Deuteronomy — Chapter 27
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1And Moses with the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, Keep all the commandments which I command you this day.
2And it shall be on the day when ye shall pass over Jordan unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, that thou shalt set thee up great stones, and plaister them with plaister:
3And thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law, when thou art passed over, that thou mayest go in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, a land that floweth with milk and honey; as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee.
4Therefore it shall be when ye be gone over Jordan, that ye shall set up these stones, which I command you this day, in mount Ebal, and thou shalt plaister them with plaister.
5And there shalt thou build an altar unto the LORD thy God, an altar of stones: thou shalt not lift up any iron tool upon them.
6Thou shalt build the altar of the LORD thy God of whole stones: and thou shalt offer burnt offerings thereon unto the LORD thy God:
7And thou shalt offer peace offerings, and shalt eat there, and rejoice before the LORD thy God.
8And thou shalt write upon the stones all the words of this law very plainly.
9And Moses and the priests the Levites spake unto all Israel, saying, Take heed, and hearken, O Israel; this day thou art become the people of the LORD thy God.
10Thou shalt therefore obey the voice of the LORD thy God, and do his commandments and his statutes, which I command thee this day.
11And Moses charged the people the same day, saying,
12These shall stand upon mount Gerizim to bless the people, when ye are come over Jordan; Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Joseph, and Benjamin:
13And these shall stand upon mount Ebal to curse; Reuben, Gad, and Asher, and Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.
14And the Levites shall speak, and say unto all the men of Israel with a loud voice,
15Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen.
16Cursed be he that setteth light by his father or his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen.
17Cursed be he that removeth his neighbour’s landmark. And all the people shall say, Amen.
18Cursed be he that maketh the blind to wander out of the way. And all the people shall say, Amen.
19Cursed be he that perverteth the judgment of the stranger, fatherless, and widow. And all the people shall say, Amen.
20Cursed be he that lieth with his father’s wife; because he uncovereth his father’s skirt. And all the people shall say, Amen.
21Cursed be he that lieth with any manner of beast. And all the people shall say, Amen.
22Cursed be he that lieth with his sister, the daughter of his father, or the daughter of his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen.
23Cursed be he that lieth with his mother in law. And all the people shall say, Amen.
24Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbour secretly. And all the people shall say, Amen.
25Cursed be he that taketh reward to slay an innocent person. And all the people shall say, Amen.
26Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.
1And Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, Keep all the commandment which I command you this day.
2And it shall be on the day when ye shall pass over the Jordan unto the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, that thou shalt set thee up great stones, and plaster them with plaster:
3and thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law, when thou art passed over; that thou mayest go in unto the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, as Jehovah, the God of thy fathers, hath promised thee.
4And it shall be, when ye are passed over the Jordan, that ye shall set up these stones, which I command you this day, in mount Ebal, and thou shalt plaster them with plaster.
5And there shalt thou build an altar unto Jehovah thy God, an altar of stones: thou shalt lift up no iron [tool] upon them.
6Thou shalt build the altar of Jehovah thy God of unhewn stones; and thou shalt offer burnt-offerings thereon unto Jehovah thy God:
7and thou shalt sacrifice peace-offerings, and shalt eat there; and thou shalt rejoice before Jehovah thy God.
8And thou shalt write upon the stones all the words of this law very plainly.
9And Moses and the priests the Levites spake unto all Israel, saying, Keep silence, and hearken, O Israel: this day thou art become the people of Jehovah thy God.
10Thou shalt therefore obey the voice of Jehovah thy God, and do his commandments and his statutes, which I command thee this day.
11And Moses charged the people the same day, saying,
12These shall stand upon mount Gerizim to bless the people, when ye are passed over the Jordan: Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Joseph, and Benjamin.
13And these shall stand upon mount Ebal for the curse: Reuben, Gad, and Asher, and Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.
14And the Levites shall answer, and say unto all the men of Israel with a loud voice,
15Cursed be the man that maketh a graven or molten image, an abomination unto Jehovah, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and setteth it up in secret. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen.
