Joshua 24:27 · Bible study
Joshua 24:27 Commentary: The Stone That Heard God's Word
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore how an inanimate stone 'hears' and serves as a covenant witness. Study the meaning of memorials in Joshua's final covenant renewal.
Research Summary
- Meaning: A stone set up as a witness because it 'heard' God's words, serving as a permanent reminder of covenant vows.
- Key words: Stone (H0068), hear (H8085 shama), witness (H5713 edah), deny (H3584 kachash).
- Main debate: No major debate; commentators agree the stone's hearing is a figure of speech (prosopopoeia) for a memorial that testifies.
- Theological theme: God uses physical objects to anchor spiritual commitments across generations.
- Best use: Preaching on covenant renewal, the role of memorials in faith, and the seriousness of promises made to God.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
And Joshua said to all the people, “You see this stone. It will be a witness against us, for it has heard all the words the LORD has spoken to us, and it will be a witness against you if you ever deny your God.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
Joshua said to all the people, “Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us, for it has heard all Yahweh’s words which he spoke to us. It shall be therefore a witness against you, lest you deny your God.”
KJV King James Version 1769
And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us; for it hath heard all the words of the Lord which he spake unto us: it shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest ye deny your God.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness against us; for it hath heard all the words of Jehovah which he spake unto us: it shall be therefore a witness against you, lest ye deny your God.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And Joshua saith unto all the people, `Lo, this stone is against us for a witness, for it hath heard all the sayings of Jehovah which He hath spoken with us, and it hath been against you for a witness, lest ye lie against your God.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And Joshua said unto all the people, Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us, for it hath heard all the words of Jehovah which he spoke unto us; and it shall be a witness against you, lest ye deny your God.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And he said to all the people: Behold this stone shall be a testimony unto you, that it hath heard all the words of the Lord, which he hath spoken to you: lest perhaps hereafter you will deny it, and lie to the Lord your God.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y dijo Josué á todo el pueblo: He aquí esta piedra será entre nosotros por testigo, la cual ha oído todas las palabras de Jehová que él ha hablado con nosotros: será, pues, testigo contra vosotros, porque no mintáis contra vuestro Dios.
E disse Josué a todo o povo: Eis que esta pedra será entre nós por testemunha, a qual ouviu todas as palavras do SENHOR que ele falou conosco: será, pois, testemunha contra vós, para que não mintais contra vosso Deus.
Et Josué dit à tout le peuple: Voici, cette pierre servira de témoin contre nous, car elle a entendu toutes les paroles que l’ Éternel nous a dites; elle servira de témoin contre vous, afin que vous ne soyez pas infidèles à votre Dieu.
und sprach zum ganzen Volk: Siehe, dieser Stein soll Zeuge sein über uns, denn er hat gehört alle Rede des HERRN, die er uns geredet hat; und soll ein Zeuge über euch sein, daß ihr euren Gott nicht verleugnet.
En Jozua zeide tot het ganse volk: Ziet, deze steen zal ons tot een getuigenis zijn; want hij heeft gehoord al de redenen des HEEREN, die Hij tot ons gesproken heeft; ja, hij zal tot een getuigenis tegen ulieden zijn, opdat gij uw God niet liegt.
E Giosuè disse a tutto il popolo: “Ecco, questa pietra sarà una testimonianza contro di noi; perch’essa ha udito tutte le parole che l’Eterno ci ha dette; essa servirà quindi da testimonio contro di voi, affinché non rinneghiate il vostro Dio”.
Tedy rzekł Jozue do wszystkiego ludu: Oto kamień ten będzie nam świadectwem; albowiem on słyszał wszystkie słowa Pańskie, które mówił z nami i będzie przeciwko wam na świadectwo, byście snać nie skłamali przeciwko Bogu waszemu.
И сказал Иисус всему народу: вот, камень сей будет нам свидетелем, ибо он слышал все слова Господа, которые Он говорил с нами [сегодня]; он да будет свидетелем против вас [в последующие дни], чтобы вы не солгали пред [Господом] Богом вашим.
