In this chapter the people of Israel are ordered to write the law on plastered stones, and set them on Mount Ebal, Deut. 27:1–4; where they are bid to erect an altar, and offer sacrifices on it, Deut.

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…

And it shall be, on the day when you shall pass over Jordan, &c.] 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…

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.

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 [[16]], dry as stones and rocks itself, and…

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 [[18]]…

Thou shall build the altar of the Lord thy God of whole stones And of such Joshua did build it, ; 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 thou shall offer peace offerings Part of which belonged to God, which was burnt on the altar, and another part to the priest that offered them; and the rest to the owner that brought them, which he eat of with his friends; so it follows: and shall eat there, and rejoice before the Lord thy God:…

And thou shall write upon the stones all the words of this law Not upon the stones of the altar, but upon the first stones brought to Mount Ebal, and set up there before, and on which the words were inscribed before the altar was erected; though according to the Misnah [[19]] the altar was built of…

And Moses and the priests the Levites spake unto all Israel, &c.] The priests who were Levites, as all the priests that were lawful ones were; and there were none but such at this time, who were.

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 Deut. 27:1).

And Moses charged the people the same That he gave the above orders to set up stones, and plaster them, and write the law on them, and build an altar in the same place, and offer sacrifices when come into the land of Canaan: saying; as follows.

These shall stand upon Mount Gerizim to bless the people, widen ye are come over Jordan Which was a mountain in Samaria opposite to Mount Ebal, a valley of a furlong broad lay between them [[23]]; and, according to Hillerus [[24]], had its name from being broken off from that, they being, as it…

And these shall stand upon Mount Ebal curse Which was dry and rocky, barren and fruitful, and like the earth, that bears briers and thorns, is rejected and nigh unto cursing, and so a proper place to curse, and a fit emblem of those to be cursed; see ; Reuben, Gad, and Asher, and Zebulun, Dan, and…

And the Levites shall speak, and say unto all the men of Israel Rather, “answer [[4]] and say”; not the whole tribe of Levi, for that stood on Mount Gerizim to bless, ; but the priests of that tribe who were placed in the valley, between the two mountains, and pronounced both the blessings and the…

Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, &c.] The blessings and the form of them are not recorded, because they were not to be had from the law, and through obedience to it; and therefore there is a profound silence about them, to put men upon seeking for them elsewhere, and which…

Cursed be he that setteth light by his father, or his mother That secretly despises them in his heart, and by looks and gestures mocks at them in a private manner, unseen by others, ; for if he publicly cursed them, that was cognizable by the civil magistrate, and he was to be put to death, .

Cursed be he that removeth his neighbour’s landmark Removes it backward, and steals ground, as Jarchi explains it; this is commonly done secretly; see ; and all the people shall say Amen; (See Gill on Deut. 27:15); (See Gill on Deut. 27:16).

Cursed be he that maketh the blind to wander out of the way By directing him wrong knowingly, or laying a stumbling block in his way, . The Targum of Jonathan is, “that maketh a traveller wander out of the way, who like a blind man;” who knows his way no more than a blind man does.

Cursed be he that perverteth the judgment of the stranger, fatherless, and widow Who have none to assist them, and take their part, and therefore judges may be tempted to do an unjust thing; but God is the patron of them, and takes notice of every injury done them, and is the avenger of all such:…

Cursed be he that lieth with his father’s wife As Reuben did, and which is forbidden ; because he uncovereth his father’s skirt; see ; and all the people shall say Amen; the tribe of Reuben said this as well as the rest.

Cursed be he that lieth with any manner of beast See ; and all the people shall say Amen; as being shocking and abhorrent to human nature.

Cursed be he that lieth with his sister Which is forbid, ; the daughter of his father, or the daughter of his mother; whether his sister by father or mother’s side: and all the people shall say Amen; detesting such uncleanness.

Cursed be he that lieth with his mother in law See (Lev. 18:7, Lev. 18:8) . All these incestuous or brutal copulations may well be supposed to be done in secret: and all the people shall say Amen; as abhorring such incest.

Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbour secretly And kills him, and the murder is not known; the curse of God follows such, and overtakes them sooner or later.

Cursed be he that taketh reward to slay an innocent person, &c.] As an assassin, to murder him privately; or as a judge, that takes a bribe to condemn to death an innocent person: so Aben Ezra observes, that according to the sense of some a judge is meant; but, says he, in my opinion a false…

Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them That is, who does not perfectly perform all that the law requires, and continues to do so; for the law requires obedience, and that perfect and constant, and in failure thereof curses, in proof of which the apostle produces this…