Deuteronomy 27

Deuteronomy 27 outlines the ceremonial responsibilities for Israel upon entering the Promised Land, centering on the public inscription of the Law and a solemn ratification of the covenant through blessings and cursings on Mounts Gerizim and Ebal. It establishes the nation’s accountability to the Mosaic Law as a condition for their ongoing life in the land promised to their fathers.

• Moses and the elders command the people to preserve the Law upon entering Canaan (vv. 1-3).
• Instructions are given to erect plastered stones inscribed with the Law and to build an unhewn altar on Mount Ebal (vv. 4-8).
• The priests and Moses solemnly charge the people to acknowledge their status as the people of YHWH (vv. 9-10).
• The tribes are divided between Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal to participate in the covenantal ceremony of blessing and cursing (vv. 11-13).
• The Levites recite twelve specific curses against covenant-breaking behavior, to which all the people must respond with 'Amen' (vv. 14-26).

• The crossing of the Jordan River (v. 2)
• Great stones plastered with lime (vv. 2, 4)
• Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim (vv. 4, 12, 13)
• An altar of whole stones without iron tools (vv. 5, 6)
• The twelve 'Cursed be' declarations (vv. 15-26)

This passage serves as the public renewal of the covenant at the threshold of the Promised Land, reminding Israel that their occupation of the land is inextricably tied to their obedience to the Law. It prefigures the necessity of complete obedience to God's standard, which the New Testament later identifies as impossible apart from faith in Christ (Gal 3:10).

Entering into God’s promises requires a public commitment to His revealed standard, acknowledging that He alone is the source of blessing and the judge of all unrighteousness.

The chapter moves from administrative command to the practical physical enactment of the Law, concluding with a verbal liturgical ratification. It transitions from preparation (writing the Law) to worship (the altar) to the establishment of the community's ethical boundary (the curses).

• Keep all the commandments (v. 1)
• Set up great stones and plaster them (v. 2)
• Write all the words of this law (vv. 3, 8)
• Build an altar to the Lord (v. 5)
• Offer burnt offerings and peace offerings (vv. 6, 7)
• Obey the voice of the Lord (v. 10)

• Cursed is the idolater (v. 15)
• Cursed is the one who dishonors parents (v. 16)
• Cursed is the one who moves boundaries (v. 17)
• Cursed is the one who misleads the blind (v. 18)
• Cursed is the one who perverts justice (v. 19)
• Cursed is the one who commits various sexual sins (vv. 20-23)
• Cursed is the murderer or the one who takes bribes (vv. 24-25)
• Cursed is the one who fails to confirm/perform all the words of the law (v. 26)

• The text assumes the Israelites are on the threshold of Canaan, moving from the wilderness to the promised land.
• Mounts Ebal and Gerizim are located in the heart of Canaan near Shechem, a significant site where Abraham previously built an altar (Gen 12:6-7).

• The use of 'plaster' (sid [H7874]) on stone monuments was a common ancient Near Eastern method to provide a smooth, readable surface for public inscriptions.
• The 'Amen' (אמן) response signifies a formal, public legal ratification of the curses, effectively self-imposing the covenantal consequences upon the entire nation.

• Deuteronomy 27 functions as the liturgical instruction for the event commanded in Deuteronomy 11:29-30.
• The chapter provides the 'curses' portion of the Blessing and Cursing theme developed extensively in chapters 28-30.

• The requirement for an altar of unhewn stone (v. 5) reiterates the original instruction in Exodus 20:25.
• The New Testament applies Deuteronomy 27:26 in Galatians 3:10, arguing that since all have failed to keep the 'whole' law, all are under a curse, necessitating Christ's redemption.

• Joshua 8:30-35 recounts the fulfillment of these specific commands after the conquest of Ai.
• Matthew Henry observes that in the Old Testament, the law is given with the curse, which would overwhelm us with horror if the New Testament did not present an altar (Christ) erected nearby, providing consolation for the transgressor.

• Moses (Mosheh [H4872]): The Israelite lawgiver.
• Commanded (tsavah [H6680]): To constitute, enjoin; used intensively here to emphasize the weight of the instruction.
• People (am [H5971]): As a congregated unit; emphasizes the national unity of Israel in this covenant ceremony.
• Iron tool (barzel [H1270]): Literally 'iron' (as cutting); emphasizes the restriction against human manipulation of the altar stones.
• Plaster (sid [H7874]): Lime; a crucial term indicating the preparation of the stones for writing.
• Write (kathab [H3789]): To grave or inscribe; the permanent nature of the law is highlighted by this act of engraving.

• Modern readers often overlook the specific 'Cursed be' structure; it is not just a list of sins, but a liturgical ratification where the people themselves accept the terms of the covenant.
• The Levites were the ones reading the curses (v. 14), placing the responsibility of maintaining the standards of the law upon the priestly leadership.

• There is ongoing scholarly discussion regarding the exact physical positioning of the tribes on the mountains (Gerizim/Ebal) and how the sound would carry during such a massive liturgical gathering.
• Some critics question the unity of the chapter, suggesting the list of curses (vv. 15-26) may be an independent legal collection, though its function within the Deuteronomic covenant framework is consistent with the surrounding text.