Deuteronomy 27

Following the proclamation of the law in Deuteronomy 12–26, this chapter gives instructions for a covenant ceremony to be performed after Israel enters the land of Canaan. It continues the declaration at the end of Deuteronomy 26 that Israel is the people of the LORD. The words of blessing and cursing continue in Deuteronomy 28.

Outline

• Verses 1–8 Moses and the elders give commands. When the people cross the Jordan, they are to set up great stones on Mount Ebal, coat them with plaster, and write on them all the words of the law. They are also to build an altar of stones on which no iron tool has been lifted, offer burnt offerings and peace offerings on it, and rejoice.
• Verses 9–10 Moses and the Levitical priests proclaim, "This day thou art become the people of the LORD thy God," and call the people to obey His commandments and statutes.
• Verses 11–13 The tribes of Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin are to stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people. The tribes of Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali are to stand on Mount Ebal to curse.
• Verses 14–26 The Levites proclaim twelve curses with a loud voice, and each time the people respond, "Amen." The curses fall on:
• one who secretly sets up an idol
• one who dishonors father or mother
• one who moves a neighbor's landmark (boundary marker)
• one who leads the blind astray on the road
• one who perverts justice for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow
• one who has sexual relations with a close relative or with an animal (vv. 20–23)
• one who secretly kills a neighbor
• one who takes a bribe to kill an innocent person
• one who does not carry out the law

Key Verses

• Deuteronomy 27:9 "This day thou art become the people of the LORD thy God." Before obedience is required, the covenant relationship on which it rests is declared.
• Deuteronomy 27:26 "Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them." This verse concludes the twelve curses and is quoted by Paul in Galatians 3:10.

People and Places

• Moses: Gives commands to the people together with the elders and the Levitical priests.
• Levites: Proclaim the curses. In verse 12, Levi also appears among the tribes standing on Mount Gerizim.
• Twelve tribes of Israel: Divided between the two mountains, six tribes on each. In this chapter Joseph is counted as a single tribe and Levi is included, making twelve.
• Mount Ebal: Known as the mountain facing Mount Gerizim across the valley of Shechem. It is the site where the stones and the altar are set up and where the tribes who pronounce the curses stand.
• Mount Gerizim: The mountain where the tribes who pronounce the blessings stand.

Points for Reflection

• These instructions are carried out in Joshua 8:30–35, where Joshua builds an altar on Mount Ebal, writes the law on stones, and reads the blessings and the curses.
• The Samaritan Pentateuch reads "Mount Gerizim" instead of "Mount Ebal" in verse 4. This reading is connected with the Samaritan tradition that regarded Mount Gerizim as the place of worship (John 4:20). Scholars differ on which reading is original.
• Although tribes are designated to bless, the chapter contains no words of blessing, only curses.
• Several of the curses address hidden sins, such as the idol put "in a secret place" (v. 15) and the neighbor smitten "secretly" (v. 24). Some interpreters understand this to mean that the community, by its "Amen," commits to God sins that lie beyond the reach of human courts.
• Paul quotes verse 26 in Galatians 3:10–14, arguing that no one can escape the curse through works of the law and that Christ bore that curse in our place. The Reformation tradition has read this passage in terms of the contrast between law and gospel. Scholars associated with the so-called New Perspective on Paul sometimes emphasize instead the context of the covenantal curse Israel experienced, namely exile.