約書亞 對 百姓 說：「看哪，這 石頭 可以 向我們 作見證；因為 是 聽見了 耶和華 所 吩咐 我們 的一切 話，倘或 你們背棄你們的 神，這石頭就可以 向你們 作見證（倘或...見證：或譯所以要向你們作見證，免得你們背棄耶和華─你們的 神）。」
And Joshua said to all the people, See now, this stone is to be a witness against us; for all the words of the Lord have been said to us in its hearing: so it will be a witness against you if you are false to the Lord your God.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Joshua 24:27
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that Joshua's language is a figure of speech called prosopopoeia, in which an inanimate object is described as if it could hear and speak. The stone functions as a permanent witness to the covenant made at Shechem. As Adam Clarke notes, the stone's permanency makes it 'as competent and as substantial a witness as one who had been present at the transaction.' The Cambridge Bible connects the practice to earlier covenant witnesses in Genesis 31:48-52 and Deuteronomy 31:19-26, where a heap of stones and a song each serve as testimonies. Keil and Delitzsch explain that the stone 'had heard all the words which the Lord had addressed to Israel' because it was set up as a memorial of what took place. The people themselves had declared their intention to serve Yahweh (v.24), and the stone would stand against them if they later denied their God. All the supplied sources treat the stone's 'hearing' as a vivid, poetic way of saying that the covenant was etched into a permanent object that would outlast the people's memory.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The stone was set up as a physical witness to the covenant renewal at Shechem, and if Israel ever denies God, the stone will stand as a permanent testimony against them.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The stone's ability to 'hear' | All commentators recognize this as a poetic figure of speech (prosopopoeia). The stone did not literally hear, but its permanence makes it a witness as if it had been present. | Some (e.g., Wesley) emphasize the figure simply means 'it shall be as sure a witness as if it had heard.' Others (Gill, Cambridge) describe it as a rhetorical device that still conveys real accountability. |
| Witness 'against' vs 'for' the people | The stone functions primarily as a witness in the context of covenant loyalty and judgment. | Translations differ: WEB and ASV have 'witness against us' in the first clause; KJV has 'witness unto us' then 'witness against you.' The nuance affects whether the stone is seen initially as a mutual witness or solely as an accuser. |
| Location: what is 'the sanctuary of Yahweh'? | The stone was set up under an oak at Shechem, a site with patriarchal history. | Keil and Delitzsch argue it refers to the holy place under the oak where Abraham built an altar, not the tabernacle. Others (various older commentators) suggest the ark had been brought from the tabernacle for the ceremony. |
| Messianic interpretation of the stone | The stone is primarily a covenant witness in context. | Nachmanides (reported by Gill) interprets the stone as the Messiah, drawing on Genesis 49:24. This reading is unique to that Jewish tradition and is not adopted by the Christian commentators cited. |
Historical & Cultural Context
This verse closes Joshua's farewell address at Shechem, a site already sacred in Israel's history. Abraham had built an altar under the oak of Moreh there (Genesis 12:6-7), and Jacob had buried foreign gods under the same tree (Genesis 35:2-4). The sanctuary referred to in v.26 is not the tabernacle, as Keil and Delitzsch argue, but the holy place associated with that ancient oak. Joshua wrote the covenant terms in the book of the law and then set up a large stone as a second witness.
This practice of raising a stone as a witness echoes earlier covenant-making. Laban and Jacob set up a heap and a pillar in Genesis 31:44-52 to mark their agreement. Moses commanded that the book of the law be placed beside the ark to witness against Israel (Deuteronomy 31:26), and that the song of Moses be taught as a testimony (Deuteronomy 31:19-21). The stone at Shechem functions the same way: it is a silent but enduring reminder of the people's pledge to serve Yahweh alone.
The ceremony itself was a covenant renewal. The people had just declared, 'We will serve Yahweh our God, and we will listen to his voice' (v.24). Joshua had challenged them to 'choose you this day whom you will serve' (v.15). The stone stands as a permanent witness to that choice. Should future generations 'deny your God' (the Hebrew verb kachash H3584 carries the sense of deceiving, lying, or acting falsely), the stone would testify against them. The Targum cited by Gill says the stone was like the two tablets of the covenant, with its own written words summarizing the agreement.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Joshua 24:27. The verse is stable across the manuscript traditions. The main differences are translational: the preposition on ('against' vs 'unto') in the first clause reflects different interpretations of the Hebrew b (H9035 'in/on/against'), but the underlying text is uniform. The Targum cited by Gill expands the verse to compare the stone to the two tablets, but this is interpretive, not textual.
Reception History
Joshua 24:27 has been read across eras as a model for the use of physical objects in covenant memory. Jewish tradition, as seen in the Targum, treated the stone as analogous to the stone tablets of the law. Early and medieval Christian commentators saw in the stone a type of Christ (following Nachmanides' messianic reading, later picked up by some Christian interpreters), though this was not a dominant view. Reformation-era commentators like Matthew Henry and Adam Clarke focused on the stone's function as a witness to human faithfulness and a warning against apostasy. In modern preaching, the verse is often used to illustrate the importance of tangible reminders of faith commitments, such as baptismal fonts or communion tables. The figure of the 'hearing stone' also appears in hymns and devotional literature as a symbol of God's enduring word embedded in creation.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Stone Heard: God's word is so powerful that it can be said to lodge in creation itself. The stone 'hears' because it was present when the covenant was spoken. This reminds us that nothing escapes God's notice.
- The Stone Stands: The witness is permanent. Unlike human memory, the stone does not forget. It stands against the people, a quiet accusation if they stray. Memorials keep us honest.
- The Stone Speaks: Though silent, the stone testifies. It calls every generation to remember the vows made. Objects like baptismal fonts and communion tables do something similar in Christian worship.
