Breakdown of Deuteronomy 27:4

"And when you have crossed over the Jordan, you shall set up these stones, concerning which I command you today, on Mount Ebal, and you shall plaster them with plaster." — Setting up these monumental stones on Mount Ebal, the mountain associated with curses, highlights a profound truth: the law, while good, reveals our sin and the curse we deserve. The plaster, meant t…

Deuteronomy 27:4 Meaning Explained

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Deuteronomy 27:4

And when you have crossed over the Jordan, you shall set up these stones, concerning which I command you today, on Mount Ebal, and you shall plaster them with plaster.

English Standard Version (ESV)

Setting up these monumental stones on Mount Ebal, the mountain associated with curses, highlights a profound truth: the law, while good, reveals our sin and the curse we deserve. The plaster, meant to preserve the inscription, underscores the enduring weight of this condemnation, a stark reminder that no amount of effort can earn our way out of it.

What Deuteronomy 27:4 means

As the Israelites stand on the brink of entering the Promised Land, Moses lays out a solemn ceremony to be observed immediately after crossing the Jordan River. They are commanded to erect large stones on Mount Ebal, cover them with plaster, and then inscribe all the words of this law onto them, a stark reminder of the covenant's demands and consequences. This act serves as a public renewal of their commitment to God's commands as they begin their new life in the land.

A Visible Law on Barren Ground

Why would God choose a 'mount of cursing' to set up such an important monument? It wasn't just a random rock; it was a deliberate choice with a powerful message.

After crossing the Jordan River and entering the Promised Land, Israel was commanded to set up large stones on Mount Ebal. This mountain was known for its barrenness and was later associated with curses.

Deliberate Placement

This wasn't accidental. Mount Ebal stood in stark contrast to the lush Mount Gerizim, which was associated with blessings. By placing the stones of the Law on Ebal, God emphasized the reality of sin and its consequences. It was a public declaration that the Law, when broken, brings a curse.

A Monument to Truth

Plastering the stones made the inscription clear and permanent. These weren't just ordinary rocks; they were a monumental reminder to the Israelites of their covenant obligations and the serious consequences of disobedience. This visual aid served as a constant reminder of the Law's authority and the reality of divine judgment.

Remembering God's Law and Christ's Promise

These stones weren't just a record of the past; they pointed forward to a future hope. What did they foreshadow for us today?

The erection of these stones on Mount Ebal served a dual purpose: to memorialize the Law and, by implication, to foreshadow the work of Christ.

The Law's Unfulfillable Demand

The stones, inscribed with the Law, highlighted humanity's inability to perfectly keep its commands. The stark reality of Ebal, the mount of curses, underscored that every failure to obey incurred divine judgment. No one could stand on their own merit before such a Law.

The Shadow of the Curse-Bearer

However, the placement of sacrifices alongside these stones (Deuteronomy 27:6-7) pointed beyond the curse. These sacrifices were a shadow of the ultimate sacrifice—Jesus Christ. He was the one who willingly became a curse for us, bearing the full weight of God's judgment on the cross, so that we might be freed from the condemnation of the Law.

Historical context

Written: Likely during the Israelite wanderings in the wilderness, around the 13th century BC.
Author: Traditionally Moses, though modern scholarship suggests a later compilation.
Location: Written from the plains of Moab, east of the Jordan River, with instructions for events to take place on Mount Ebal in the land of Canaan.
Genre: Instructional narrative, featuring direct commands and symbolic actions.

Historical background

The command to set up stones on Mount Ebal occurs immediately upon Israel's entry into the Promised Land, a monumental act symbolizing their solemn commitment to live by God's Law as they begin their new life in Canaan. The choice of Mount Ebal, known for its barrenness and association with curses, powerfully underscores the consequences of breaking the covenant.

c. 1406 BC— this verse
Israel crosses the Jordan River
Led by Joshua, the Israelites miraculously cross the Jordan River, marking their entry into the Promised Land after 40 years of wandering. This is the pivotal moment initiating their conquest and settlement.
c. 1406 BC
Conquest of Canaan begins
Following the Jordan crossing, the Israelites begin their military campaign to conquer the land of Canaan, starting with the notable victory at Jericho and Ai.
c. 1405 BC
Setting up stones on Mount Ebal
As commanded, the Israelites set up large stones plastered over on Mount Ebal, inscribing them with the words of the Law. This monument served as a public testimony to God's commands and covenant.
c. 1405 BC
Ceremonies of blessing and cursing
The tribes gather at Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal for ceremonies of blessing and cursing, based on obedience or disobedience to the Law inscribed on the stones. This publicly sealed their commitment to the covenant.

Key themes

01Obedience to divine command
02Monumental covenant reminder
03Law's solemn inscription
04Place of reckoning

Cross-references

Joshua 8:30-35

This passage describes Joshua carrying out the command from Deuteronomy 27, reading the words of the law, the blessings, and the curses from Mount Ebal, directly fulfilling the earlier directive.

Galatians 3:10

Paul quotes Deuteronomy 27:26 (the curse of the law) to explain that everyone who relies on obeying the law is under its curse, echoing the significance of Mount Ebal as the place where the curses were proclaimed.

Romans 3:20

This verse states that by observing the law no one will be declared righteous, aligning with the purpose of inscribing the law on Mount Ebal – to reveal that no one can earn salvation through perfect obedience, but rather shows our need for a different way.

John 1:14

The Word becoming flesh connects to the stones inscribed with God's Word, highlighting that God's message, initially meant to be etched in stone, ultimately became a living person in Jesus, who perfectly embodied the law.

Exodus 24:4-7

This earlier event at Sinai, where Moses recorded all the words of the Lord and set up twelve pillars and offered sacrifices, parallels the act in Deuteronomy 27, signifying a renewal of the covenant through the written law and sacrifice.

Scholarly commentary

Deuteronomy 27:4: "Therefore it shall be when ye be gone over Jordan, that ye shall set up these stones, which I command you this day, in mount Ebal, and thou shalt plaister them with plaister."

And therefore it shall be, when ye be gone over Jordan,.... Some time after they had passed that river: that ye shall set up these stones, which I command you this day, in Mount Ebal; a mountain near Shechem in Samaria, and was, as Benjamin of Tudela says (r), dry as stones and rocks itself, and perhaps…
gill

Deuteronomy 27:4: "Therefore it shall be when ye be gone over Jordan, that ye shall set up these stones, which I command you this day, in mount Ebal, and thou shalt plaister them with plaister."

Verse 4. - The stones were to be set up on Mount Ebal (cf. Deuteronomy 11:29). The Samaritan Codex and Version have Gerizim here, in place of Ebal; but though some critics have accepted this, it is generally regarded as an arbitrary alteration introduced to favor Samaritan pretensions (see the exhaustiv…
pulpit

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What Deuteronomy 27:4 means

Historical context

Written: Likely during the Israelite wanderings in the wilderness, around the 13th century BC.
Author: Traditionally Moses, though modern scholarship suggests a later compilation.
Location: Written from the plains of Moab, east of the Jordan River, with instructions for events to take place on Mount Ebal in the land of Canaan.
Genre: Instructional narrative, featuring direct commands and symbolic actions.

Historical background

c. 1406 BC— this verse

Israel crosses the Jordan River

Led by Joshua, the Israelites miraculously cross the Jordan River, marking their entry into the Promised Land after 40 years of wandering. This is the pivotal moment initiating their conquest and settlement.

c. 1406 BC

Conquest of Canaan begins

Following the Jordan crossing, the Israelites begin their military campaign to conquer the land of Canaan, starting with the notable victory at Jericho and Ai.

c. 1405 BC

Setting up stones on Mount Ebal

As commanded, the Israelites set up large stones plastered over on Mount Ebal, inscribing them with the words of the Law. This monument served as a public testimony to God's commands and covenant.