Deuteronomy 27:1-8

The Altar on Mount Ebal

1 Now Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, “Keep the whole commandment that I command you today.

2 And on the day ¹you cross over the Jordan to the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall set up large stones and plaster them with plaster.

3 ²And you shall write on them all the words of this law, when you cross over to enter the land that the Lord your God is giving you, ³a land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you.

4 And when you have crossed over the Jordan, you shall set up these stones, concerning which I command you today, ⁴on 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. ⁵You 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 ⁶shall eat there, and you ⁷shall rejoice before the Lord your God.

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

Deuteronomy 27:1-8 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.

Cross References

• 1. 27:2 Josh. 4:1
• 2. 27:3 Josh. 8:32
• 3. 27:3 See Ex. 3:8
• 4. 27:4 ch. 11:29; Josh. 8:30
• 5. 27:5 Ex. 20:25; Josh. 8:31
• 6. 27:7 See ch. 12:7
• 7. 27:7 See ch. 12:7
• 8. 27:8 [Hab. 2:2]

Footnotes

• [a] 27:6 Hebrew 'whole'