Joshua 8:33

33 All Israel—with its elders, officers, and judges—were standing on either side of the chest. They were facing the levitical priests who carry the LORD's chest containing the covenant. They included both immigrants and full citizens. Half stood facing Mount Gerizim and half stood facing Mount Ebal. This was exactly what Moses the LORD's servant had initially commanded for the blessing of the Israelite people.

Joshua 8:33 Meaning and Commentary

Joshua 8:33

And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their
judges, stood on this side the ark, and on that side
Some on Ebal, and some on Gerizim:

before the priests and the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant
of the Lord;
it being brought out of the tabernacle on this occasion, and bottle by the priests and Levites:

as well the stranger, as he that was born among them;
that is, as well the proselytes as the native Israelites, both appeared and were in the same situation:

half of them over against Mount Gerizim;
that is, half of the tribes, and these were Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin:

and half of them over against Mount Ebal;
which were the tribes of Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali; (See Gill on Deuteronomy 27:12) and (See Gill on Deuteronomy 27:13);

as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded before, that they
should bless the people of Israel,
as in ( Deuteronomy 27:12 ) .

Joshua 8:33 In-Context

31 This was exactly what Moses the LORD's servant had commanded the Israelites. It is what is written in the Instruction scroll from Moses: "an altar of crude stones against which no iron tool has swung." On it they offered entirely burned offerings to the LORD and sacrificed well-being offerings.

32 There, in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua wrote on the stones a copy of the Instruction from Moses, which Moses had written earlier.

33 All Israel—with its elders, officers, and judges—were standing on either side of the chest. They were facing the levitical priests who carry the LORD's chest containing the covenant. They included both immigrants and full citizens. Half stood facing Mount Gerizim and half stood facing Mount Ebal. This was exactly what Moses the LORD's servant had initially commanded for the blessing of the Israelite people.

34 Afterward, Joshua read aloud all the words of the Instruction, both blessing and curse, in agreement with everything written in the Instruction scroll.

35 There wasn't a single word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua failed to read aloud in the presence of the entire assembly of Israel. This assembly included the women and small children, along with the immigrants who lived among them.