Deuteronomy 27:4
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
God instructs Israel to plaster the stones on Mount Ebal, not just to preserve the words, but to make them permanently visible. This act emphasizes that the Law, even when revealing our curse, was meant to be a clear, enduring reminder of God's standards and our need for redemption. It highlights that the place of cursing is also where the sacrifice would point to the eventual cure in Christ.
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)
After crossing the Jordan River into the Promised Land, the Israelites are instructed by Moses to immediately set up large stones on Mount Ebal, covering them with plaster. This significant act will serve as a public monument inscribed with the Law, symbolizing their covenant commitment as they enter the land where they will soon face both blessings and curses.
Why would God command Israel to build a monument out of stones? What was the purpose of this very public display on a barren mountain?
As the Israelites prepared to enter the Promised Land, God instructed them to erect a memorial of large, plastered stones on Mount Ebal. This wasn't just a pile of rocks; it was a deliberate, public testament to God's law.
A Permanent Record
Plastering the stones would allow the words of the law to be clearly written on them, creating a durable, visible reminder for generations to come. It was a way to engrave God's commands not just on stone, but on the hearts and minds of the people.
A Public Declaration
Mount Ebal, known for its stark, rocky landscape, was chosen for this solemn task. This setting was significant, as we'll see, but the act itself was meant to be a public declaration of their commitment to God's covenant as they established themselves in their new land.
Why Mount Ebal, a 'barren' mountain, for such a significant act? What does this specific location reveal about the nature of God's covenant?
The choice of Mount Ebal was deeply symbolic. While its counterpart, Mount Gerizim, was associated with blessings, Ebal was the mountain of curses. This stark contrast was intentional.
The Reality of the Law
By inscribing God's law on stones in this particular location, the Israelites were being confronted with the reality that disobedience carried a curse. The law itself, when broken, pronounced judgment. This served as a potent reminder that their ability to thrive in the Promised Land was contingent on their faithfulness.
Ask a follow-up
A Foundation for Grace
This emphasis on the curse didn't negate God's grace; it highlighted the necessity of it. It pointed towards a future solution – a way to be delivered from the curse of the law, a concept fulfilled in Christ, who became a curse for us (Galatians 3:13). The stones on Ebal were a stark reminder of our sinfulness and the profound need for God's redemptive work.
The command to set up stones on Mount Ebal isn't just about a physical monument; it's about immediately anchoring the Israelites in the Law of God upon entering their inheritance, with Ebal, the 'mount of cursing,' powerfully symbolizing the consequences of disobedience and the absolute need for obedience.
c. 1405 BC
Israel crosses the Jordan River
After wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, the Israelites, led by Joshua, finally cross the Jordan River into the Promised Land, fulfilling God's promise.
c. 1405 BC
Conquest of Canaan begins
Following the Jordan crossing, the Israelites begin their military campaign to conquer the land of Canaan, starting with the city of Jericho.
c. 1405 BC— this verse
Israel enters the land of Shechem
The Israelites advance into the fertile plain between Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, a central location in Canaan where they will establish important covenant ceremonies.
c. 1405 BC
Mount Ebal inscribed stones set up
As commanded by Moses, the Israelites set up large stones on Mount Ebal, plastering them and inscribing them with the words of the Law, serving as a public monument to God's covenant.
c. 1405 BC
Covenant renewal ceremony
A solemn ceremony takes place on Mount Ebal involving an altar made of unhewn stones and sacrifices, reinforcing the covenant between God and Israel as they settle in the land.
This passage describes the fulfillment of Deuteronomy 27:4, where Joshua leads the Israelites to set up the stones inscribed with the law on Mount Ebal, and then reads both the blessings and curses from the law to the people.
Galatians 3:10Paul quotes Deuteronomy 27:26 (which is directly linked to the command in 27:4) to emphasize that all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, highlighting the grim reality the stones on Mount Ebal represented.
Romans 10:5This verse contrasts the righteousness that comes from the law with the righteousness that comes from faith, echoing the 'mount of cursing' context of Deuteronomy 27:4 where the law's penalties were starkly displayed.
Galatians 3:13This verse explains that Christ became a curse for us, referencing the curse pronounced in Deuteronomy (Deuteronomy 27:26), providing the ultimate solution to the condemnation the stones on Mount Ebal symbolized.
gillDeuteronomy 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…
pulpitDeuteronomy 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…
God instructs Israel to plaster the stones on Mount Ebal, not just to preserve the words, but to make them permanently visible. This act emphasizes that the Law, even when revealing our curse, was meant to be a clear, enduring reminder of God's standards and our need for redemption. It highlights that the place of cursing is also where the sacrifice would point to the eventual cure in Christ.
After crossing the Jordan River into the Promised Land, the Israelites are instructed by Moses to immediately set up large stones on Mount Ebal, covering them with plaster. This significant act will serve as a public monument inscribed with the Law, symbolizing their covenant commitment as they enter the land where they will soon face both blessings and curses.
After crossing the Jordan River into the Promised Land, the Israelites are instructed by Moses to immediately set up large stones on Mount Ebal, covering them with plaster. This significant act will serve as a public monument inscribed with the Law, symbolizing their covenant commitment as they enter the land where they will soon face both blessings and curses.
"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." — God instructs Israel to plaster the stones on Mount Ebal, not just to preserve the words, but to make them permanently visible. This act emphasizes that the Law, even when revealing our curse, was me…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
