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Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Deuteronomy 27:1-10

Here is, I. A general charge to the people to keep God's commandments; for in vain did they know them, unless they would do them. This is pressed upon them, 1. With all authority. Moses with the elders of Israel, the rulers of each tribe (Deut. 27:1), and again, Moses and the priests the Levites (Deut. 27:9); so that the charge is given by Moses who was king in Jeshurun, and by their lords, both spiritual and temporal, in concurrence with him. Lest they should think that it was Moses only, an... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Deuteronomy 27:11-26

When the law was written, to be seen and read by all men, the sanctions of it were to be published, which, to complete the solemnity of their covenanting with God, they were deliberately to declare their approbation of. This they were before directed to do (Deut. 11:29, 30), and therefore the appointment here begins somewhat abruptly, Deut. 27:12. There were, it seems, in Canaan, that part of it which afterwards fell to the lot of Ephraim (Joshua's tribe), two mountains that lay near together,... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 27:9

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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 27:10

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 . read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 27:11

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. read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Deuteronomy 27:9

Verse 9 The ground of his exhortation is again taken from the special favor of adoption, wherewith the God of Abraham had honored them; for there was nothing which should have more effectually stimulated them to obedience, than that more than paternal love, and the gratuitous kindness with which He had prevented them. Although, at the same time, they were admonished in these words of the object for which they were separated from other nations; for the conclusion he draws is, that because they... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Deuteronomy 27:11

Verse 11 11.And Moses charged the people the same day. In order that both the promises and threats might have more efficacy in affecting the minds of all, God enjoined not only that they should be proclaimed in a solemn rite, but also that they should be approved by the people in a loud voice, and sealed, as it were, by their consent. It is elsewhere recorded that this was faithfully performed by Joshua. ( Joshua 8:33.) Let it suffice to say at present that they were all summoned, and conducted... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Deuteronomy 27:1-10

Very plainly. These words, "very plainly," suggest three lines of thought. I. THEY SHOW SOMETHING THAT WAS ORDERED TO BE , viz. that the Law of God was to be written very plainly, as the permanent, standard expression of right, to which the people might appeal. It was not to be left to a floating tradition. To no such risks would God expose his teaching. There was no priesthood in Israel which had any monopoly of knowledge. The words were to be so clearly and accurately... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Deuteronomy 27:1-10

Safeguards for obedience. The enthusiasm of Moses for God's Law is admirable, and no less admirable is his earnest desire for Israel's prosperity. That self-forgetful zeal for others' good was one main qualification in Moses to be the vehicle of God's revealed will. With singular sagacity, Moses presses into the earliest service, for the promulgation of Divine Law, the people themselves. The very stones of Canaan were to be written over with the substance of the Law, and in this way were... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Deuteronomy 27:1-10

Law-abiding people. We have here a direction about writing, upon great stones in Mount Ebal, the words of the Divine Law. Whether this meant only the blessings and curses, as Josephus thinks, or an abstract of Deuteronomy, or only the ten commandments, we cannot tell. But the idea implied is similar to the writing of the Decalogue in stone; it was to render fixed the Law on which the national policy was to rest. In other words, it was a symbolic way of declaring that Israel will be a... read more

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