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Deuteronomy 27

Deuteronomy 27 joins Israel’s entry into the promised land with public acknowledgment of God’s law and judgment against disobedience.

Moses and Israel’s elders command the people to prepare for a covenant ceremony after crossing the Jordan. They must erect plastered stones bearing the law on Mount Ebal and build an altar of uncut stones, where they will offer sacrifices and rejoice before YHWH. Moses and the Levitical priests call Israel to obey as God’s people. Moses then assigns tribes to Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, and directs the Levites to pronounce curses to which everyone must assent.

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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 the LORD 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 the LORD your God gives you, a land flowing with milk and honey, as the LORD, 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 the LORD your God, an altar of stones. You shall not use any iron tool on them.
7You shall sacrifice peace offerings, and shall eat there. You shall rejoice before the LORD your God.
8You shall write on the stones all the words of this law very plainly.”
9Moses and the Levitical priests spoke to all Israel, saying, “Be silent and listen, Israel! Today you have become the people of the LORD your God.
10You shall therefore obey the LORD your God’s voice, and do his commandments and his statutes, which I command you today.”
12“These shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people, when you have crossed over the Jordan: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin.
13These shall stand on Mount Ebal for the curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.
14With a loud voice, the Levites shall say to all the men of Israel,
15‘Cursed is the man who makes an engraved or molten image, an abomination to the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’ All the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen.’
16‘Cursed is he who dishonors his father or his mother.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
17‘Cursed is he who removes his neighbor’s landmark.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
18‘Cursed is he who leads the blind astray on the road.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
19‘Cursed is he who withholds justice from the foreigner, fatherless, and widow.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
20‘Cursed is he who lies with his father’s wife, because he dishonors his father’s bed.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
21‘Cursed is he who lies with any kind of animal.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
22‘Cursed is he who lies with his sister, his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
23‘Cursed is he who lies with his mother-in-law.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
24‘Cursed is he who secretly kills his neighbor.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
25‘Cursed is he who takes a bribe to kill an innocent person.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
26‘Cursed is he who doesn’t uphold the words of this law by doing them.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’”
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Key verses
Deuteronomy 27:26The final curse gathers the whole law into view, requiring obedience beyond agreement with the preceding declarations.
Deuteronomy 27:15The first curse names hidden idolatry, showing that secret worship of handmade images falls under God’s judgment.
Deuteronomy 27:16Dishonoring parents appears among covenant violations, placing conduct within the household under the same public acknowledgment of God’s authority.
Where this chapter reaches

Exodus shares the command for an altar of uncut stones, while Leviticus shares prohibitions against idolatry and forbidden sexual relations. Joshua records the altar, inscription, and reading of the law at Mount Ebal; Galatians quotes the closing curse in its discussion of law and faith.

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Notice

After reading the whole chapter

What do you notice about rejoicing before YHWH alongside the public declaration of curses?

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Which protections for vulnerable people stand out to you, and what makes them worth naming before all Israel?

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Questions people ask about Deuteronomy 27

Why did Israel have to write the law on stones?

The stones were to bear the law in clear writing after Israel crossed the Jordan. Set up on Mount Ebal, they would make God’s commands visible in the land he had promised. The chapter requires all the words of this law, though it does not define the inscription’s exact scope.

Why did the people say Amen to the curses in Deuteronomy 27?

The repeated “Amen” expresses the people’s assent to each curse proclaimed by the Levites. Israel must acknowledge God’s judgment against the named acts, including hidden idolatry and injustice toward vulnerable people. The final declaration extends that assent to the obligation to uphold the law through obedience.

Why was the altar built on Mount Ebal?

God commands the altar to be built on Mount Ebal, the mountain assigned to the curse, but the chapter does not explain why that location was chosen. The same site holds the written law and sacrifices, including peace offerings followed by eating and rejoicing before YHWH.

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Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY). Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain). Arc diagram after Chris Harrison and Christoph Römhild (2007).