Deuteronomy 27:10

thy God giveth thee, that thou shalt set thee up great stones, and plaster them with plaster: 3 And 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. 4 Therefore 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 plaster them with plaster. 5 And 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. 6 Thou shalt build the altar of the LORD thy God of whole stones: and thou shalt offer burnt offerings thereon unto the LORD thy God: 7 And thou shalt offer peace offerings, and shalt eat there, and rejoice before the LORD thy God. 8 And thou shalt write upon the stones all the words of this law very plainly. 9 And 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. 10 Thou shalt therefore obey the voice of the LORD thy God, and do his commandments and his statutes, which I command thee this day. 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.

27:1-10 As soon as they were come into Canaan, they must set up a monument, on which they must write the words of this law. They must set up an altar. The word and prayer must go together. Though they might not, of their own heads, set up any altar besides that at the tabernacle; yet, by the appointment of God, they might, upon special occasion. This altar must be made of unhewn stones, such as they found upon the field. Christ, our Altar, is a stone cut out of the mountain without hands, refused by the builders, as having no form or comeliness, but accepted of God the Father, and made the Head of the corner. In the Old Testament the words of the law are written, with the curse annexed; which would overcome us with horror, if we had not, in the New Testament, an altar erected close by, which gives consolation. Blessed be God, the printed copies of the Scriptures among us, do away the necessity of such methods as were presented to Israel. The end of the gospel ministry is, and the end of preachers ought to be, to make the word of God as plain as possible. Yet, unless the Spirit of God prosper such labours with Divine power, we shall not, even by these means, be made wise unto salvation: for this blessing we should therefore daily and earnestly pray.

Thou shalt therefore obey the voice of the Lord thy God,.... In whatsoever he directs in his word, and by his prophets, and especially by his Son, eminently called the Word of the Lord: and do his commandments and his statutes, which I command thee this day; See Gill on Deuteronomy 27:1.

In mount Ebal - Compare the marginal references. The Samaritan Pentateuch and Version read here Gerizim instead of Ebal; but the original text was probably, as nearly all modern authorities hold, altered in order to lend a show of scriptural sanction to the Samaritan temple on Mount Gerizim. The erection of the altar, the offering thereon burnt-offerings and peace-offerings Deuteronomy 27:6-7, the publication of the Law in writing, form altogether a solemn renewal of the covenant on the entrance of the people into the promised land, and recall the ceremonies observed on the original grant of the covenant at Sinai (compare Exodus 24:5). And Ebal (the mount of "barrenness "),the mount of cursing, was the fitting spot on which to celebrate them. For the curses were the penalties under which the children of Israel bound themselves to keep the Law. Suitably also was the same place selected as that in which were to be set up both the monumental stones containing the Law, and the altar at which the covenant was to be renewed. We must note too the fact that Deuteronomy 27:15 ff set out verbatim the curses only, the blessings being omitted. The law because of man's sinfulness brings on him first and chiefly a curse: compare Deuteronomy 31:16-17; Galatians 3:10.

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, that were suited to the happy people whose God was the Lord. There were thus, the law which condemned, and the typical expiation—the two great principles of revealed religion.

10 . obey the voice ] Deuteronomy 26:17 : hearken to his voice . do his commandments and his statutes ] Deuteronomy 4:40 , Deuteronomy 6:2 , Deuteronomy 10:13 (all with keep instead of do ); Deuteronomy 26:16 , do these statutes and judgements ; id. Deuteronomy 26:17 , keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgements . which I command thee this day ] Deuteronomy 4:40 , etc., etc. Deuteronomy 27:10

An accumulation of the frequent deuteron. phrases ( walk after = walk in his ways with fear or obey : Deuteronomy 10:12 , Deuteronomy 11:22 , Deuteronomy 19:9 , Deuteronomy 26:17 , Deuteronomy 30:16 ; keep commandments : Deuteronomy 4:2 + 12 times in Deut. both in Sg. and Pl., either alone or with love, keep and fear; obey his voice : Deuteronomy 27:10 , Deuteronomy 30:2 ; Deuteronomy 30:8 ; Deuteronomy 30:20 ; worship and cleave : see on Deuteronomy 10:20 , which adds swear by his name , Deuteronomy 11:22 , Deuteronomy 30:20 ). But they are arranged with an emphasis lost in the Eng. transl. Read: After Jehovah your God shall ye go, and Him shall ye fear, and His commandments shall ye keep, and His voice shall ye obey, and Him shall ye worship and to Him shall ye cleave . It is a difficult question whether Deuteronomy 13:4 breaking in with the Pl. address is editorial; the accumulated phrases point to that, and Deuteronomy 13:5 connects with 3, yet the emphatic order is original and is continued into Deuteronomy 13:5 . Deuteronomy 13:5 . And that prophet , etc.] Again emphatic, the usual Hebrew syntax being changed: but as for that prophet , etc. he — shall be put to death ] The formal sentence, so Deuteronomy 17:6 ; Deuteronomy 24:16 (cp. Deuteronomy 21:22 ) and in E, Exodus 21:12 ; Exodus 21:15 ; Exodus 21:17 ; Exodus 22:19 .

The words of Moses which follow in Deuteronomy 27:9 and Deuteronomy 27:10 , "Be silent, and hearken, O Israel; To-day thou hast become the people of the Lord thy God," show the significance of the act enjoined; although primarily they simply summon the Israelites to listen attentively to the still further commands. When Israel renewed the covenant with the Lord, by solemnly setting up the law in Canaan, it became thereby the nation of God, and bound itself, at the same time, to hearken to the voice of the Lord and keep His commandments, as it had already done (cf. Deuteronomy 26:17-18 ).

The words of Moses which follow in Deuteronomy 27:9 and Deuteronomy 27:10 , "Be silent, and hearken, O Israel; To-day thou hast become the people of the Lord thy God," show the significance of the act enjoined; although primarily they simply summon the Israelites to listen attentively to the still further commands. When Israel renewed the covenant with the Lord, by solemnly setting up the law in Canaan, it became thereby the nation of God, and bound itself, at the same time, to hearken to the voice of the Lord and keep His commandments, as it had already done (cf. Deuteronomy 26:17-18 ).

And thou shalt hearken unto the voice of Jehovah thy God, and do his commandments and his statutes, which I command thee this day. And Moses gave commandment to the people the same day, saying, These shall stand to bless the people upon mount Gerizim, when ye have gone over the Jordan: Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Joseph, and Benjamin. And these shall stand upon mount Ebal to curse: Reuben, Gad, and Asher, and Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. And the Levites shall declare and say unto all the men of Israel with a loud voice: Cursed be the man that maketh a graven or molten image, an abomination to Jehovah, a work of the craftsman`s hand, and putteth it up secretly! And all the people shall answer and say, Amen. Cursed be he that slighteth his father or his mother! And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he that removeth his neighbour`s landmark! And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he that maketh the blind to wander out of the way! And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he that perverteth the judgment of the stranger, fatherless, and widow! And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he that lieth with his father`s wife; for he uncovereth his father`s skirt! And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed be he that lieth with any manner of beast! And all the people shall say, Amen. Cursed 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.