16Cursed be he that setteth light by his father or his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen.
17Cursed be he that removeth his neighbor`s landmark. And all the people shall say, Amen.
18Cursed be he that maketh the blind to wander out of the way. And all the people shall say, Amen.
19Cursed be he that wresteth the justice [due] to the sojourner, fatherless, and widow. And all the people shall say, Amen.
20Cursed be he that lieth with his father`s wife, because he hath uncovered his father`s skirt. And all the people shall say, Amen.
21Cursed be he that lieth with any manner of beast. And all the people shall say, Amen.
22Cursed be he that lieth with his sister, the daughter of his father, or the daughter of his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen.
23Cursed be he that lieth with his mother-in-law. And all the people shall say, Amen.
24Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbor in secret. And all the people shall say, Amen.
25Cursed be he that taketh a bribe to slay an innocent person. And all the people shall say, Amen.
26Cursed be he that confirmeth not the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.
1Then Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people: “Pay attention to all the commandments I am giving you today.
2When you cross the Jordan River to the land the Lord your God is giving you, you must erect great stones and cover them with plaster.
3Then you must inscribe on them all the words of this law when you cross over, so that you may enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, said to you.
4So when you cross the Jordan you must erect on Mount Ebal these stones about which I am commanding you today, and you must cover them with plaster.
5Then you must build an altar there to the Lord your God, an altar of stones—do not use an iron tool on them.
6You must build the altar of the Lord your God with whole stones and offer burnt offerings on it to the Lord your God.
7Also you must offer fellowship offerings and eat them there, rejoicing before the Lord your God.
8You must inscribe on the stones all the words of this law, making them clear.”
9Then Moses and the Levitical priests spoke to all Israel: “Be quiet and pay attention, Israel. Today you have become the people of the Lord your God.
10You must obey him and keep his commandments and statutes that I am giving you today.”
11Moreover, Moses commanded the people that day:
12“The following tribes must stand to bless the people on Mount Gerizim when you cross the Jordan: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin.
13And these other tribes must stand for the curse on Mount Ebal: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.
14“The Levites will call out to every Israelite with a loud voice:
15‘Cursed is the one who makes a carved or metal image—something abhorrent to the Lord, the work of the craftsman—and sets it up in a secret place.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’
16‘Cursed is the one who disrespects his father and mother.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’
17‘Cursed is the one who moves his neighbor’s boundary marker.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’
18‘Cursed is the one who misleads a blind person on the road.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’
19‘Cursed is the one who perverts justice for the resident foreigner, the orphan, and the widow.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’
20‘Cursed is the one who goes to bed with his father’s former wife, for he dishonors his father.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’
21‘Cursed is the one who commits bestiality.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’
22‘Cursed is the one who goes to bed with his sister, the daughter of either his father or mother.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’
23‘Cursed is the one who goes to bed with his mother-in-law.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’
24‘Cursed is the one who kills his neighbor in private.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’
25‘Cursed is the one who takes a bribe to kill an innocent person.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’
26‘Cursed is the one who refuses to keep the words of this law.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’
1Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, “Keep all the commandment which I command you today.
2It shall be on the day when you shall pass over the Jordan to the land which Yahweh your God gives you, that you shall set yourself up great stones, and coat them with plaster.
3You shall write on them all the words of this law, when you have passed over; that you may go in to the land which Yahweh your God gives you, a land flowing with milk and honey, as Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has promised you.
4It shall be, when you have crossed over the Jordan, that you shall set up these stones, which I command you today, on Mount Ebal, and you shall coat them with plaster.
5There you shall build an altar to Yahweh your God, an altar of stones. You shall not use any iron tool on them.
6You shall build Yahweh your God’s altar of uncut stones. You shall offer burnt offerings on it to Yahweh your God.
7You shall sacrifice peace offerings, and shall eat there. You shall rejoice before Yahweh your God.
8You shall write on the stones all the words of this law very plainly.”
