The King: It may seem strange that in this section on leadership in Israel the king comes second rather than at the head of the series. The reason is that whereas sound judicial administration by impartial judges is at the very heart of Israel’s covenant theocracy, monarchy as a particular form of political authority is not. The nation can and does survive without kings both before and after the centuries of actual monarchic government. Although in other OT traditions the king can be seen as the human embodiment of Yahweh’s kingship, this is not in view here. In Deuteronomy the judge stands closer to divine functions and is a more true successor to Moses than a king. “The way of the righteous judge reflects the way of the Lord (cf. 16:18–19 with 10:17). The way of the king in Deuteronomy i…