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Deuteronomy Chapter Twenty-seven                            

 

Deuteronomy 27 Outlines

The Law Inscribed on Stones (v.1~10)

Curses Pronounced from Mount Ebal (v.11~26)

New King James Version (NKJV)

 

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 Deuteronomy 27:1; where they are bid to erect an altar and offer sacrifices on it Deuteronomy 27:5; and are charged by Moses and the priests to obey the Lord and keep his commandments Deuteronomy 27:9; and a direction is given to each tribes which should stand and bless and which curse and where Deuteronomy 27:11; and the curses which the Levites should pronounce with a loud voice and the people should say Amen to are recited Deuteronomy 27:14; and the whole is concluded with a curse on all who in general do not perform the whole law Deuteronomy 27:26.

 

Deuteronomy 27:1   Now Moses with the elders of Israel commanded the people saying: “Keep all the commandments which I command you today.

   YLT  1`And Moses -- the elders of Israel also -- commandeth the people saying Keep all the command which I am commanding you to-day;

And Moses with the elders of Israel commanded the people

saying .... The seventy elders at the head of whom was Moses which made the great sanhedrim or council of the nation; Moses having recited all the laws of God to the people these joined with him in an exhortation to them to observe and obey them:

keep all the commandments which I command you this day; not in his own name as being the supreme legislator but in the name of the Lord whom they had avouched to be their God and King from whom he had received them.

 

Deuteronomy 27:2   2 And it shall be on the day when you cross over the Jordan to the land which the Lord your God is giving you that you shall set up for yourselves large stones and whitewash them with lime.

   YLT  2and it hath been in the day that ye pass over the Jordan unto the land which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee that thou hast raised up for thee great stones and plaistered them with plaister

And it shall be on the day when you shall pass over Jordan .... Not the precise day exactly but about that time a little after they passed that river as soon as they conveniently could; for it was not till after Ai was destroyed that the following order was put in execution; indeed as soon as they passed over Jordan they were ordered to take twelve stones and did; but then they were set up in a different place and for a different purpose; see Joshua 4:3

unto the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee that thou shalt set thee up great stones; not in Jordan as Jarchi but on Mount Ebal Deuteronomy 27:4; nor had the stones set up in Jordan any such inscription as what is here ordered to be set on these:

and plaster them with plaster: that so words might be written upon them and be more conspicuous and more easily read.

 

Deuteronomy 27:3   3 You shall write on them all the words of this law when you have crossed over that you may enter the land which the Lord your God is giving you ‘a land flowing with milk and honey ’[a] just as the Lord God of your fathers promised you.

   YLT  3and written on them all the words of this law in thy passing over so that thou goest in unto the land which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee -- a land flowing with milk and honey as Jehovah God of thy fathers hath spoken to thee.

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. JosephusF17Antiqu. l. 4. c. 8. sect. 44. 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.

 

Deuteronomy 27:4   4 Therefore it shall be when you have crossed over the Jordan that on Mount Ebal you shall set up these stones which I command you today and you shall whitewash them with lime.

   YLT  4`And it hath been in your passing over the Jordan ye raise up these stones which I am commanding you to-day in mount Ebal and thou hast plaistered them with plaister

And therefore it shall be when ye be gone over Jordan .... Some time after they had passed that river:

that ye shall set up these stones which I command you this day in Mount Ebal; a mountain near Shechem in Samaria and was as Benjamin of Tudela saysF18Itinerar. p. 40. dry as stones and rocks itself and perhaps had its name as some thinkF19Reland. Dissert. 3. de Monte Gerizim p. 128. See Castel. Lexic. Heptaglott col 2642. from the root in the Arabic language which signifies to strip a tree of its leaves and a derivative from it white stones and a mountain in which such are found. Hither the stones commanded to be set up were to be brought and fixed here; from whence it is not certain; it may be from some part of the mountain. Here the Samaritan version has Gerizim instead of Ebal which is generally thought to be a wilful corruption of the Samaritans in favour of their temple built at Gerizim:

and thou shall plaster them with plaster; as before directed Deuteronomy 27:2.

 

Deuteronomy 27:5   5 And there you shall build an altar to the Lord your God an altar of stones; you shall not use an iron tool on them.

   YLT  5and built there an altar to Jehovah thy God an altar of stones thou dost not wave over them iron.

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 JosephusF20Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 4. c. 8. sect. 44.) 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;

 

Deuteronomy 27:6   6 You shall build with whole stones the altar of the Lord your God and offer burnt offerings on it to the Lord your God.

