Deuteronomy 27:5

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.

Deuteronomy 27:5 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 27:5

And there shall thou build an altar to the Lord thy God
On the same mountain, though not of the same stones. Jarchi's note is,

``after that (the setting up of the plastered stones) thou shalt bring from thence (from Jordan) others, and build of them an altar on Mount Ebal;''

but Josephus ^F20 places this altar not on Mount Ebal, but between that and Gerizim. This altar, he says, was ordered to be built towards the rising sun, not far from the city of Shechem, between two mountains, Gerizim and Ebal; but the text is express, that it was to be built where the stones were set up, which was on Mount Ebal, and there it was built, ( Joshua 8:30 ) ; an altar of stones; of whole stones, as in ( Deuteronomy 27:6 ) , not broken, nor hewed, but rough as they were when taken out of the quarry: thou shalt not lift up [any] iron [tool] upon them;
to hew them, and make them smooth; (See Gill on Exodus 20:25);

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FOOTNOTES:

F20 Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 4. c. 8. sect. 44.)

Deuteronomy 27:5 In-Context

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.

6 Thou shalt build the altar of the LORD thy God of whole stones, and thou shalt offer burnt offerings upon it unto the LORD thy God;

7 and thou shalt offer peace offerings and shalt eat there and rejoice before the LORD thy God.