The p'sukim are discussing the halacha of anointing a king upon entrance to the Land of Israel.
Asks the Ohr haChaim haKadosh z"l: First the verse makes it sound optional to anoint a king (ki savo...v'amarta..., "when you will come to the land...and will say place on me a king..."), but then it sounds obligatory (som tasim..., "you shall place upon yourself a king..."). So what is it, optional or obligatory?
Says the Ohr haChaim: There are actually two types of kings. One type of king makes a big deal about himself, as if he is the source of his own greatness (like Paroh in Egypt, li yiori v'ani asisini, "The Nile is mine and I created it"), while another type couldn’t care less about his own personal honor and kavod, and rather is totally involved in kavod shemayim and the Honor of Heaven (like Dovid haMelech, who danced "out of hand" when the Holy Ark was being brought into Ir Dovid).
So says the Ohr haChaim, the verse is actually coming to teach us a double-lesson: number one, run away from the first type of king that is more busy with his own private kavod and honor than kavod shemayim and Honor of Heaven (and that is why the verse at first makes it sound only "optional" to have a king), but rather make a king like Dovid haMelech, someone that couldn't care less about stupid, silly kavod (human honor and recognition) that doesn't get you anywhere in life anyways, and like the verse says: som tasim alecha melech asher yivchar Hashem Elokecha bo, "place upon yourself a king that Hashem your G-d specifically selects", meaning the type of person that officially makes Hashem number-one in his life. It could be you!
