Charles Ellicott Commentary Deuteronomy 27
Charles Ellicott Commentary
Deuteronomy 27
Charles Ellicott Commentary
Deuteronomy 27
"And Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, Keep all the commandment which I command you this day. And 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: and 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. And 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." — Deuteronomy 27:1-4 (ASV)
Moses with the elders. —Here they are joined in exhortation for the first time in this book.
Keep. —Literally, to keep. Possibly we are intended to connect the two verses. In order to keep them, you are to write them.
THE DECALOGUE TO BE WRITTEN ON MOUNT EBAL.
Set ... up great stones, and plaister them with plaister. —The idea is to make a smooth surface on which the Law could be inscribed. The word “Plaister” appears only here and in Isaiah 33:12; Amos 2:2. In both those places, it is translated as “lime.”
Thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law, when thou art passed over, that thou mayest go in. —Again, it is evident that the “going in” to the land and the “passing over” Jordan are not identical. The “Law of God” was to be set up in the heart of the country as soon as Israel had entered it, in order that they might complete the conquest of it. It is abundantly clear that Israel’s title to Canaan depended on their maintaining the Law of Jehovah as the law of the land.
For the fulfillment of this precept, see Joshua 8:32-35. The words of this verse are an additional reason for the view taken in the Note on that passage, that the Law was set up on Ebal immediately after the capture of Ai, without waiting for the completion of the conquest (as some suppose).
"And there shalt thou build an altar unto Jehovah thy God, an altar of stones: thou shalt lift up no iron [tool] upon them." — Deuteronomy 27:5 (ASV)
An altar of stones. —Rashi propounds the theory that these stones were taken from Jordan. But there is nothing to support this theory in the words of the text.
"Thou shalt build the altar of Jehovah thy God of unhewn stones; and thou shalt offer burnt-offerings thereon unto Jehovah thy God:" — Deuteronomy 27:6 (ASV)
Burnt offerings. —The idea of these is the dedication of one’s life to God.
"and thou shalt sacrifice peace-offerings, and shalt eat there; and thou shalt rejoice before Jehovah thy God." — Deuteronomy 27:7 (ASV)
Peace offerings—that is, offerings for health, salvation, or deliverance already granted. On this occasion, the passage of Jordan, and the arrival of Israel in the heart of the country, would be good ground for thanksgiving before God.
And shalt eat there, and rejoice. The peace offerings were the only kind of which the worshipper and his family might partake. They were, therefore, the natural accompaniment of rejoicing and thanksgiving.
"And thou shalt write upon the stones all the words of this law very plainly." — Deuteronomy 27:8 (ASV)
Thou shalt write upon the stones all the words of this law — that is, the ten commandments. All else in the Law of Moses is but an application of the Decalogue to a particular people under particular circumstances. (See Notes on Joshua 3, Joshua 8:32, for more on the relation of the ten commandments to the conquest of Canaan.)
Very plainly. — See the note on Deuteronomy 1:5. Rashi says, “In seventy (that is, in all) languages.”
There is also an idea in the Talmud that when spoken from Sinai, the Law was spoken (or heard) in all languages at the same time.
This is a strange refraction of the truth indicated at Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was given. Men spoke in every tongue the wonderful works of God.
The foundation of Jerusalem has effects exactly opposite to the foundation of Babylon (Genesis 11).
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