Deuteronomy 27:4-14

4 And when you have crossed over the Jordan, you shall set up these stones, concerning which I command you today, ¹on Mount Ebal, and you shall plaster them with plaster.

5 And there you shall build an altar to the LORD your God, an altar of stones. ²You shall wield no iron tool on them;

6 you shall build an altar to the LORD your God of uncut^[a] stones. And you shall offer burnt offerings on it to the LORD your God,

7 and you shall sacrifice peace offerings and ³shall eat there, and you ⁴shall rejoice before the LORD your God.

8 And ⁵you shall write on the stones all the words of this law very plainly."

Curses from Mount Ebal

9 Then Moses and the Levitical priests said to all Israel, "Keep silence and hear, O Israel: ⁶this day you have become the people of the LORD your God.

10 You shall therefore obey the voice of the LORD your God, keeping his commandments and his statutes, which I command you today."

11 That day Moses charged the people, saying,

12 "When you have crossed over the Jordan, ⁷these shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin.

13 And these shall stand on Mount Ebal for the curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.

14 And ⁸the Levites shall declare to all the men of Israel in a loud voice:

Read Chapter Compare

Deuteronomy 27:4-14 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 27

In this chapter the people of Israel are ordered to write the law on plastered stones, and set them on Mount Ebal, De 27:1-4; where they are bid to erect an altar, and offer sacrifices on it, De 27:5-8; and are charged by Moses and the priests to obey the Lord, and keep his commandments, De 27:9,10; and a direction is given to each tribes which should stand and bless, and which curse, and where, De 27:11-13; and the curses which the Levites should pronounce with a loud voice, and the people should say Amen to, are recited, De 27:14-25; and the whole is concluded with a curse on all who in general do not perform the whole law, De 27:26.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 8

1. Deuteronomy 11:29; Joshua 8:30
2. Exodus 20:25; Joshua 8:31
3. See Deuteronomy 12:7
4. See Deuteronomy 12:7
5. [Habakkuk 2:2]
6. Deuteronomy 26:18
7. Deuteronomy 11:29; Joshua 8:33; [Judges 9:7]
8. [Deuteronomy 33:10; Daniel 9:11]

Footnotes 1

[a]. Hebrew whole

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.