Deuteronomy 27:1-8 · Bible study
Deuteronomy 27:1-8 Commentary: Covenant Monument and Altar
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Study the meaning of Deuteronomy 27:1-8. Analysis of the stone monument, altar on Mount Ebal, covenant renewal, and the command to write God's law plainly.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Upon entering Canaan, Israel must publicly inscribe the law on plastered stones and build an altar of uncut stones, a covenant-renewal ceremony binding the land to God’s instruction.
- Key words: Torah (תּוֹרָה, law/instruction), probably the covenant stipulations summarized in the blessings and curses; ba'er heitev (בַּאֵר הֵיטֵב), written “very plainly,” made clear and distinct.
- Main debate: Does “all the commandment” (v.1) refer to the whole Mosaic law or specifically to the instructions for the monument? The disagreement turns on whether the phrase is a general charge or a heading for the passage.
- Theological theme: The land is a gift held by covenant. Law and altar, command and sacrifice, judgment and rejoicing, these pairs define life before God.
- Best use: A passage for reflecting on how God’s instruction shapes a new beginning, and why worship must precede possession.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
1Then Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people: “Keep all the commandments I am giving you today.
2And on the day you cross the Jordan into the land that the LORD your God is giving you, set up large stones and coat them with plaster.
3Write on them all the words of this law when you have crossed over to enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you, a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you.
4And when you have crossed the Jordan, you are to set up these stones on Mount Ebal, as I am commanding you today, and you are to coat them with plaster.
5Moreover, you are to build there an altar to the LORD your God, an altar of stones. You must not use any iron tool on them.
6You shall build the altar of the LORD your God with uncut stones and offer upon it burnt offerings to the LORD your God.
7There you are to sacrifice your peace offerings, eating them and rejoicing in the presence of the LORD your God.
8And you shall write distinctly upon these stones all the words of this law.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
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.”
KJV King James Version 1769
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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
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.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
1`And Moses--the elders of Israel also--commandeth the people, saying, Keep all the command which I am commanding you to-day;
2and it hath been, in the day that ye pass over the Jordan unto the land which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee, that thou hast raised up for thee great stones, and plaistered them with plaister,
3and written on them all the words of this law in thy passing over, so that thou goest in unto the land which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee--a land flowing with milk and honey, as Jehovah, God of thy fathers, hath spoken to thee.
4`And it hath been, in your passing over the Jordan, ye raise up these stones which I am commanding you to-day, in mount Ebal, and thou hast plaistered them with plaister,
5and built there an altar to Jehovah thy God, an altar of stones, thou dost not wave over them iron.
6Of complete stones thou buildest the altar of Jehovah thy God, and hast caused to ascend on it burnt-offerings to Jehovah thy God,
7and sacrificed peace-offerings, and eaten there, and rejoiced before Jehovah thy God,
8and written on the stones all the words of this law, well engraved.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
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 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 goest over that thou mayest enter into 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 go over the Jordan, that ye shall set up these stones, as I command you this day, on mount Ebal, and thou shalt plaster them with plaster.
5And there shalt thou build an altar to Jehovah thy God, an altar of stones; thou shalt not lift up an iron [tool] upon them;
6of whole stones shalt thou build the altar of Jehovah thy God; and thou shalt offer up burnt-offerings thereon to Jehovah thy God.
7And thou shalt sacrifice peace-offerings, and shalt eat there, and rejoice before Jehovah thy God.
8And thou shalt write upon the stones all the words of this law very plainly.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
1And Moses with the ancients of Israel commanded the people, saying: Keep every commandment that I command you this day.
2And when you are passed over the Jordan into the land which the Lord thy God will give thee, thou shalt set up great stones, and shalt plaster them over with plaster,
3That thou mayst write on them all the words of this law, when thou art passed over the Jordan: that thou mayst enter into the land which the Lord thy God will give thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, as he swore to thy fathers.