Five-point outline
- Joshua's final act: covenant renewal at Shechem.
- The people's declaration: 'We will serve Yahweh.'
- The written record: Joshua wrote in the book of the law.
- The stone witness: a permanent reminder 'lest you deny your God.'
- The hope: even when the people fail, the covenant stands because God is faithful.
Illustration hooks
- A wedding ring: a small object that 'witnesses' the vows spoken years before. It says nothing but says everything.
- A war memorial: a stone or bronze statue that 'speaks' to visitors of the sacrifices made, even if no one is present to tell the story.
- A family Bible with handwritten dates: the pages themselves become witnesses to births, deaths, and promises made across generations.
Questions your congregation is asking
- What physical practices can help us remember the promises we have made to God?
- How do we guard against 'denying God' in subtle ways, not with our lips but with our lives?
- Does our church have any 'stones', memorials that remind us of God's faithfulness and our commitments?
Leading a Discussion
Joshua knew that words can be forgotten. So he set up a stone to bear witness to the covenant the people had just made. This small group guide helps your group explore how physical reminders can anchor faith.
Discussion questions
- Read Joshua 24:27. What does Joshua say the stone has done? Why does he use such personal language for an object?
- How does this stone compare to the heap of stones in Genesis 31:44-52 or the book of the law in Deuteronomy 31:26?
- What does it mean that the stone is a witness 'against' the people? Does that change how you understand God's covenant?
- The Hebrew verb for 'deny' (kachash) can mean to deceive, lie, or act falsely. In what ways might people deny God without ever saying they don't believe?
- What physical memorials of God's work do you have in your own life? A Bible verse on the wall? A prayer journal? A cross?
- Are there 'witnesses' in your life that could accuse you of unfaithfulness? How does that challenge or comfort you?
- If you were to set up a 'stone' today to remember a commitment to God, what would it look like?
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)
| Genesis 31:44 | Now come, let’s make a covenant, you and I. Let it be for a witness between me and you.” |
| Genesis 31:52 | May this heap be a witness, and the pillar be a witness, that I will not pass over this heap to you, and that you will not pass over this heap and this pillar to me, for harm. |
| Deuteronomy 4:26 | I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that you will soon utterly perish from off the land which you go over the Jordan to possess it. You will not prolong your days on it, but will utterly be destroyed. |
| Deuteronomy 30:19 | I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Therefore choose life, that you may live, you and your descendants, |
| Deuteronomy 31:19 | “Now therefore write this song for yourselves, and teach it to the children of Israel. Put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel. |
| Deuteronomy 31:21 | It will happen, when many evils and troubles have come on them, that this song will testify before them as a witness; for it will not be forgotten out of the mouths of their descendants; for I know their ways and what they are doing today, before I have brought them into the land which I promised them.” |
| Deuteronomy 31:26 | “Take this book of the law, and put it by the side of the ark of Yahweh your God’s covenant, that it may be there for a witness against you. |
| Deuteronomy 32:1 | Give ear, you heavens, and I will speak. Let the earth hear the words of my mouth. |
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's point is that the stone itself, because it lasts through time, stands as a witness equal to a person who was present and heard every word spoken. Its permanence makes it an enduring testimony for all future ages, as reliable as a living ear that heard the agreement.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The stone is a witness not by hearing physically but through a poetic figure: it was set up to remind the people of their promise to God and, if they proved unfaithful, to testify against them. The personification underscores the solemnity of their pledge.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Note observes that Joshua personifies the stone as a witness because it "heard" every word God spoke to the people. This stone will silently remember the covenant and stand as a permanent testimony against them, ready to accuse them if they ever deny their God.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights that the stone serves as a witness, comparable to the heap between Jacob and Laban. He then notes that the Jewish commentator Nachmanides interprets this stone as referring to the Messiah. The Targum additionally equates it to the two tablets of the covenant.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB points out that Joshua's call for a public pledge of loyalty came with a test: he demanded they put away the foreign gods among them. This requirement implies some Israelites still secretly craved or practiced the idolatry of their ancestors or the Canaanites, making their sincerity suspect.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch identifies the "sanctuary of Jehovah" under the oak at Shechem not as the tabernacle or ark, but as the ancient holy site where Abraham built an altar and Jacob buried foreign gods. This long-established place of worship, they argue, was the fitting location for the covenant renewal ceremony.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange draws a sharp distinction between Joshua's two farewell addresses: the first promises what God will still do for Israel, the second recites in detail what God has already done since the patriarchs. Joshua keeps his own merit entirely out of view and insists that the people choose freely, without any coercion.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights Joshua's deliberate strategy
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley explains that giving hearing to the heavens and earth is a figure of speech. The point is that these created things will stand as sure witnesses against the people, as if they had actually heard everything. It is a common biblical way of speaking.