Deuteronomy 27-30

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Deuteronomy 27

Moses having very largely and fully set before the people their duty, both to God and one another, in general and in particular instances,?having shown them plainly what is good, and what the law requires of them,?and having in the close of the foregoing chapter laid them under the obligation both of the command and the covenant, he comes in this chapter to prescribe outward means, I. For the helping of their memories, that they might not forget the law as a strange thing. They must write all... read more

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

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... 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

Group of Brands