4Therefore when you are passed over the Jordan, set up the stones which I command you this day, in mount Hebal, and thou shalt plaster them with plaster:
5And thou shalt build there an altar to the Lord thy God, of stones which iron hath not touched,
6And of stones not fashioned nor polished: and thou shalt offer upon it holocausts to the Lord thy God:
7And shalt immolate peace victims, and eat there, and feast before the Lord thy God.
8And thou shalt write upon the stones all the words of this law plainly and clearly.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Deuteronomy 27:1
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
The passage commands Israel, immediately upon entering Canaan, to set up large plastered stones on Mount Ebal, write “all the words of this law” on them, build an altar of uncut stones, and offer burnt offerings and peace offerings. Commentators agree that the gesture is a public covenant renewal. Keil and Delitzsch note that the writing on plaster followed Egyptian practice: a surface was coated, then inscribed, the monument was for the generation entering the land, not primarily for posterity. Barnes clarifies that the stones for the inscription are distinct from the altar stones; the first are a witness, the second a place of worship. The altar must be built without iron tools, of “complete” stones (שְׁלֵמוֹת, shelemot), a term that can mean either uncut or whole, the point is that human shaping does not intrude. Clarke argues that “all the words of this law” likely refers to the blessings and curses of the chapter, which serve as an epitome of the covenant’s moral core. Matthew Henry reads it as the whole Mosaic law. The shared anchor: Israel’s title to the land rests on public acknowledgment of God’s instruction.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- General charge view: “All the commandment” (v.1) is a broad exhortation to keep the whole law, and the specific instructions that follow are a worked example of that obedience.
- Specific instructions view: The phrase refers only to the commands about stones, plaster, altar and sacrifices in verses 2–8 — the immediate context governs the referent.
- Samaritan mountain view: Mount Gerizim is original; the Masoretic Ebal reading is a Jewish correction. Based on the Samaritan Pentateuch and arguments from topography (Gerizim is fertile, Ebal barren).
- Masoretic mountain view: Mount Ebal is original; the Samaritan reading is a sectarian change. Supported by Joshua 8:30–31 and the logic of placing the law on the mount of cursing.
What is clear: Whatever the scope of the commandment, the passage publicly plants God’s instruction at the center of the promised land and binds possession of the land to covenant faithfulness.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| What 'all the commandment' refers to | The phrase introduces a solemn charge to obey God upon entering the land. | Some commentators (Lange, Keil) limit it to the instructions for the monument and altar that follow. Others (Matthew Henry, Gill) see it as a general command to keep the whole Mosaic law. |
| Which mountain, Ebal or Gerizim | The Masoretic Hebrew text reads Mount Ebal; the Samaritan Pentateuch reads Mount Gerizim. | Barnes holds that the original text was altered by Samaritans to support their temple. Clarke notes that Kennicott argued the Samaritan reading is original and the Jews corrupted it. Most modern authorities side with the Masoretic reading. |
| What 'all the words of this law' means | The inscription publicly affirms the covenant as the basis for life in the land. | Clarke argues for the blessings and curses (ch.27, 28) as an epitome of the law. Barnes and Wesley think the whole law or at least the Decalogue is intended. |
| Whether the monument stones and altar stones are the same | Both are set up on Mount Ebal and involve stone. | Barnes and Gill distinguish them: the plastered stones are for the inscription, the uncut stones for the altar. The Mishnah conflates them. The grammar of v.5, 8 allows both readings. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The setting is the threshold of Canaan. Israel stands east of the Jordan, poised to take the land God promised. The command to set up stones on Mount Ebal places the law at the geographical and theological center of the new homeland. Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim flank the valley of Shechem, forming a natural amphitheater where the blessings and curses would later be pronounced (Deuteronomy 27:11, 13). Shechem was already a site of covenant memory: Abraham built an altar there (Genesis 12:6, 7).
