Deuteronomy 27

Tyndale Open Study Notes

Verse 3

27:3 this whole body of instruction (literally all the words of this torah): This phrase could refer to the entire book of Deuteronomy, but considering the small surface (27:2) on which the text was to be inscribed, it probably just refers to the Ten Commandments.

Verse 4

27:4 The covenant ceremony was to take place at Mount Ebal, a mountain east of Shechem (see Josh 8:30-35). The Samaritan Pentateuch reads “Mount Gerizim” here, an obvious attempt to justify the existence of the Samaritan temple on that mountain (see Deut 11:29).

Verse 5

27:5 natural, uncut stones: Archaeological research has uncovered a number of Canaanite altars, all built of hewn blocks. In contrast to this practice, the Israelites were to build their altars only of rough field stones (Exod 20:22-26; see “Altars” Theme Note).

Verse 7

27:7 Some offerings atoned for sins and trespasses; others affirmed that all was well between the Lord and the donor. For example, peace offerings (sometimes called fellowship offerings) testified to wholeness in the divine–human relationship (see Lev 3:1-16).

Verse 9

27:9 Today: The Israelites were already the Lord’s people prior to this moment, but each time Israel affirmed itself to be God’s people and renewed the covenant (as here), they became God’s people in a fresh, new way. Recommitment to the Lord is like beginning a new relationship with him.

Verse 12

27:12-26 Mount Gerizim lies just west of Mount Ebal (27:4), and Shechem lies in the valley between (see 11:29; Josh 8:30-35). • proclaim a blessing: The tribes or their representatives were carefully placed so that as the Levites (Deut 27:14) read the covenant from the valley below, the other tribes antiphonally proclaimed their adherence to its terms by shouting Amen, a Hebrew term that means “May it be so.”

Verse 13

27:13 proclaim a curse: By invoking curses on themselves if they disobeyed the terms of the covenant, these tribes served as witnesses and judges of their own future disobedience.

Verse 14

27:14 The Levites as a group were stationed on Mount Gerizim (27:12). The Ark of the Covenant accompanied them, and they offered sacrifices (Josh 8:30-35). It was part of the Levites’ role to teach and proclaim the Torah (Deut 33:10; see study note on 6:8; see also Lev 10:11).

Verse 15

27:15 carves or casts an idol: Such behavior would strike at the very heart of the covenant ideal by violating the second commandment (see 5:7-10).

Verse 16

27:16 dishonors father or mother: In the various spheres of human relationships, duty to parents ranked just below duty to God (see 5:16). To disrespect and disobey parents was just short of disrespecting God.

Verse 17

27:17 Moving a boundary marker to one’s own advantage is tantamount to theft and clearly violates the eighth commandment (see 5:19; 19:14).

Verse 18

27:18 blind person: This curse would apply to treatment of physically disabled or disadvantaged people in general. Such a mean and callous act was not fitting of a member of the covenant community, in which all were to be treated alike.

Verse 19

27:19 It would be easy to put foreigners, orphans, and widows at a legal disadvantage or to deny them justice altogether (see 10:18; 24:17).

Verse 20

27:20 violated his father: See 22:30.

Verse 22

27:22 whether . . . the daughter of his father or his mother: Though this instruction concerns a relationship with a half sister or foster sibling, it precludes a sexual relationship with one’s full sibling as well (see Lev 18:9; 20:17).