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Commentary on Deuteronomy 27 verses 11–26
When the law was written, to be seen and read by all men, the sanctions of it were to be published, which, to complete the solemnity of their covenanting with God, they were deliberately to declare their approbation of. This they were before directed to do (Deu 11:29, Deu 11:30), and therefore the appointment here begins somewhat abruptly, Deu 27:12. There were, it seems, in Canaan, that part of it which afterwards fell to the lot of Ephraim (Joshua's tribe), two mountains that lay near together, with a valley between, one called Gerizim and the other Ebal. On the sides of these two mountains, which faced one another, all the tribes were to be drawn up, six on one side and six on the other, so that in the valley, at the foot of each mountain, they came pretty near together, so near as that the priests standing betwixt them might be heard by those that were next them on both sides; then when silence was proclaimed, and attention commanded, one of the priests, or perhaps more at some distance from each other, pronounced with a loud voice one of the curses here following, and all the people that stood on the side and foot of Mount Ebal (those that stood further off taking the signal from those that stood nearer and within hearing) said Amen; then the contrary blessing was pronounced, "Blessed is he that doth not so or so," and then those that stood on the side, and at the foot, of Mount Gerizim, said Amen. This could not but affect them very much with the blessings and curses, the promises and threatenings, of the law, and not only acquaint all the people with them, but teach them to apply them to themselves.
I. Something is to be observed, in general, concerning this solemnity, which was to be done, but once and not repeated, but would be talked of to posterity,. 1. God appointed which tribes should stand upon Mount Gerizim and which on Mount Ebal (Deu 27:12, Deu 27:13), to prevent the disputes that might have arisen if they had been left to dispose of themselves. The six tribes that were appointed for blessing were all the children of the free women, for to such the promise belongs, Gal 4:31. Levi is here put among the rest, to teach ministers to apply to themselves the blessing and curse which they preach to others, and by faith to set their own Amen to it. 2. Of those tribes that were to say Amen to the blessings it is said, They stood to bless the people, but of the other, They stood to curse, not mentioning the people, as loth to suppose that any of this people whom God had taken for his own should lay themselves under the curse. Or, perhaps, the different mode of expression intimates that there was to be but one blessing pronounced in general upon the people of Israel, as a happy people, and that should ever be so, if they were obedient; and to this blessing the tribes on Mount Gerizim were to say Amen - "Happy art thou, O Israel, and mayest thou ever be so;" but then the curses come in as exceptions from the general rule, and we know exceptio firmat regulam - the exception confirms the rule. Israel is a blessed people, but, if there be any particular persons even among them that do such and such things as are mentioned, let them know that they have no part nor lot in the matter, but are under a curse. This shows how ready God is to bestow the blessing; if any fall under the curse, they may thank themselves, they bring it upon their own heads. 3. The Levites or priests, such of them as were appointed for that purpose, were to pronounce the curses as well as the blessings. They were ordained to bless (Deu 10:8), the priests did it daily, Num 6:23. But they must separate between the precious and the vile; they must not give that blessing promiscuously, but must declare it to whom it did not belong, lest those who had no right to it themselves should think to share in it by being in the crowd. Note, Ministers must preach the terrors of the law as well as the comforts of the gospel; must not only allure people to their duty with the promises of a blessing, but awe them to it with the threatenings of a curse. 4. The curses are here expressed, but not the blessings; for as many as were under the law were under the curse, but it was a honour reserved for Christ to bless us, and so to do that for us which the law could not do, in that it was weak. In Christ's sermon upon the mount, which was the true Mount Gerizim, we have blessings only, Mat 5:3, etc. 5. To each of the curses the people were to say Amen. It is easy to understand the meaning of Amen to the blessings. The Jews have a saying to encourage people to say Amen to the public prayers, Whosoever answereth Amen, after him that blesseth, he is as he that blesseth. But how could they say Amen to the curses? (1.) It was a profession of their faith in the truth of them, that these and the like curses were not bug-bears to frighten children and fools, but the real declarations of the wrath of God against the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, not one iota of which shall fall to the ground. (2.) It was an acknowledgment of the equity of these curses; when they said Amen, they did in effect say, not only, It is certain it shall be so, but, It is just it should be so. Those who do such things deserve to fall and lie under the curse. (3.) It was such an imprecation upon themselves as strongly obliged them to have nothing to do with those evil practices upon which the curse is here entailed. "Let God's wrath fall upon us if ever we do such things." We read of those that entered into a curse (and with us that is the usual form of a solemn oath) to walk in God's law Neh 10:29. Nay, the Jews say (as the learned bishop Patrick quotes them), "All the people, by saying this Amen, became bound for one another, that they would observe God's laws, by which every man was obliged, as far as he could, to prevent his neighbour from breaking these laws, and to reprove those that had offended, lest they should bear sin and the curse for them."