The plastering of stones (שִׂיד, sid, meaning lime or gypsum) matches an attested Egyptian practice. Monuments and walls were coated with white plaster, then painted with figures or hieroglyphs. Keil and Delitzsch cite travel accounts of such plastered stelae in Egypt and Sinai. The “great stones” (אֲבָנִים גְּדֹלֹת) were meant to be visible, a public proclamation that this land operates under God’s instruction.
The prohibition against iron tools on the altar echoes Exodus 20:25. Human craft threatens to displace divine design. The instruction “you shall not lift up any iron tool on them” (verse 5) uses the verb hanif (הָנִיף), which carries the sense of brandishing or wielding, a gesture of human aggression or pride, kept away from worship.
Wesley notes that writing the law on Mount Ebal, the mount of cursing, signals that violation brings a curse, and the sacrifices offered there point to the only remedy. The sequence is deliberate: first the law, then the altar, then the meal of peace offerings eaten with rejoicing. Judgment and grace are not opposed; they are the two movements of the same covenant.
Textual Notes
The most significant textual variant in this passage is the mountain name in verse 4. The Masoretic Text reads Mount Ebal (עֵיבָל); the Samaritan Pentateuch reads Mount Gerizim (גְּרִזִים). The Samaritan reading would align the altar with the mountain of blessing (27:12), but nearly all modern textual critics follow the Masoretic reading, regarding the Samaritan version as a tendentious alteration to support the Samaritan temple. The surrounding context in Joshua 8:30, 31 confirms Joshua built the altar on Mount Ebal. No other significant variants are present in the consulted sources.
Reception History
Jewish tradition interpreted the stones as twelve in number, one for each tribe, and the inscription as the whole law in seventy languages, a universal witness. The Talmud (Sotah 35b) describes the stones being set up, plastered, inscribed, then covered with a fresh coat of plaster to protect the writing. Christian interpreters have read the passage typologically: Wesley sees the law written on Ebal (the mount of cursing) as signifying the curse from which Christ delivers; the altar and sacrifice prefigure the cross. Calvin stresses that the monument was a form of public instruction, removing the excuse of ignorance. The passage has also shaped discussions of worship architecture, the prohibition of iron tools has been cited by some traditions arguing for simplicity in church furnishings, though this application is debated.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The law written in the land. The stones and plaster make God’s instruction visible and public. Entering the land is not an end; it is the beginning of a life shaped by God’s word.
- The altar built by grace. Uncut stones and unassisted worship, human effort does not earn access. The burnt offering and peace offering confess that sin must be atoned and fellowship restored.
- The people called to rejoice. They eat the peace offering “before Yahweh your God.” Obedience leads to joy, not gloom. The covenant includes celebration.
Five-point outline
- A monument at the threshold. Israel must act immediately upon crossing. God’s word shapes the new beginning.
- Writing that is clear. The final instruction: write “very plainly” (בַּאֵר הֵיטֵב, ba'er heitev). The law must be accessible, not obscure.
- Materials that matter. Plaster for the monument, uncut stone for the altar. Each detail carries theological weight, nothing is indifferent.
- Sacrifice before settlement. Burnt offerings and peace offerings precede the enjoyment of the land. Worship comes before possession.
- Joy as covenant response. Eating and rejoicing before God is not an afterthought. The command to rejoice (שָׂמַח, samach) is as binding as the command to write.
Illustration hooks
- A family that frames their household rules and hangs them in the kitchen, not to control, but to remind everyone what kind of home this is meant to be.
- A cornerstone ceremony for a new building, where the founders place a time capsule. The stones at Ebal function similarly: a public act that says “this place belongs to God.”
- The contrast between a handmade gift and a store-bought one. The uncut altar stones carry the same honesty, no artificial finish, just what God provides.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does this passage mean the law saves us? Or does it point to something deeper about grace?
- Why does the altar have to be made of unhewn stones? Does God care about materials in worship?
- What does it mean to “rejoice before the Lord” in a life of obedience?
Leading a Discussion
This passage marks Israel’s entry into the promised land with a public act: write the law on stones, build an altar, offer sacrifices, and rejoice. The details matter, the plaster, the uncut stones, the very plain writing. What does it mean to plant God’s word at the center of a new beginning? How do law and celebration fit together?
