Leadership in Israel: Judges and Kings · Some scholars regard the section 16:18–18:22 as related to the fifth commandment, just as the previous section (usually defined as 14:28–16:17) is based on the sabbatical rhythm of the fourth commandment. The fifth commandment focuses on the honor due to parents, who are the first form of social authority encountered in life. Parental authority, however, is a model for other forms of authority and leadership in society (as is seen in the use of “father” for various kinds of honored or important persons in many societies).

The way Deuteronomy sets four offices of authority and leadership in Israel side by side in this section (judge, king, priest, and prophet) gives us an insight into its “constitutional” intentions. The clear distinction and separati…