Joshua 8:34-35
And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, and the women, and the little ones, and the sojourners who lived among them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
Joshua didn't just read the "curses," but all the words of the Law, emphasizing that both the blessings for obedience and the curses for disobedience were equally vital parts of God's covenant. This public reading, covering both the good and the bad news, underscores that covenant living means embracing the full reality of God's word, not just the pleasant parts.
Fresh from conquering Jericho and Ai, Joshua leads the Israelites to Mount Ebal, where they build an altar and inscribe God's law on stones. Then, in a powerful public ceremony, Joshua gathers all of Israel to hear the entire Law read aloud, including the blessings for obedience and the curses for disobedience. This act solidifies their covenant with God as they formally enter and begin to possess the Promised Land.
Imagine building an altar and then writing God's law directly onto stones for everyone to see. Joshua didn't just read the Law; he made it a monumental, public declaration.
The act of writing the Law on stones in Mount Ebal wasn't just symbolic. It was a tangible, enduring testimony to God's covenant with Israel.
A Visible Word
God commanded that the Law be written on plastered stones (Deuteronomy 27:2-3). This made the Law visible and accessible, not hidden away in a scroll. It served as a constant reminder of their obligations and God's presence.
More Than Just Rules
This wasn't merely a legal code; it was a covenant. By inscribing it on stone, Joshua anchored Israel's identity and future to God's unchanging word, making it a foundation for their life in the promised land.
Why did Joshua make sure to read both the blessings AND the curses? It wasn't about scaring them, but about making the covenant's reality crystal clear.
Reading the blessings and curses wasn't a mere formality; it was a crucial part of covenant ratification. It highlighted the absolute stakes involved in their relationship with God.
The Two Paths
Joshua presented Israel with a stark choice: obedience would lead to God's favor and prosperity (blessings), while disobedience would result in judgment (curses). This wasn't arbitrary punishment, but the natural outworking of aligning with or rebelling against God's design.
Real-World Consequences
The curses detailed in Deuteronomy (and read by Joshua) covered everything from personal sin to societal injustice. They served as a potent warning, emphasizing that their covenant relationship had tangible, real-world consequences for their well-being and their future in the land.
Understand the original words
berakah · Hebrew Noun
Divine favor or pronouncement of prosperity and spiritual well-being promised to those who remain faithful to God's commandments. It signifies life under God’s grace.
qelalah · Hebrew Noun
Divine judgment or the imposition of consequences for disobedience and rebellion against God’s Word. It marks the separation from the benefits of the covenant due to sin.
qahal · Hebrew Noun
The gathered congregation or community of God's people. It underscores the corporate nature of Israel’s identity and their collective responsibility to hear and obey the Word of God.
This event highlights the critical importance of the Law in the early days of Israel's settlement in the promised land. Reading the blessings and curses wasn't just a ritual; it was a solemn recommitment to their covenant with God, setting the spiritual and moral foundation for their national existence.
c. 1400 BC
Israelites Enter Promised Land
Following years in the wilderness, the Israelites, under Joshua's leadership, cross the Jordan River and begin their conquest of Canaan, fulfilling God's promise.
c. 1400 BC
Conquest of Ai and Establishment of Altar
After a strategic victory at Ai, Joshua immediately obeys God's command to build an altar of unhewn stones on Mount Ebal and offers sacrifices.
c. 1400 BC
Stones Inscribed with the Law
Joshua follows Moses' command by inscribing a copy of the Law onto stones plastered with lime, making God's commands visible to all Israel.
c. 1400 BC— this verse
Public Reading of the Law
Joshua gathers all Israel, including women and children, and has the entirety of the Law, including blessings and curses, read aloud. This solemn act reinforces their covenant commitment in the new land.
This passage directly details the command for the blessings and curses to be read from Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal, making it the foundational instruction for the event Joshua is carrying out.
Deuteronomy 31:10-13It reiterates the instruction for the Law to be read publicly to all Israel, including women, children, and strangers, emphasizing the communal and inclusive nature of God's commands, just as Joshua did.
Nehemiah 8:1-3This passage shows a similar public reading of the Law by Ezra after the return from exile, highlighting the enduring importance of hearing and understanding God's Word for covenant renewal and obedience.
Galatians 3:10This verse underscores the reality that all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, directly paralleling the 'curse' aspect Joshua read, pointing towards the need for a different solution than perfect obedience.
calvinJoshua 8:30-35: "Then Joshua built an altar unto the LORD God of Israel in mount Ebal,"
As Moses the servant of the LORD commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which no man has lift up any iron: and they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings.
Quemadmodum praeceperat Moses servus Jehovae filiis Israel: sicut scriptum est in libro legis Mosis, altare ex lapidibus integris,…
gillJoshua 8:34: "And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the book of the law."
And afterwards he read all the words of the law,.... Not the whole Pentateuch, nor the whole book of Deuteronomy, but either some parts of it, the decalogue, or whatsoever he had written on the stones, and as follows: the blessings and cursings, according to all that was written in the book of the law; Deuteronomy 27:14; See Gill on Deuteronomy 27:1…
Joshua didn't just read the "curses," but all the words of the Law, emphasizing that both the blessings for obedience and the curses for disobedience were equally vital parts of God's covenant. This public reading, covering both the good and the bad news, underscores that covenant living means embracing the full reality of God's word, not just the pleasant parts.
Fresh from conquering Jericho and Ai, Joshua leads the Israelites to Mount Ebal, where they build an altar and inscribe God's law on stones. Then, in a powerful public ceremony, Joshua gathers all of Israel to hear the entire Law read aloud, including the blessings for obedience and the curses for disobedience. This act solidifies their covenant with God as they formally enter and begin to possess the Promised Land.
Fresh from conquering Jericho and Ai, Joshua leads the Israelites to Mount Ebal, where they build an altar and inscribe God's law on stones. Then, in a powerful public ceremony, Joshua gathers all of Israel to hear the entire Law read aloud, including the blessings for obedience and the curses for disobedience. This act solidifies their covenant with God as they formally enter and begin to possess the Promised Land.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Joshua 8:34-35 is available in the Sola app.
Joshua didn't just read to the leaders; the entire nation, including women and children, stood to hear God's Word. This was a community-wide covenant commitment.
Joshua's public reading of the Law was a deliberate act of communal covenant renewal, involving every segment of Israelite society.
All of Israel Present
The text emphasizes that "all Israel" was present, including "the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them" (Joshua 8:35). This inclusivity meant the covenant's terms and consequences were understood by everyone, not just the men or elders.
Shared Responsibility
By involving the entire community, Joshua fostered a sense of shared responsibility. Each person, from the youngest child to the resident foreigner, was accountable to God's Law. This act solidified their collective identity as God's people, bound by covenant obligations and promises.
c. 1390 BC
Division of the Land
Joshua oversees the distribution of the land of Canaan among the twelve tribes, a crucial step in establishing Israel's national life and fulfilling God's promises.
"And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law. There was not a word of all that Moses commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israe…" — Joshua didn't just read the "curses," but all the words of the Law, emphasizing that both the blessings for obedience and the curses for disobedience were equally vital parts of God's covenant. Thi…