Discussion questions
- Read Deuteronomy 27:1, 8. What stands out to you about the sequence, first writing the law, then building the altar, then sacrificing and feasting?
- The stones were to be plastered and inscribed “very plainly.” Why might God emphasize clarity here? What makes God’s instruction hard to read or follow in your life right now?
- The altar was to be built of uncut stones, without iron tools. What does this say about human effort and divine provision in worship? Does it change how you approach corporate worship?
- Verse 7 commands the people to “eat there, and rejoice before Yahweh your God.” How does joy function as an act of obedience? Can joy be commanded, or is it a feeling?
- Clarke suggests “all the words of this law” refers mainly to the blessings and curses. Others say it means the whole Mosaic law. How does your answer affect how you read the passage?
- This ceremony happened on Mount Ebal, the mount of cursing. Wesley points out that the law written there reminds Israel of the curse, while the sacrifices show the way of deliverance. How do judgment and mercy work together in your understanding of the gospel?
- The passage is about entering a land God gives. What “new land”, a season, a calling, a challenge, are you entering? What would it look like to plant God’s word visibly at its threshold?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Deuteronomy 4:1 | Now, Israel, listen to the statutes and to the ordinances which I teach you, to do them, that you may live and go in and possess the land which Yahweh, the God of your fathers, gives you. |
| Deuteronomy 4:3 | Your eyes have seen what Yahweh did because of Baal Peor; for Yahweh your God has destroyed all the men who followed Baal Peor from among you. |
| Deuteronomy 11:32 | You shall observe to do all the statutes and the ordinances which I set before you today. |
| Deuteronomy 26:16 | Today Yahweh your God commands you to do these statutes and ordinances. You shall therefore keep and do them with all your heart and with all your soul. |
| Luke 11:28 | But he said, “On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God, and keep it.” |
| John 15:14 | You are my friends if you do whatever I command you. |
| I Thessalonians 4:1 | Finally then, brothers, we beg and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, that you abound more and more. |
| I Thessalonians 4:2 | For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke suggests the stones were likely twelve, and interprets the plaster as cement meant for a durable monument. He proposes the writing was in raised letters, with the spaces between
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin sees the command to write the law on doorposts and at the land's entrance as making the whole country God's visible sanctuary. The public inscription was meant to prevent ignorance and stir the people to pure worship, reminding every entrant that the land itself was sacred to heavenly doctrine.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentary notes that the command to set up the stones "on the day" of crossing implies immediate action, before Israel enters the land. The whitewash technique, common in Egypt, would not survive Palestinian winters, suggesting this is a very ancient fragment incorporated into Deuteronomy.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva notes stress that the law
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill reads the physical details of this instruction as types of Christ. The altar of uncut stones represents Christ's human nature, and the ban on iron tools signifies that nothing human can add to his sacrifice. The curses pronounced from Mount Ebal point to Christ becoming a curse to redeem his people.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that the unhewn stones and plaster were a practical method for quickly inscribing the law, a technique Moses likely learned in Egypt. He sees the altar of whole stones and the accompanying sacrifices as setting forth two great principles: the law that condemns and the typical expiation that foreshadows atonement.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch argue the stone monument was not for posterity but a public testimony that Israel's life depended on the law. They insist Mount Ebal was chosen, not Gerizim, because the law chiefly brings a curse on sinful humanity. The sacrifices alongside the writing transformed the act into a covenant renewal.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange sees the command to build an altar of uncut stones as a deliberate symbol of humility. He argues that God is pleased with such simple, unartistic forms precisely because they point ahead to the Messiah, who would come in the form of a servant and become both priest and sacrifice.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry emphasizes that Israel's leaders, both civil and religious, joined Moses in commanding the people to obey. The point is that knowing Gods law is worthless without doing it, so the charge carried the full weight of every authority God had placed over them.