidates.