John Calvin Commentary Deuteronomy 27:11

"And Moses charged the people the same day, saying," — Deuteronomy 27:11 (ASV)

And Moses charged the people the same day. So that both the promises and threats might have a greater impact on everyone's minds, God commanded not only that they should be proclaimed in a solemn ceremony, but also that they should be approved by the people aloud, and sealed, so to speak, by their consent.

It is recorded elsewhere that this was faithfully performed by Joshua (Joshua 8:33). For now, it is enough to say that they were all summoned and brought before God to agree to them, so that from then on, all evasion might be prevented.

The tribes of Israel were divided into two parties, so that they might stand opposite each other, and that the blessings might resound from one side, and the curses from the other,¹⁹⁶ like ἀντίστροφοι. I confess I do not know why the descendants of Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin were chosen by God to proclaim the blessings, rather than the others;¹⁹⁷

for the opinion of the Hebrew writers that those who descended from free mothers were placed in the position of highest honor carries no weight, since the tribe of the firstborn, Reuben, was grouped with some who were born of servant women. Perhaps we might say that the descendants of Reuben were demoted to the second class as a mark of disgrace.

However, since both the blessings and curses were offered in the name of the whole people, this is not a point of much importance. For, if this division¹⁹⁸ was made to testify to their common agreement, it was equivalent to all of them confessing alike that those who transgressed the Law were accursed, and those who kept it were blessed. Consequently, I am not very curious to know why, in their common office, God preferred some to the others.

Moses will relate elsewhere that the tribes, which are here separated, were then united together. It would perhaps be a plausible conjecture that God, who well knew what the future inheritance of every tribe would be, placed them individually in the position that would correspond to their future allotment.

To give the sanction greater solemnity, God chose for the Levites to dictate the words as if He Himself spoke from heaven. For, since they were appointed as interpreters of the Law, and as it was their duty to faithfully repeat what God had dictated from His own mouth, they were heard with greater attention and reverence.

¹⁹⁶ “Comme correspondantes.” — Fr. “It was also customary on some occasions to dance round the altars whilst they sung the sacred hymns, which consisted of three stanzas or parts; the first of which, called . “It was also customary on some occasions to dance round the altars whilst they sung the sacred hymns, which consisted of three stanzas or parts; the first of which, called strophe, was sung in turning from east to west; the other, named , was sung in turning from east to west; the other, named antistrophe, in returning from west to east: then they stood before the altar and sung the , in returning from west to east: then they stood before the altar and sung the epode, which was the last part of the song.” — Potter’s Antiq. of Greece, Book II. chap. 4., which was the last part of the song.” — Potter’s Antiq. of Greece, Book II. chap. 4.

¹⁹⁷ “The six nobler tribes answered amen to the blessings; the six more ignoble to the curses, viz., four who descended from the children of the hand-maids, i..e., Gad, Asher, Dan, and Naphtali, to whom Reuben is added, because he had defiled his father’s bed incestuously; and Zebulun, because he was the youngest son of Leah. So Raban and Theod., q. 34.” — Corn. a Lapide, ., Gad, Asher, Dan, and Naphtali, to whom Reuben is added, because he had defiled his father’s bed incestuously; and Zebulun, because he was the youngest son of Leah. So Raban and Theod., q. 34.” — Corn. a Lapide, in loco..

¹⁹⁸ “De six a six.” — Fr..