II. Let us now observe what are the particular sins against which the curses are here denounced.
1.Sins against the second commandment. This flaming sword is set to keep that commandment first, Deu 27:15. Those are here cursed, not only that worship images, but that make them or keep them, if they be such (or like such) as idolaters used in the service of their gods. Whether it be a graven image or a molten image, it comes all to one, it is an abomination to the Lord, even though it be not set up in public, but in a secret place, - though it be not actually worshipped, nor is it said to be designed for worship, but reserved there with respect and a constant temptation. He that does this may perhaps escape punishment from men, but he cannot escape the curse of God.
2.Against the fifth commandment, Deu 27:16. The contempt of parents is a sin so heinous that it is put next to the contempt of God himself. If a man abused his parents, either in word or deed, he fell under the sentence of the magistrate, and must be put to death, Exo 21:15, Exo 21:17. But to set light by them in his heart was a thing which the magistrate could not take cognizance of, and therefore it is here laid under the curse of God, who knows the heart. Those are cursed children that carry themselves scornfully and insolently towards their parents.
3.Against the eighth commandment. The curse of God is here fastened, (1.) Upon an unjust neighbour that removes the land-marks, Deu 27:17. See Deu 19:14. Upon an unjust counsellor, who, when his advice is asked, maliciously directs his friend to that which he knows will be to his prejudice, which is making the blind to wander out of the way, under pretence of directing him in the way, than which nothing can be either more barbarous or more treacherous, Deu 27:18. Those that seduce others from the way of God's commandments, and entice them to sin, bring this curse upon themselves, which our Saviour has explained, Mat 15:14, The blind lead the blind, and both shall fall into the ditch. (3.) Upon an unjust judge, that perverteth the judgment of the stranger, fatherless, and widow, whom he should protect and vindicate, Deu 27:19. These are supposed to be poor and friendless (nothing to be got by doing them a kindness, nor any thing lost by disobliging them), and therefore judges may be tempted to side with their adversaries against right and equity; but cursed are such judges.
4.Against the seventh commandment. Incest is a cursed sin, with a sister, a father's wife, or a mother-in-law, Deu 27:20, Deu 27:22, Deu 27:23. These crimes not only exposed men to the sword of the magistrate (Lev 20:11), but, which is more dreadful, to the wrath of God; bestiality likewise, Deu 27:21.
5.Against the sixth commandment. Two of the worst kinds of murder are here specified: - (1.) Murder unseen, when a man does not set upon his neighbour as a fair adversary, giving him an opportunity to defend himself, but smites him secretly (Deu 27:24), as by poison or otherwise, when he sees not who hurts him. See Psa 10:8, Psa 10:9. Though such secret murders may go undiscovered and unpunished, yet the curse of God will follow them. (2.) Murder under colour of law, which is the greatest affront to God, for it makes an ordinance of his to patronise the worst of villains, and the greatest wrong to our neighbour, for it ruins his honour as well as his life: cursed therefore is he that will be hired, or bribed, to accuse, or to convict, or to condemn, and so to slay, an innocent person, Deu 27:25. See Psa 15:5.
6.The solemnity concludes with a general curse upon him that confirmeth not, or, as it might be read, that performeth not, all the words of this law to do them, Deu 27:26. By our obedience to the law we set our seal to it, and so confirm it, as by our disobedience we do what lies in us to disannul it, Psa 119:126. The apostle, following all the ancient versions, reads it, Cursed is every one that continues not, Gal 3:10. Lest those who were guilty of other sins, not mentioned in this commination, should think themselves safe from the curse, this last reaches all; not only those who do the evil which the law forbids, but those also who omit the good which the law requires: to this we must all say Amen, owning ourselves under the curse, justly to have deserved it, and that we must certainly have perished for ever under it, if Christ had not redeemed us from the curse of the law, by being made a curse for us.
