Deuteronomy 27: Stones, Altar, and Curses

Short answer: Deuteronomy 27 records Moses and the elders instructing Israel to set up plastered stones with the law written on them and to build an altar on Mount Ebal after crossing the Jordan. It also lists twelve curses to be pronounced by the Levites from Mount Ebal, with the people responding Amen.

What Deuteronomy 27 says

The chapter opens with Moses and the elders commanding Israel to keep all the commandment given that day. On the day they cross the Jordan into the land Yahweh gives them, they are to set up great stones, coat them with plaster, and write on them all the words of this law. This is to happen so that they may enter the land flowing with milk and honey, as promised to their fathers. The stones are to be set up on Mount Ebal, and there they are also to build an altar to Yahweh their God, made of uncut stones on which no iron tool has been used. On this altar they are to offer burnt offerings and peace offerings, eat there, and rejoice before Yahweh. They are to write the words of the law very plainly on the stones.

Moses and the Levitical priests then address all Israel, calling for silence and attention. They declare that today Israel has become the people of Yahweh their God. Therefore they must obey Yahweh's voice and do his commandments and statutes that Moses commands them that day. This solemn declaration ties the covenant identity of Israel to their obedience. The chapter does not separate privilege from responsibility; being God's people means listening and doing what he says. The priests join Moses in this pronouncement, giving it a formal and religious weight. The people are not merely receiving information but are being called to a decisive commitment.

Moses then commands the people regarding the ceremony on the two mountains after crossing the Jordan. Six tribes are to stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. Six tribes are to stand on Mount Ebal for the curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. The Levites are to say with a loud voice to all the men of Israel a series of curses. Each curse begins with the word cursed and describes a specific action that is an abomination or a violation of justice and purity. After each curse, all the people are to answer and say Amen. The curses cover idolatry, dishonoring parents, moving a landmark, misleading the blind, withholding justice from the foreigner, fatherless, and widow, sexual sins, secret murder, taking a bribe to kill an innocent person, and not upholding the words of this law by doing them.

The final curse in verse 26 is comprehensive: cursed is he who does not uphold the words of this law by doing them. This brings the entire list to a point of personal and communal accountability. The people are not merely to hear the law but to do it. The response of Amen after each curse signifies agreement and acceptance of the curse's validity. The chapter ends with this litany of curses, leaving the reader with the seriousness of covenant obedience. The blessings are mentioned only in terms of the tribes standing on Gerizim, but the specific blessings are not recorded here. The emphasis falls on the curses and the people's affirmative response, underscoring the gravity of turning away from Yahweh's commands.

Verses that carry the chapter

• “Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, “Keep all the commandment which I command you today.” (Deuteronomy 27:1) — This verse sets the stage for the entire chapter by calling Israel to keep all the commandment, establishing the authority of Moses and the elders and the comprehensive nature of the requirement.
• “You shall write on the stones all the words of this law very plainly.”” (Deuteronomy 27:8) — This verse emphasizes the clarity required in writing the law, showing that God's word is not to be obscured but made plain for all to read and understand.
• “Moses and the Levitical priests spoke to all Israel, saying, “Be silent and listen, Israel! Today you have become the people of Yahweh your God.” (Deuteronomy 27:9) — This verse declares Israel's new identity as the people of Yahweh, linking covenant relationship to the call for attentive obedience.
• “‘Cursed is he who doesn’t uphold the words of this law by doing them.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ ”” (Deuteronomy 27:26) — This verse summarizes the entire list of curses by pronouncing a curse on anyone who does not uphold all the words of the law by doing them, highlighting the necessity of wholehearted obedience.

Gospel connection

Deuteronomy 27 confronts Israel with the demand for perfect obedience to God's law, symbolized by the stones and the altar on Mount Ebal. The curses pronounced from that mountain reveal the seriousness of sin and the impossibility of earning blessing through human effort alone. The people's Amen acknowledges that these curses are just. In the wider biblical story, this points to the need for a Savior who would bear the curse of the law on behalf of his people. The New Testament later declares that Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. The altar of uncut stones and the peace offerings foreshadow the ultimate sacrifice that would reconcile sinners to God. The chapter thus prepares the way for the gospel by showing that the law's demands cannot be met by fallen humanity, driving us to rely on God's grace.

Application

This chapter asks the reader to take God's commands seriously and to recognize that hearing them is not enough; they must be done. It calls for a honest self-examination: where have I dishonored parents, moved boundaries, misled the vulnerable, or withheld justice? The curses remind us that secret sins are not hidden from God. Yet the chapter also invites us to respond with Amen, agreeing with God's assessment of sin. For the Christian, this leads to gratitude that Christ bore the curse we deserved. Practically, it means pursuing integrity in all relationships, caring for the foreigner, fatherless, and widow, and upholding justice. It means writing God's word on our hearts and living it out plainly. The call to rejoice before Yahweh with peace offerings also reminds us that obedience is not grim but is meant to be accompanied by joy in God's presence.

Biblical fidelity check

The chapter does not specify the exact location of the stones beyond Mount Ebal, nor does it describe the size of the stones or the method of plastering. It does not record the specific blessings that were to be pronounced from Mount Gerizim, only that six tribes were to stand there to bless. It does not name the Levites who spoke or describe the crowd's posture beyond standing. It does not explain how the tribes were divided or why certain tribes were assigned to each mountain. It does not state that the curses were actually carried out in the narrative, only that Moses commanded them. It does not mention any response from the people other than Amen. It does not describe the content of the burnt and peace offerings beyond their names. It does not say whether women and children were present or how they participated. The text is silent on the timing of the ceremony beyond after crossing the Jordan.

Questions for study

1. Why do you think the chapter emphasizes writing the law plainly on stones, and what does that suggest about how God wants his word to be treated?
2. The tribes are divided between Mount Gerizim for blessing and Mount Ebal for curse. What might this division teach about the two possible responses to God's covenant?
3. The curses cover a range of sins, from idolatry to injustice to sexual immorality. How do these specific sins reflect the character of a community that is faithful to Yahweh?
4. After each curse, the people say Amen. What does this response indicate about their understanding of personal and communal responsibility?
5. The final curse is for not upholding all the words of the law by doing them. How does this verse challenge the idea that hearing or knowing God's law is sufficient?

Keep reading

Related studies: Deuteronomy 1 Bible Study, Deuteronomy 10 Bible Study, Deuteronomy 11 Bible Study, Deuteronomy 12 Bible Study.

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FAQ

What was the purpose of the plastered stones on Mount Ebal?

They were to have all the words of the law written on them very plainly, serving as a public witness and reminder of Israel's covenant obligations as they entered the land.

Why were only curses pronounced from Mount Ebal and not blessings from Mount Gerizim?

The text records the specific curses that the Levites were to say, but it does not provide the content of the blessings, only that six tribes stood on Gerizim to bless the people.

What does it mean that the people answered Amen after each curse?

Their Amen was an expression of agreement, acknowledging that the curse was just and that they accepted the terms of the covenant.