   YLT  6Of complete stones thou buildest the altar of Jehovah thy God and hast caused to ascend on it burnt-offerings to Jehovah thy God

Thou shall build the altar of the Lord thy God of whole stones .... And of such Joshua did build it Joshua 8:31

and thou shalt offer burnt offerings thereon unto the Lord thy God; and very likely sin offerings too; for these frequently went together the one to make atonement for sin and the other as a gift and by way of thankfulness for the acceptance of the former; and both typical of Christ the true sacrifice and the antitype of all the legal sacrifices.

 

Deuteronomy 27:7   7 You shall offer peace offerings and shall eat there and rejoice before the Lord your God.

   YLT  7and sacrificed peace-offerings and eaten there and rejoiced before Jehovah thy God

And thou shall offer peace offerings .... Part of which belonged to God which was burnt on the altar and another part to the priest that offered them; and the rest to the owner that brought them which he eat of with his friends; so it follows:

and shall eat there and rejoice before the Lord thy God: now this altar where these sacrifices were offered was on the very spot where the stones were on which the law was written; and may point at the gracious provision God has made for the redemption of his people from the curse of it by Christ who became a substitute for them in their legal place and stead. The altar being of rough unhewn stones was a type of him in his human nature who is the stone in the vision cut out of the mountain without hands; and being unpolished may denote the meanness of his outward appearance on account of which he was rejected by the Jewish builders; and no iron tool being to be lifted up on them may signify that nothing of man's is to be added to the sacrifice and satisfaction of Christ and salvation by him; and this being in Ebal where the curses were pronounced shows that Christ by the offering up of himself for the sins of his people has made atonement for them and thereby has delivered them from the curse of the law being made a curse for them; all which is matter of joy and gladness to them.

 

Deuteronomy 27:8   8 And you shall write very plainly on the stones all the words of this law.”

   YLT  8and written on the stones all the words of this law well engraved.'

And thou shall write upon the stones all the words of this law .... Not upon the stones of the altar but upon the first stones brought to Mount Ebal and set up there before and on which the words were inscribed before the altar was erected; though according to the MisnahF21Sotah c. 7. sect. 5. the altar was built of these stones and on that the law written; for it is said "they shall bring the stones (#De 27:2 4) and build the altar and plaster it with plaster and write upon it all the words of the law:'with which Josephus agrees who saysF23Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 4. c. 8. sect. 44.) "that when Moses was about to die he ordered the blessings and the curses to be written on the altar on both sides of it:'could this be made clearly to appear it would be easy to observe the accomplishment of it in Christ who was made under the law became subject to it had it written on his heart obeyed the precepts and bore the penalty of it and had all the curses of it laid on him and thereby redeemed his people from them. However be it on which it may that the words of the law were written they were written

very plainly; so that they might be easily read; in seventy languages according to the Jewish writers; which they say was done that whoever would learn the law might learn it and so the Gentiles had no excuseF24Sotah ib. & Bartenora in ib. Targum Jon. & Jerus. & Jarchi in loc. ; for it is a prevailing notion with them that there were so many nations and languages. The law being written on stones denotes the duration of it which continued not only during the times of the Old Testament dispensation and to the times of John and had its fulfilment in Christ but still continues; for though Christ has redeemed his people from the curse and condemnation of it yet it is in his hands as a rule of direction to them as to their walk and conversation: nor is it made void by any doctrine of the Gospel and nothing more strongly enforces obedience to it than the Gospel. The moral law is immutable invariable and eternal in its nature and in the matter of it. This may also point at the hardness of men's hearts their non-subjection to the law and disobedience of it; and these stones being covered with plaster may be an emblem of formalists and hypocrites who are like whited walls and sepulchres Matthew 23:27 have a form of the law in their heads but not in their hearts; are Jews outwardly but not inwardly Romans 2:28; externally righteous before men as if they were strict observers of the law but internally very wicked; and have hard blind and impenitent hearts under the cover of the law and a profession of strict regard to it; and this being done on the same mount where the curses were pronounced shows that they were on account of the breach of this law.

 

Deuteronomy 27:9   9 Then Moses and the priests the Levites spoke to all Israel saying “Take heed and listen O Israel: This day you have become the people of the Lord your God.

