You shall surely set over yourself a king whom the Eternal your God will choose; from among your brethren you shall set a king over yourself; you may not place over yourself a foreigner who is not your brother.
English: ‘You may not place over yourself a foreigner’ – even if he is righteous and wise.
On the daf / in context: The prohibition is absolute with respect to origin; personal virtue does not override the requirement of being from the brethren.
Type of Learning
Derash limiting exceptions (Sifrei) — righteousness and wisdom do not override the requirement of Jewish origin for the office of king.
What Is Learned
Even a righteous and wise foreigner may not be appointed king. The Torah’s requirement of ‘from among your brethren’ is not waived for personal merit.