# General Information:

Israel was not to have a king because Yahweh was their king. Knowing the sinfulness of the people, Yahweh anticipated that one day Israel would have a king. Therefore, this passage gives commands about their king prophetically. They were not allowed to collect chariots because they were a sign of earthly power and the king was to trust in Yahweh. (See 1 Samuel 8).

# When you have come to the land

"gone to" or "entered." 

# then you say, 'I will set a king over myself, like all the nations that are round about me,'

"then you decide that you want a king just like the peoples of the nations that surround you have kings," 

# I will set a king over myself ... round about me

"We will set over ourselves ... round about us"

# set a king over myself

Giving someone the authority to rule as king is spoken of as if the people were setting the person in a place above them. 

# all the nations that are round about me

"all the surrounding nations". Here "nations" represent the people who live in the nations.