Deuteronomy 27:3

3 And thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law when thou has passed to enter in unto the land which the LORD thy God gives thee, a land that flows with milk and honey, as the LORD God of thy fathers has said unto thee.

Deuteronomy 27:3 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 27:3

And thou shall write upon them all the words of this law
Not the whole book of Deuteronomy, as some think, at least not the historical part of it, only what concerns the laws of God; and it may be only a summary or abstract of them, and perhaps only the ten commandments. Josephus ^F17 is of opinion that the blessings and the curses after recited were what were written on them:

when thou art passed over;
that is, the river Jordan:

that thou mayest go in unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth
thee, a land flowing with milk and honey;
this account of the land of Canaan is so frequently observed, to imprint upon their minds a sense of the great goodness of God in giving them such a fruitful country, and to point out to them the obligation they lay under to observe the laws of God ordered to be written on plastered stones, as soon as they came into it:

as the Lord God of thy fathers hath promised thee;
( Exodus 3:8 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F17 Antiqu. l. 4. c. 8. sect. 44.

Deuteronomy 27:3 In-Context

1 And Moses with the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, Keep all the commandments which I command you this day.

2 And it shall be on the day when ye shall pass the Jordan unto the land which the LORD thy God gives thee that thou shalt set thee up great stones and plaster them with plaster;

3 And thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law when thou has passed to enter in unto the land which the LORD thy God gives thee, a land that flows with milk and honey, as the LORD God of thy fathers has said unto thee.

4 Therefore, it shall be when ye have passed the Jordan, that ye shall set up these stones, which I command you this day, in Mount Ebal, and thou shalt plaster them with plaster.

5 And there shalt thou build an altar unto the LORD thy God, an altar of stones; thou shalt not lift up any iron tool upon them.