[Daniel 9:11] "'And (the curse) has come upon us drop by drop.'" That is, Thou hast not poured out upon us all of Thy wrath, for we should not have been able to bear it, but Thou hast poured forth a mere droplet of Thy fury, in order that we might return unto Thee once we have been immeshed in Thy snare.
"'The malediction and the curse which were written in the book of Moses, the servant of God...'" In Deuteronomy we read the curses and blessings of the Lord (Deuteronomy 27:11-28:14), which were afterwards uttered in Mount Gerizim and Ebal upon the righteous and upon the sinners.
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SUMMARY
Deuteronomy 27:11 functions as a solemn and pivotal introductory statement, marking the formal commencement of Moses' final, authoritative charge to the Israelite nation. Positioned on the plains of Moab, on the precipice of entering the Promised Land, this verse signals a critical moment of covenant renewal, where the people are called to a profound and immediate commitment to Yahweh's Law. It sets a grave and urgent tone for the weighty instructions and pronouncements that follow, emphasizing the non-negotiable nature of their impending covenant obligations and the profound implications of their obedience or disobedience.
CONTEXT
Literary Context: This verse serves as a crucial hinge in the book of Deuteronomy, bridging the general exhortations and covenant stipulations of the preceding chapters with the specific, highly ritualized covenant renewal ceremony described in the remainder of Deuteronomy 27. Immediately prior, Deuteronomy 27:1-8 outlines the command for the Israelites, upon entering Canaan, to erect large, plastered stones on Mount Ebal, inscribe the Law upon them, and build an altar for sacrifices. The temporal phrase "the same day" in verse 11 directly ties Moses' subsequent charge to these initial instructions, underscoring the urgency and interconnectedness of the entire covenant affirmation process. What follows in Deuteronomy 27:12-26 are the specific curses to be pronounced from Mount Ebal, balanced by implied blessings from Mount Gerizim, culminating in a public declaration of "Amen" by the people. Thus, Deuteronomy 27:11 acts as the formal, authoritative opening to this climactic and binding covenant renewal ceremony.
Historical & Cultural Context: The historical backdrop for this passage is the plains of Moab, situated on the eastern bank of the Jordan River, with the vast expanse of the Promised Land lying just across. Moses, now an aged leader nearing the end of his life, is addressing a new generation of Israelites, many of whom were born in the wilderness and did not personally witness the Exodus or the initial covenant ratification at Mount Sinai. This period is defined by the imminent transition of leadership from Moses to Joshua and the long-awaited fulfillment of God's promise to grant Israel the land of Canaan. Culturally, the practice of publically declaring, inscribing, and ratifying laws and treaties was common in the ancient Near East, often taking the form of suzerain-vassal covenants where a powerful king (suzerain) dictated terms to a lesser king or people (vassal). The elaborate ceremony involving two mountains, Mount Gerizim for blessings and Mount Ebal for curses, was a profoundly impactful pedagogical and theological act, designed to indelibly impress upon the people the absolute seriousness and binding nature of their covenant obligations to Yahweh, their divine Suzerain, before they embarked on the conquest and settlement of the land.
Key Themes: Deuteronomy 27:11 introduces and reinforces several foundational themes central to the book of Deuteronomy and Israel's unique covenant relationship with God. Firstly, it powerfully underscores the Divine Mandate and Authority of Moses, highlighting his unparalleled role as God's chosen mediator and spokesperson, whose words carry the full weight of divine command and expectation (Numbers 12:7). Secondly, the verse signals the critical moment of Preparation for Covenant Renewal, emphasizing the intentional, public, and solemn nature of Israel's re-affirmation of the Sinai Covenant as they stand on the threshold of the Promised Land, a theme that finds its full exposition in Deuteronomy 28. Lastly, the term "charged" profoundly conveys the Gravity and Binding Nature of God's Word. It implies an authoritative, non-negotiable instruction, signaling that the ensuing pronouncements are of immense spiritual and existential importance, demanding the people's utmost attention, unwavering obedience, and complete commitment, thereby reflecting the foundational principle of Israel's identity as a covenant people (Deuteronomy 6:4-5).
