992 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And it shall be, on the day when you shall pass over Jordan,.... Not the precise day exactly, but about that time, a little after they passed that river, as soon as they conveniently could; for it was not till after Ai was destroyed that the following order was put in execution; indeed as soon as they passed over Jordan, they were ordered to take...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And thou shall write upon them all the words of this law,.... Not the whole book of Deuteronomy, as some think, at least not the historical part of it, only what concerns the laws of God; and it may be only a summary or abstract of them, and perhaps only the ten commandments. Josephus (q) is of opinion that the blessings and the curses after...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
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 had its name, as some think (s), from the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And there shall thou build an altar to the Lord thy God,.... On the same mountain, though not of the same stones. Jarchi's note is, "after that (the setting up of the plastered stones) thou shalt bring from thence (from Jordan) others, and build of them an altar on Mount Ebal;'' but Josephus (t) places this altar not on Mount Ebal, but between...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Thou shall build the altar of the Lord thy God of whole stones,.... And of such Joshua did build it, Joshua 8:31; and thou shalt offer burnt offerings thereon unto the Lord thy God; and very likely sin offerings too; for these frequently went together, the one to make atonement for sin, and the other as a gift, and by way of thankfulness for the...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And thou shall offer peace offerings,.... Part of which belonged to God, which was burnt on the altar, and another part to the priest that offered them; and the rest to the owner that brought them, which he eat of with his friends; so it follows: and shall eat there, and rejoice before the Lord thy God: now this altar, where these sacrifices were...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And thou shall write upon the stones all the words of this law,.... Not upon the stones of the altar, but upon the first stones brought to Mount Ebal, and set up there before, and on which the words were inscribed before the altar was erected; though according to the Misnah (u) the altar was built of these stones, and on that the law written; for...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Moses and the priests the Levites spake unto all Israel,.... The priests who were Levites, as all the priests that were lawful ones were; and there were none but such at this time, who were. Eleazar and Ithamar, and their sons; these joined with Moses in the following exhortations to the people of Israel, as being particularly concerned in...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Thou shalt therefore obey the voice of the Lord thy God,.... In whatsoever he directs in his word, and by his prophets, and especially by his Son, eminently called the Word of the Lord: and do his commandments and his statutes, which I command thee this day; [See comments on Deuteronomy 27:1].
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And Moses charged the people the same,.... That he gave the above orders to set up stones, and plaster them, and write the law on them, and build an altar in the same place, and offer sacrifices when come into the land of Canaan: saying; as follows.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
These shall stand upon Mount Gerizim to bless the people, widen ye are come over Jordan,.... Which was a mountain in Samaria opposite to Mount Ebal, a valley of a furlong broad lay between them (y); and, according to Hillerus (z), had its name from being broken off from that, they being, as it should seem, originally one mountain, and now two tops...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And these shall stand upon Mount Ebal curse,.... Which was dry and rocky, barren and fruitful, and like the earth, that bears briers and thorns, is rejected and nigh unto cursing, and so a proper place to curse, and a fit emblem of those to be cursed; see Hebrews 6:8; Reuben, Gad, and Asher, and Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali; four of these appointed...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And the Levites shall speak, and say unto all the men of Israel,.... Rather, "answer (e) and say"; not the whole tribe of Levi, for that stood on Mount Gerizim to bless, Deuteronomy 27:12; but the priests of that tribe who were placed in the valley, between the two mountains, and pronounced both the blessings and the curses in the hearing of all...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Cursed [be] the man that maketh [any] graven or molten image,.... The blessings and the form of them are not recorded, because they were not to be had from the law, and through obedience to it; and therefore there is a profound silence about them, to put men upon seeking for them elsewhere, and which are only to be had in Christ, especially...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Cursed [be] he that setteth light by his father, or his mother,.... That secretly despises them in his heart, and by looks and gestures mocks at them in a private manner, unseen by others, Proverbs 30:17; for if he publicly cursed them, that was cognizable by the civil magistrate, and he was to be put to death, Leviticus 20:9. This follows next,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Cursed [be] he that removeth his neighbour's landmark,.... Removes it backward, and steals ground, as Jarchi explains it; this is commonly done secretly; see Deuteronomy 19:14; and all the people shall say Amen; [See comments on Deuteronomy 27:15]; [See comments on Deuteronomy 27:16].
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Cursed [be] he that maketh the blind to wander out of the way,.... By directing him wrong knowingly, or laying a stumbling block in his way, Leviticus 19:14. The Targum of Jonathan is, "that maketh a traveller wander out of the way, who like a blind man;'' who knows his way no more than a blind man does. Jarchi interprets it, "that blinds in...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Cursed [be] he that perverteth the judgment of the stranger, fatherless, and widow,.... Who have none to assist them, and take their part, and therefore judges may be tempted to do an unjust thing; but God is the patron of them, and takes notice of every injury done them, and is the avenger of all such: and all the people shall say Amen; [See...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Cursed [be] he that lieth with his father's wife,.... As Reuben did, and which is forbidden Leviticus 18:8; because he uncovereth his father's skirt; see Deuteronomy 22:30; and all the people shall say Amen; the tribe of Reuben said this as well as the rest.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Cursed [be] he that lieth with any manner of beast,.... See Leviticus 18:23; and all the people shall say Amen; as being shocking and abhorrent to human nature.