Deuteronomy 27:2-6

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 27:2

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

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Deuteronomy 27:2

Thou shalt set thee up great stones - How many is not specified, possibly twelve, and possibly only a sufficient number to make a surface large enough to write the blessings and the curses on. Plaster them with plaster - Perhaps the original בשיד אתם ושדת vesadta otham bassid should be translated, Thou shalt cement them with cement, because this was intended to be a durable monument. In similar cases it was customary to set up a single stone, or a heap, rudely put together, where no... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Deuteronomy 27:3

All the words of this law - After all that has been said by ingenious critics concerning the law ordered to be written on these stones, some supposing the whole Mosaic law to be intended, others, only the decalogue, I am fully of opinion that the ( תורה torah ) law or ordinance in question simply means the blessings and curses mentioned in this and in the following chapter; and indeed these contained a very good epitome of the whole law in all its promises and threatenings, in reference... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Deuteronomy 27:4

Set up these stones - in Mount Ebal - So the present Hebrew text, but the Samaritan has Mount Gerizim. Dr. Kennicott has largely defended the reading of the Samaritan in his second dissertation on the present state of the Hebrew text, and Dr. Parry has defended the Hebrew against the Samaritan in his Case between Gerizim and Ebal fairly stated. So has J. H. Verschuir, in his Dissert. Critica. Many still think Dr. Kennicott's arguments unanswerable, and have no doubt that the Jews have here... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Deuteronomy 27:5

Verse 5 5And there shalt thou build an altar. At their first entrance into the land, God commands that a sacrifice of thanksgiving should be offered to Him; and this Joshua performed, as is related in Joshua 8:30 "Then Joshua built an altar unto the Lord God of Israel in Mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the Lord commanded the children of Israel, an altar of whole stones, over which no man hath lift up any iron." First of all, then, this testimony of their gratitude is required, that the... read more

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