Deuteronomy 27:1-10 NIV

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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 27:1

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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 27:2

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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 27:3

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. Josephus F17 Antiqu. 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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 27:4

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 says F18 Itinerar. p. 40. , dry as stones and rocks itself, and perhaps had its name, as some think F19 Reland. Dissert. 3. de Monte Gerizim, p. 128. See Castel. Lexic. Heptaglott col 2642. , from the root in the Arabic... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible 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 Ut 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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 27:6

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. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 27:7

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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 27:8

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 Misnah F21 Sotah, 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... 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

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

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 27:1

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 27:2

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 27:3

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 27:4

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 27:5

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 27:6

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 27:7

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 27:8

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

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