Ver. 15. Whom the Lord—shall choose— Either by the ministry of his prophets, by Urim and Thummim; or by lot. The king whom the Lord permitted them to choose, was not an absolute monarch, nor did he reign in his own right; but was only the Lord's deputy or viceroy; and on that account he was not left to the people's election, but was chosen by God himself. The only difference between God's appointment of the judges, and of Saul, being this, that they were chosen by internal influence, he, by lots, or external designation. See Div. Leg. book 5: sect. 3 where the reader will find a satisfactory account of the theocracy of the Jews, concerning which the learned author observes, that as it was Jesus Christ, who, in quality of high-priest, abolished the law of the Jewish worship; so it is He, who, in quality of king of the Jews, and of the church, put an end to the theocracy, when he received from his Father all power both in heaven and in earth. Thus the famous prophecy of Jacob was fulfilled; the sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a law-giver from between his feet, till SHILOH come: that is to say, "The theocracy shall not cease from amongst the Jews, nor shall they have any other lawgiver than God himself, by the ministry of Moses, until the coming of the MESSIAH."
One from among thy brethren— An Israelite by nation and religion. This precaution was necessary, as well to preserve the purity of the worship which God had established, as that the king of Israel might be a type of the king of the church, Jesus Christ, who was to be of our brethren, as St. Paul acquaints us, Hebrews 2.