Deuteronomy 27:5 KJV

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Deuteronomy 27:5

iron. Probably a technical name for a chisel, as we now associate it with a laundry or a prison. read more

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Deuteronomy 27:4-5

Ver. 4, 5. In mount Ebal— Dr. Parry has given a very just turn to this passage, remarking well from Noldius, that we should not read in mount Ebal, but BY mount Ebal, as, in the 12th and 13th verses, UPON mount Gerizzim, and UPON mount Ebal, should be BY mount Gerizzim, and BY mount Ebal: and accordingly we find, that when this commandment was fulfilled, the tribes did not stand upon the mountains, but in the plain between them; half of them over-against mount Gerizzim, and half of them... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Deuteronomy 27:5

Ver. 5. An altar of stones— It does not seem probable, that the altar was built of the very same stones on which the law was engraven; for this evident reason, that the altar was to be built of stones, rough, unhewn, untouched by any tool; whereas some hard tool or instrument of metal was necessary to engrave the commandments: and as they could not have been engraved, so neither could they have been read easily, unless the surfaces of the stones were previously smoothed by art and labour. These... read more

Robert Jamieson; A. R. Fausset; David Brown

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Deuteronomy 27:5

5-10. there shalt thou build an altar . . . of whole stones—The stones were to be in their natural state, as if a chisel would communicate pollution to them. The stony pile was to be so large as to contain all the conditions of the covenant, so elevated as to be visible to the whole congregation of Israel; and the religious ceremonial performed on the occasion was to consist: first, of the elementary worship needed for sinful men; and secondly, of the peace offerings, or lively, social feasts,... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Deuteronomy 27:1-8

Upon entering Canaan the Israelites were to assemble at Mt. Ebal (the hill that flanked Shechem to the north) near the center of the land and set up several large stones as monuments (cf. Exodus 24:4-8). They were to plaster these with lime (or gypsum) and then write the law on the monuments. This was a common way of posting important public announcements in Canaan. [Note: J. Hoftijzer and G. van der Kooij, Aramaic Texts from Deir ’Alla, pp. 23-28.] They probably copied the Ten Commandments,... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Deuteronomy 27:1-13

A. The ceremony at Shechem 27:1-13When the people entered the Promised Land they were to assemble at Shechem (Deuteronomy 27:1-8; cf. Deuteronomy 11:29-30). This would be the second stage of the covenant renewal, to be conducted in Canaan. Moses exhorted the Israelites to obey the covenant requirements then (Deuteronomy 27:9-10) and prepared them to invoke the covenant sanctions there (Deuteronomy 27:11-13). read more

John Dummelow

John Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible - Deuteronomy 27:1-26

Ceremonies to be observed on reaching CanaanThis chapter has probably been misplaced, as it seems to break the connexion between Deuteronomy 26 and Deuteronomy 28. It ordains four ceremonies to be observed after the people have entered Canaan: the Law to be written on stones on Mt. Ebal: an altar to be erected there: the covenant ratified on Ebal and Gerizim: and twelve curses pronounced by the Levites.1. Elders] Elsewhere the elders are addressed along with the people. Here they are associated... read more

Charles John Ellicott

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers - Deuteronomy 27:5

(5) An altar of stones.—Rashi propounds the theory that these stones were taken from Jordan. But there is nothing to countenance this theory in the words of the text. read more

William Nicoll

Expositor's Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 27:1-26

MOSES’ FAREWELL SPEECHESDeuteronomy 4:1-40, Deuteronomy 27:1-26; Deuteronomy 28:1-68; Deuteronomy 29:1-29; Deuteronomy 30:1-20.WITH the twenty-sixth chapter the entirely homogeneous central portion of the Book of Deuteronomy ends, and it concludes it most worthily. It prescribes two ceremonies which are meant to give solemn expression to the feeling of thankfulness which the love of God, manifested in so many laws and precepts, covering the commonest details of life, should have made the... read more

Arno Clemens Gaebelein

Arno Gaebelein's Annotated Bible - Deuteronomy 27:1-26

23. The Memorial of the Law at Mount Ebal; Gerizim and Ebal CHAPTER 27 1. The memorial to be set up in the land (Deuteronomy 27:1-8 ) 2. Gerizim and Ebal (Deuteronomy 27:9-26 ) Little comment is needed on this chapter. The memorial stones were to be set up on Mount Ebal. Upon that mountain the curses of the law were to be uttered. The blessings were to be pronounced upon Mount Gerizim. However, on Gerizim were no stones with the law written upon it. How strikingly this illustrates the... read more