Deuteronomy 27:12-26

27:12 “The following tribes ¹  must stand to bless the people on Mount Gerizim when you cross the Jordan: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. 27:13 And these other tribes must stand for the curse on Mount Ebal: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.

The Covenant Curses

27:14 “The Levites will call out to every Israelite ²  with a loud voice: 27:15 ‘Cursed is the one ³  who makes a carved or metal image – something abhorrent ⁴  to the Lord, the work of the craftsman ⁵  – and sets it up in a secret place.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ ⁶  27:16 ‘Cursed ⁷  is the one who disrespects ⁸  his father and mother.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:17 ‘Cursed is the one who moves his neighbor’s boundary marker.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:18 ‘Cursed is the one who misleads a blind person on the road.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:19 ‘Cursed is the one who perverts justice for the resident foreigner, the orphan, and the widow.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:20 ‘Cursed is the one who has sexual relations with ⁹  his father’s former wife, ¹⁰  for he dishonors his father.’ ¹¹  Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:21 ‘Cursed is the one who commits bestiality.’ ¹²  Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:22 ‘Cursed is the one who has sexual relations with his sister, the daughter of either his father or mother.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:23 ‘Cursed is the one who has sexual relations with his mother-in-law.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:24 ‘Cursed is the one who kills ¹³  his neighbor in private.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:25 ‘Cursed is the one who takes a bribe to kill an innocent person.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’ 27:26 ‘Cursed is the one who refuses to keep the words of this law.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’

Joshua 8:30-35

Covenant Renewal

8:30 Then Joshua built an altar for the Lord God of Israel on Mount Ebal, 8:31 just as Moses the Lord’s servant had commanded the Israelites. As described in the law scroll of Moses, it was made with uncut stones untouched by an iron tool. ¹⁴  They offered burnt sacrifices on it and sacrificed tokens of peace. ¹⁵  8:32 There, in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua inscribed on the stones a duplicate of the law written by Moses. ¹⁶  8:33 All the people, ¹⁷  rulers, ¹⁸  leaders, and judges were standing on either side of the ark, in front of the Levitical priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord. Both resident foreigners and native Israelites were there. ¹⁹  Half the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim and the other half in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the Lord’s servant had previously instructed to them to do for the formal blessing ceremony. ²⁰  8:34 Then ²¹  Joshua read aloud all the words of the law, including the blessings and the curses, just as they are written in the law scroll. 8:35 Joshua read aloud every commandment Moses had given ²²  before the whole assembly of Israel, including the women, children, and resident foreigners who lived among them. ²³ 

[27:12]  ¹ tn The word “tribes” has been supplied here and in the following verse in the translation for clarity.

[27:14]  ² tn Heb “Israelite man.”

[27:15]  ³ tn Heb “man,” but in a generic sense here.

[27:15]  ⁴ tn The Hebrew term translated here “abhorrent” (תּוֹעֵבָה, to’evah) speaks of attitudes and/or behaviors so vile as to be reprehensible to a holy God. See note on the word “abhorrent” in Deut 7:25.

[27:15]  ⁵ tn Heb “craftsman’s hands.”

[27:15]  ⁶ tn Or “So be it!” The term is an affirmation expressing agreement with the words of the Levites.

[27:16]  ⁷ tn The Levites speak again at this point; throughout this pericope the Levites pronounce the curse and the people respond with “Amen.”

[27:16]  ⁸ tn The Hebrew term קָלָה (qalah) means to treat with disdain or lack of due respect (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV “dishonors”; NLT “despises”). It is the opposite of כָּבֵד (kaved, “to be heavy,” that is, to treat with reverence and proper deference). To treat a parent lightly is to dishonor him or her and thus violate the fifth commandment (Deut 5:16; cf. Exod 21:17).

[27:20]  ⁹ tn Heb “who lies with” (so NASB, NRSV); also in vv. 22, 23. This is a Hebrew idiom for having sexual relations (cf. NIV “who sleeps with”; NLT “who has sexual intercourse with”).

[27:20]  ¹⁰ tn See note at Deut 22:30.

[27:20]  ¹¹ tn Heb “he uncovers his father’s skirt” (NASB similar). See note at Deut 22:30.

[27:21]  ¹² tn Heb “lies with any animal” (so NASB, NRSV). “To lie with” is a Hebrew euphemism for having sexual relations with someone (or in this case, some animal).

[27:24]  ¹³ tn Or “strikes down” (so NRSV).

[8:31]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “as it is written in the scroll of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones on which no one had wielded iron.” The expression “whole stones” refers to stones in their natural condition, i.e., not carved or shaped artificially with tools (“wielded iron”).

[8:31]  ¹⁵ tn Or “peace offerings.”

[8:32]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “and he wrote there on the stones a duplicate of the law of Moses which he wrote before the sons of Israel.”

[8:33]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “All Israel.”

[8:33]  ¹⁸ tn Or “elders.”

[8:33]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “like the resident alien, like the citizen.” The language is idiomatic, meaning that both groups were treated the same, at least in this instance.

[8:33]  ²⁰ tn Heb “as Moses, the Lord’s servant, commanded to bless the people, Israel, formerly.”

[8:34]  ²¹ tn Or “afterward.”

[8:35]  ²² tn Heb “There was not a word from all which Moses commanded that Joshua did not read aloud.”

[8:35]  ²³ tn Heb “walked in their midst.”