And has gone and served other gods, and worshiped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded;
All Commentaries on Deuteronomy 17:3 Go To Deuteronomy 17
George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
The host of heaven. That is, the stars. (Challoner)
This species of idolatry was the most ancient and common in the East. Job (xxxi. 26, 28) takes notice of the adoration of the sun and of the moon, and calls it a very great iniquity, and a denial against the most high God. He lived in Arabia, and probably not far from the place where Moses was addressing the Israelites. (Haydock)
The pagans looked upon the sun and moon as the king and queen of heaven, and the stars as their guards. Plato says (in Phædro) that "the sun marches at the head of the gods, in a winged chariot, and the eleven other gods lead on their bands of demons "or the stars