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
Deuteronomy 27:11, though concise, masterfully employs several significant literary devices. It functions as a powerful Transitional Marker, clearly signaling a shift from the general instructions for the covenant ceremony to the specific, solemn pronouncements that form the core of that ritual. The phrase "the same day" provides crucial Temporal Specificity, anchoring the command in a precise moment, thereby heightening its urgency and immediate relevance for the Israelite community. The entire verse serves as an Authoritative Declaration, setting a formal, weighty, and non-negotiable tone for the impending blessings and curses. By stating that "Moses charged the people," the text utilizes Imputed Authority, where Moses' words are implicitly understood as God's own, given his unique and unparalleled role as divine mediator. This literary choice profoundly prepares the audience for the gravity of the covenant stipulations that follow, emphasizing their divine origin and their absolutely binding nature upon the people of Israel.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Deuteronomy 27:11 serves as a profound theological statement, reminding us of the enduring nature of God's covenant with His people and the critical importance of actively engaging with His divine commands. It underscores that God's expectations are not arbitrary suggestions but are delivered with solemn authority, demanding a response of attentive obedience and wholehearted commitment. This verse initiates a crucial section of the Law that vividly highlights the foundational theological truth of divine blessing for faithfulness and divine judgment for disobedience, a principle woven throughout the entire fabric of the Old Testament narrative and prophetic tradition. It calls the people to a conscious, public, and collective commitment to the terms of their unique relationship with Yahweh, emphasizing that their future flourishing and well-being in the Promised Land are inextricably linked to their unwavering faithfulness to His revealed word. This divine charge establishes the essential framework for a life lived under God's explicit guidance and within the sacred boundaries of His holy will, defining Israel's identity as a covenant people.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Deuteronomy 27:11, though seemingly a simple transitional verse, carries profound and enduring implications for contemporary believers. It serves as a powerful reminder that our faith is not merely a private set of beliefs or a casual affiliation, but a dynamic, covenantal relationship with a living God who issues authoritative commands and expects a response of diligent obedience. Just as the Israelites were called to listen intently and with utmost seriousness to Moses' divinely authorized charge, we are likewise called to give profound attention and reverence to God's Word as revealed in the Holy Scriptures. The solemnity of this moment for Israel underscores that all spiritual commitments—whether in personal devotion, participation in the local church, or engagement in ministry—are not to be taken lightly. They demand careful preparation, a clear understanding of God's expectations, and a genuine readiness to embrace the blessings that flow from obedience, while also acknowledging the sobering consequences of straying from His path. This verse challenges us to critically examine the weight we truly give to God's instructions in our daily lives, urging us to approach His Word with deep reverence, a teachable spirit, and a sincere desire to align our entire existence with His perfect will, recognizing that true flourishing and spiritual vitality come only from living in faithful covenant with Him.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
What is the significance of Moses "charging" the people rather than simply instructing them?
Answer: The Hebrew word for "charged" (צווה, tsâvâh) carries a much stronger connotation than merely instructing or advising. It implies a solemn, authoritative command, an official mandate, or a binding injunction. In the context of Deuteronomy 27:11, it signifies that Moses is not speaking on his own authority but is delivering a direct, non-negotiable directive from God Himself. This emphasis on a "charge" underscores the gravity and absolute importance of the covenant stipulations that follow. It communicates that the people's very existence, their well-being, and their future in the Promised Land are entirely dependent upon their diligent and unwavering adherence to these divine commands. It sets a tone of immense urgency and seriousness for the entire covenant renewal ceremony detailed in Deuteronomy 27, demanding immediate and complete compliance from every individual in Israel.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Deuteronomy 27:11, with Moses "charging" the people with divine authority, profoundly foreshadows the ultimate Divine Law-giver and Mediator, Jesus Christ. Just as Moses stood as God's authoritative spokesperson, delivering the terms of the old covenant and preparing Israel for their earthly inheritance, so Jesus, the greater Prophet and the Son of God, came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill its righteous demands and to establish a new and superior covenant (Matthew 5:17 and Hebrews 8:6). Moses' charge was primarily a call to external obedience to written commands, but Christ's charge, most notably articulated in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), delves deeper, calling for an internal transformation of heart and mind, empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit (Jeremiah 31:33). The solemnity and binding nature of Moses' pronouncement find their ultimate fulfillment in Christ's authoritative declaration of the Kingdom of God and His radical call to discipleship, which demands absolute commitment, self-denial, and unwavering obedience from His followers (Luke 9:23). Jesus is the one who truly charges His people, not merely with laws inscribed on stone tablets, but with a living Word that transforms, redeems, and leads them into the true and eternal Promised Land of abundant life in Him (John 1:17 and John 10:10).