9Moses and the priests the Levites spoke to all Israel, saying, “Be silent, and listen, Israel! Today you have become the people of Yahweh your God.
10You shall therefore obey Yahweh your God’s voice, and do his commandments and his statutes, which I command you today.”
11Moses commanded the people the same day, saying,
12“These shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people, when you have crossed over the Jordan: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin.
13These shall stand on Mount Ebal for the curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.
14With a loud voice, the Levites shall say to all the men of Israel,
15‘Cursed is the man who makes an engraved or molten image, an abomination to Yahweh, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’ All the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen.’
16‘Cursed is he who dishonors his father or his mother.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
17‘Cursed is he who removes his neighbor’s landmark.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
18‘Cursed is he who leads the blind astray on the road.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
19‘Cursed is he who withholds justice from the foreigner, fatherless, and widow.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
20‘Cursed is he who lies with his father’s wife, because he dishonors his father’s bed.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
21‘Cursed is he who lies with any kind of animal.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
22‘Cursed is he who lies with his sister, his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
23‘Cursed is he who lies with his mother-in-law.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
24‘Cursed is he who secretly kills his neighbor.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
25‘Cursed is he who takes a bribe to kill an innocent person.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
26‘Cursed is he who doesn’t uphold the words of this law by doing them.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’”
Summary
Moses commands Israel to set up stones with the law at Mount Ebal and pronounces twelve curses for covenant violations.
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
- Mount Ebal (vv.4, 8): Upon crossing the Jordan, Israel is to set up plastered stones with the law written on them at Mount Ebal, near Shechem.
- Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal (vv.12-13): Six tribes on each mountain — blessings proclaimed from Gerizim, curses from Ebal. These mountains flank the pass at Shechem.
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik notes that the law is placed on Mount Ebal (the mountain of cursing) because the law, when violated, brings curse. He emphasizes that verse 26 is the key to Paul's argument in Galatians: since no one keeps ALL the law, everyone stands cursed — and only faith in Christ removes the curse (Galatians 3:13).
- Charles Spurgeon: "Cursed is he that confirmeth not ALL the words of this law.' Here is the thunderbolt that strikes every man. Who has kept all? Not one. The law demands perfection and curses imperfection. This is why we need a Saviour who was 'made a curse for us' (Galatians 3:13). The law that curses us drives us to Christ who redeems us from the curse."
Reflection
- 1. God's law is public and plain (v.8). Written "very plainly" on plastered stones for all to read. God does not hide His requirements. Ignorance of God's will is inexcusable when He has made it clear. We have even greater access through Scripture.
- 2. Secret sins are still cursed (vv.15,24). The twelve curses target what is hidden from human eyes. God sees in secret. Private idolatry, hidden violence, concealed injustice — all stand under divine curse. There is no such thing as a truly private sin before God.
- 3. The people said "Amen" to their own condemnation (vv.15-26). Israel voluntarily accepted the terms of the covenant, including the curses. They bound themselves. This makes their later disobedience all the more culpable — they cannot claim they didn't agree to the terms.
- 4. No one keeps ALL the law (v.26). "Cursed be he that confirmeth not ALL the words of this law." This is the verse that drives Paul's argument in Galatians 3:10. The law demands perfection; no one achieves it. Therefore everyone stands cursed — and only Christ, who became "a curse for us" (Galatians 3:13), can remove it. The law is not the path to righteousness but the revealer of our need for grace.
- 5. The altar on the mountain of cursing (vv.5-7). Remarkably, the altar for burnt offerings and peace offerings is built on Ebal — the mountain of cursing, not blessing. This is profoundly typological: sacrifice addresses the curse. Where the curse is pronounced, the offering is made. Christ bore our curse on the cross.
- 6. Covenant identity demands covenant living (vv.9-10). "This day thou art become the people of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt therefore obey." Identity precedes obedience — you ARE God's people, therefore obey. We don't obey to become His; we obey because we are His.