   YLT  9And Moses speaketh -- the priests the Levites also -- unto all Israel saying `Keep silent and hear O Israel this day thou hast become a people to Jehovah thy God;

And Moses and the priests the Levites spake unto all Israel .... The priests who were Levites as all the priests that were lawful ones were; and there were none but such at this time who were. Eleazar and Ithamar and their sons; these joined with Moses in the following exhortations to the people of Israel as being particularly concerned in instructing them in the knowledge of the laws and in seeing them put in execution:

saying take heed and hearken O Israel; to what was about to be said unto them as well as to what had: been said:

this day thou art become the people of the Lord thy God; they were his people before; he had chosen them to be his special people above all others; he had redeemed them out of Egypt; he had led them through the wilderness and provided for them and protected them there and had given them laws and statutes to observe to walk in; all which showed them to be his peculiar people: but now in a very formal and solemn manner they were avouched and declared by him to be his people and they had solemnly avouched and declared that he was their God and King; and every day according to Jarchi was to be considered as this day as if it was the day of entering into covenant with him.

 

Deuteronomy 27:10   10 Therefore you shall obey the voice of the Lord your God and observe His commandments and His statutes which I command you today.”

   YLT  10and thou hast hearkened to the voice of Jehovah thy God and done His commands and His statutes which I am commanding thee to-day.'

Thou shalt therefore obey the voice of the Lord thy God .... In whatsoever he directs in his word and by his prophets and especially by his Son eminently called the Word of the Lord:

and do his commandments and his statutes which I command thee this day; See Gill on Deuteronomy 27:1.

 

Deuteronomy 27:11   11 And Moses commanded the people on the same day saying

   YLT  11And Moses commandeth the people on that day saying

And Moses charged the people the same .... That he gave the above orders to set up stones and plaster them and write the law on them and build an altar in the same place and offer sacrifices when come into the land of Canaan:

saying; as follows.

 

Deuteronomy 27:12   12 “These shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people when you have crossed over the Jordan: Simeon Levi Judah Issachar Joseph and Benjamin;

   YLT  12`These do stand to bless the people on mount Gerizzim in your passing over the Jordan: Simeon and Levi and Judah and Issachar and Joseph and Benjamin.

These shall stand upon Mount Gerizim to bless the people

widen ye are come over Jordan .... Which was a mountain in Samaria opposite to Mount Ebal a valley of a furlong broad lay between themF25Vid. Maundrel's Journey from Aleppo &c. p. 59 62. ; and according to HillerusF26Onomastic. Sacr. p. 168. had its name from being broken off from that they being as it should seem originally one mountain and now two tops of the same; so Burchard; but others think it signifies the mountain of the mowers or cutters downF1Reland. Dissert. de Monte Gerizim. p. 128. ; that is of grass or corn being a very fruitful one; and Benjamin of Tudela saysF2Itinerar. p. 40. that in his time on Mount Gerizim were fountains and orchards; and being such a fertile mountain it was very proper to bless upon. Mr. MaundrelF3Journey from Aleppo &c. p. 61. Edit. 7. a late traveller in those parts says "though neither of the mountains have much to boast of as to their pleasantness yet as one passes between them Gerizim seems to discover a somewhat more verdant fruitful aspect than Ebal; the reason of which may be because fronting towards the north it is sheltered from the heat of the sun by its own shade; whereas Ebal looking southward and receiving the sun that comes directly upon it must by consequence be rendered more scorched and unfruitful.'JosephusF4Antiqu. l. 4. c. 8. sect. 44. says that Gerizim was on the right hand and Ebal on the left; which may serve to strengthen the observation of Ainsworth in allusion hereunto that in the last judgment those on the right hand will be pronounced blessed and those on the left hand cursed:

Simeon and Levi and Judah and Issachar and Joseph and Benjamin: these appointed for blessing were children of the mistress or free woman as Aben Ezra and many others have observed; the four first were the sons of Leah and the two last the sons of Rachel and therefore employed in the most honourable and desirable service: and who so proper to pronounce or receive the blessing as the children of the free woman of Jerusalem above which is free the mother of us all that are born again and are made free by the Son of God and are free indeed and are entitled to all the blessings of grace and glory?

 

Deuteronomy 27:13   13 and these shall stand on Mount Ebal to curse: Reuben Gad Asher Zebulun Dan and Naphtali.

   YLT  13And these do stand for the reviling on mount Ebal: Reuben Gad and Asher and Zebulun Dan and Naphtali.

And these shall stand upon Mount Ebal curse .... Which was dry and rocky barren and fruitful and like the earth that bears briers and thorns is rejected and nigh unto cursing and so a proper place to curse and a fit emblem of those to be cursed; see Hebrews 6:8

Reuben Gad and Asher and Zebulun Dan and Naphtali; four of these appointed for cursing were the children of the handmaids Gad Asher Dan and Naphtali; and since two were wanting as Aben Ezra observes and the sons of Leah were many the oldest and the youngest were taken; Reuben who had defiled his father's bed and exposed himself to the curse of the law and Zebulun the last and youngest of Leah's sons; see Galatians 3:10.

