Deuteronomy 27:5

5 And thou shalt build there an altar to the Lord thy God, an altar of stones; thou shalt not lift up iron upon it.

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 on these stones all the words of this law, as soon as ye have crossed Jordan, when ye are entered into the land, which the Lord God of thy fathers gives thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, according as the Lord God of thy fathers said to thee.

4 And it shall be as soon as ye are gone over Jordan, ye shall set up these stones, which I command thee this day, on mount Gaebal, and thou shalt plaster them with plaster.

5 And thou shalt build there an altar to the Lord thy God, an altar of stones; thou shalt not lift up iron upon it.

6 Of whole stones shalt thou build an altar to the Lord thy God, and thou shalt offer upon it whole-burnt-offerings to the Lord thy God.

7 And thou shalt there offer a peace-offering; and thou shalt eat and be filled, and rejoice before the Lord thy God.