 

Deuteronomy 27:14   14 “And the Levites shall speak with a loud voice and say to all the men of Israel:

   YLT  14`And the Levites have answered and said unto every man of Israel -- a loud voice:

And the Levites shall speak and say unto all the men of Israel .... Rather "answerF5ענו "respondebunt" Montanus. and say"; not the whole tribe of Levi for that stood on Mount Gerizim to bless Deuteronomy 27:12; but the priests of that tribe who were placed in the valley between the two mountains and pronounced both the blessings and the curses in the hearing of all the tribes of Israel to which they were to answer Amen; and that they might plainly hear they expressed their words

with a loud voice clearly and distinctly as follow.

 

Deuteronomy 27:15   15 ‘Cursed is the one who makes a carved or molded image an abomination to the Lord the work of the hands of the craftsman and sets it up in secret.’ “And all the people shall answer and say ‘Amen!’

   YLT  15`Cursed [is] the man who maketh a graven and molten image the abomination of Jehovah work of the hands of an artificer and hath put [it] in a secret place -- and all the people have answered and said Amen.

Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image .... The blessings and the form of them are not recorded because they were not to be had from the law and through obedience to it; and therefore there is a profound silence about them to put men upon seeking for them elsewhere and which are only to be had in Christ especially spiritual ones; but we may suppose they were delivered in the same form and respecting the same things as the curses only just the reverse of them; as "blessed is the man that maketh not any graven image" &c. The order of both is given in the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem; See Gill on Deuteronomy 11:29. This curse respects the breach of the first table of the law and everything included in it relating to the nature and being of God the worship of him and the honour of his name; to do anything contrary to which particularly to make an image whether graven or molten to worship is

an abomination to the Lord; and therefore subjects a man to the curse of his law it being

the work of the hands of the craftsman; and therefore it must be a most stupid thing to ascribe deity to it and worship it as such:

and putteth it in a secret place; though it is not set in a place of public worship or the house so as to be seen by everyone; but in some retired place in a secret chamber and there worshipped or kept to look at with pleasure; which would be a temptation and lead on to idolatry and therefore is forbidden and to be guarded against: now one that committed idolatry or anything like it in the most secret manner was liable to this curse; for the omniscient God the legislator knows what is done in the most private manner and will resent and revenge every affront and injury to his honour and glory. And Aben Ezra observes that all that follow respect things done in a secret way and which were not cognizable by the civil magistrate and therefore to deter persons from them these curses were pronounced:

and all the people shall answer and say Amen; even those on the one mountain as on the other thereby approving of and assenting to the justice of the sentence pronounced.

 

Deuteronomy 27:16   16 ‘Cursed is the one who treats his father or his mother with contempt.’ “And all the people shall say ‘Amen!’

   YLT  16`Cursed [is] He who is making light of his father and his mother -- and all the people have said Amen.

Cursed be he that setteth light by his father or his mother .... That secretly despises them in his heart and by looks and gestures mocks at them in a private manner unseen by others Proverbs 30:17; for if he publicly cursed them that was cognizable by the civil magistrate and he was to be put to death Leviticus 20:9. This follows next as in the order of the ten commands to that which respects the fear and worship of God; honouring parents being next to the glorifying of God the Father of all:

and all the people shall say Amen; applaud the righteous sentence saying "so let it be".

 

Deuteronomy 27:17   17 ‘Cursed is the one who moves his neighbor’s landmark.’ “And all the people shall say ‘Amen!’

   YLT  17`Cursed [is] he who is removing his neighbour's border -- and all the people have said Amen.

Cursed be he that removeth his neighbour's landmark .... Removes it backward and steals ground as Jarchi explains it; this is commonly done secretly; see Deuteronomy 19:14

and all the people shall say Amen; See Gill on Deuteronomy 27:15; See Gill on Deuteronomy 27:16.

 

Deuteronomy 27:18   18 ‘Cursed is the one who makes the blind to wander off the road.’ “And all the people shall say ‘Amen!’

   YLT  18`Cursed [is] he who is causing the blind to err in the way -- and all the people have said Amen.

Cursed be he that maketh the blind to wander out of the way .... By directing him wrong knowingly or laying a stumbling block in his way Leviticus 19:14. The Targum of Jonathan is "that maketh a traveller wander out of the way who like a blind man;'who knows his way no more than a blind man does. Jarchi interprets it "that blinds in anything and gives evil counsel;'which leads men to take wrong steps whether in things civil or moral or religious; all which are usually done privately:

and all the people shall say Amen; See Gill on Deuteronomy 27:15; See Gill on Deuteronomy 27:16.

 

Deuteronomy 27:19   19 ‘Cursed is the one who perverts the justice due the stranger the fatherless and widow.’ “And all the people shall say ‘Amen!’

   YLT  19`Cursed [is] he who is turning aside the judgment of fatherless sojourner and widow -- and all the people have said Amen.

Cursed be he that perverteth the judgment of the stranger

fatherless and widow .... Who have none to assist them and take their part and therefore judges may be tempted to do an unjust thing; but God is the patron of them and takes notice of every injury done them and is the avenger of all such:

and all the people shall say Amen; See Gill on Deuteronomy 27:15; See Gill on Deuteronomy 27:16.

 

Deuteronomy 27:20   20 ‘Cursed is the one who lies with his father’s wife because he has uncovered his father’s bed.’ “And all the people shall say ‘Amen!’

   YLT  20`Cursed [is] he who is lying with his father's wife for he hath uncovered his father's skirt -- and all the people have said Amen.

Cursed be he that lieth with his father's wife .... As Reuben did and which is forbidden Leviticus 18:8

because he uncovereth his father's skirt; see Deuteronomy 22:30

and all the people shall say Amen; the tribe of Reuben said this as well as the rest.

 

Deuteronomy 27:21   21 ‘Cursed is the one who lies with any kind of animal.’ “And all the people shall say ‘Amen!’

   YLT  21`Cursed [is] he who is lying with any beast -- and all the people have said Amen.

Cursed be he that lieth with any manner of beast .... See Leviticus 18:23

and all the people shall say Amen; as being shocking and abhorrent to human nature.

 

Deuteronomy 27:22   22 ‘Cursed is the one who lies with his sister the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother.’ “And all the people shall say ‘Amen!’

   YLT  22`Cursed [is] he who is lying with his sister daughter of his father or daughter of his mother -- and all the people have said Amen.

Cursed be he that lieth with his sister .... Which is forbid Leviticus 18:9

the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother; whether his sister by father or mother's side:

and all the people shall say Amen; detesting such uncleanness.

 

Deuteronomy 27:23   23 ‘Cursed is the one who lies with his mother-in-law.’ “And all the people shall say ‘Amen!’

   YLT  23`Cursed [is] he who is lying with his mother-in-law -- and all the people have said Amen.

Cursed be he that lieth with his mother in law .... See Leviticus 18:7. All these incestuous or brutal copulations may well be supposed to be done in secret:

and all the people shall say Amen; as abhorring such incest.

 

Deuteronomy 27:24   24 ‘Cursed is the one who attacks his neighbor secretly.’ “And all the people shall say ‘Amen!’

   YLT  24`Cursed [is] he who is smiting his neighbour in secret -- and all the people have said Amen.

Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbour secretly .... And kills him and the murder is not known; the curse of God follows such and overtakes them sooner or later. Some interpret this of smiting with the tongue of secret backbiting and slander; so the Targum of Jonathan "that smiteth with the third tongue;'or false accusation:

and all the people shall say Amen; as disapproving of and condemning such a practice even slander and especially murder.

 

Deuteronomy 27:25   25 ‘Cursed is the one who takes a bribe to slay an innocent person.’ “And all the people shall say ‘Amen!’

   YLT  25`Cursed [is] he who is taking a bribe to smite a person innocent blood -- and all the people have said Amen.

Cursed be he that taketh reward to slay an innocent person .... As an assassin to murder him privately; or as a judge that takes a bribe to condemn to death an innocent person: so Aben Ezra observes that according to the sense of some a judge is meant; but says he in my opinion a false witness; one that swears a man's life away for the sake of a reward given him:

and all the people shall say Amen; at so detestable a crime.

 

Deuteronomy 27:26   26 ‘Cursed is the one who does not confirm all the words of this law by observing them.’ “And all the people shall say ‘Amen!’

   YLT  26`Cursed [is] he who doth not establish the words of this law to do them -- and all the people have said Amen.

Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them .... That is who does not perfectly perform all that the law requires and continues to do so; for the law requires obedience and that perfect and constant and in failure thereof curses in proof of which the apostle produces this passage; see Gill on Galatians 3:10 for the reconciliation of these Scriptures as to what seeming difference there is between them:

and all the people shall say Amen; See Gill on Deuteronomy 27:15; See Gill on Deuteronomy 27:16.

 

──John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible

 

New King James Version (NKJV)

Footnotes:

  1. Deuteronomy 27:3 Exodus 3:8