Bird's-eye view
In this profound and dramatic scene, Moses lays out the script for a massive covenant renewal ceremony that Israel is to perform upon entering the Promised Land. The entire nation is to be gathered between two mountains, Mount Gerizim, the mountain of blessing, and Mount Ebal, the mountain of cursing. This is not a multiple-choice quiz where they get to pick their preference. It is a formal, public, and corporate ratification of the covenant. The Levites are to proclaim a series of twelve curses, representing the negative sanctions of the covenant, and with each curse, all the people are to respond with a hearty "Amen." This act constitutes their sworn testimony, agreeing in advance to the justice of God's judgment should they fall into these sins. The passage climaxes with a comprehensive curse on anyone who fails to uphold the entire law, a curse that serves as the ultimate schoolmaster, driving every sinner to the foot of the cross.
The selection of sins is not random; they are representative. They focus particularly on sins that can be committed in secret, hidden from human eyes but naked before God. Sins against God's exclusive worship, against family authority, against property, against the vulnerable, against sexual purity, and against life itself are all addressed. This ceremony was designed to etch the terms of the covenant onto the national conscience. By saying "Amen," the people were not just agreeing that these things were wrong; they were agreeing that God would be perfectly just to curse them for doing them. It is a solemn acceptance of the terms of life under God's direct rule in the land He was giving them.
Outline
- 1. The Great Amen (Deut 27:11-26)
- a. The Stage is Set: Two Mountains, Two Destinies (Deut 27:11-13)
- b. The Liturgists and the Liturgy (Deut 27:14)
- c. The Twelve Curses of the Covenant (Deut 27:15-26)
- i. The Curse on Secret Idolatry (Deut 27:15)
- ii. The Curse on Dishonoring Parents (Deut 27:16)
- iii. The Curse on Property Theft (Deut 27:17)
- iv. The Curse on Harming the Helpless (Deut 27:18)
- v. The Curse on Perverting Justice (Deut 27:19)
- vi. The Curse on Sexual Perversion (Deut 27:20-23)
- vii. The Curse on Secret Violence (Deut 27:24)
- viii. The Curse on Judicial Murder (Deut 27:25)
- ix. The All-Encompassing Curse (Deut 27:26)
Context In Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy 27 is a pivotal chapter, acting as a bridge between the detailed exposition of the law in the preceding chapters and the formal blessings and curses of the covenant in chapter 28. Moses is on the plains of Moab, giving his final instructions to the generation that will conquer Canaan. He has laid out the law, the Torah, which is the constitution of the nation. Now, he commands them to perform a solemn act of covenant ratification once they are in the land. This ceremony at Shechem, between Gerizim and Ebal, is the formal acceptance of the covenant terms by the people. It is their national pledge of allegiance to Yahweh as their King. The event is so significant that it is recorded as being carried out by Joshua (Josh 8:30-35). This chapter, therefore, is not just a list of rules; it is the script for a foundational moment in the life of Israel, where they corporately place themselves under the sanctions, both positive and negative, of God's holy law.
Key Issues
- Covenant Renewal and Ratification
- The Symbolism of Gerizim and Ebal
- The Nature of Covenant Curses
- The Focus on "Secret" Sins
- Corporate Solidarity and Responsibility
- The Law's Inescapable Demand
- The Relationship to Galatians 3:10
The Mountains of Decision
We must not read this as a dry legal text. This is high drama, a piece of divine political theater with the highest possible stakes. The entire nation is to be arrayed in the valley of Shechem, a natural amphitheater, with half the tribes on one mountain and half on the other. Gerizim was a lush, fertile mountain, a fitting place from which to pronounce blessing. Ebal was barren and rocky, a fitting place for the curses. This visual, geographical object lesson was designed to be unforgettable. Life in covenant with God leads to fruitfulness and blessing. Life in rebellion against His law leads to barrenness and cursing.
The division of the tribes is also significant. On the mountain of blessing, Gerizim, are the sons of Leah and Rachel, the principal wives: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. On the mountain of cursing, Ebal, are the sons of the concubines, Zilpah and Bilhah, along with Reuben, the firstborn who forfeited his birthright through gross sexual sin, and Zebulun, Leah's youngest. This is not a statement about the eternal destiny of individuals in those tribes, but rather a symbolic representation within this drama. It powerfully illustrates the distinction between promise and flesh, between the line of the covenant and those who stand outside it. It is a living tableau of the principles laid out in Galatians 4 concerning the sons of the freewoman and the sons of the bondwoman.
Verse by Verse Commentary
11-14 Moses also commanded the people on that day, saying, “When you cross the Jordan, these shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin. For the curse, these shall stand on Mount Ebal: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. The Levites shall then answer and say to all the men of Israel with a loud voice,
The instructions are precise. Moses is the lawgiver, commanding what must be done. The geography is specified, the participants are assigned their places, and the liturgists, the Levites, are given their role. The blessings are mentioned, but it is the curses that are detailed here. The Levites are to speak with a loud voice, ensuring that no one present can claim they did not hear or understand the terms. This is a public transaction. The covenant is not a private agreement between God and isolated individuals; it is a public, corporate bond with the entire nation. Every man in Israel is to hear and be accountable for what is proclaimed.
15 ‘Cursed is the man who makes a graven image or a molten image, an abomination to Yahweh, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’ And all the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen.’
The first curse strikes at the foundation of the entire covenant: the worship of Yahweh alone. The sin is idolatry, a violation of the first and second commandments. It is described as an abomination to Yahweh, the strongest possible term of divine revulsion. Notice the emphasis: it is set up in secret. Public idolatry is bad enough, but this curse addresses the man who maintains an outward show of covenant faithfulness while secretly harboring an idol in his home or heart. God's law penetrates the private sphere. The people's "Amen" is their agreement that such a man, when exposed, is worthy of God's judgment. It means, "So be it," or "May it be so." They are agreeing with God's verdict in advance.
16 ‘Cursed is he who dishonors his father or mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
From worship, the curses move to the family. The fifth commandment is the bedrock of all societal order. To dishonor parents is to attack the principle of delegated authority itself. It is to despise God's appointed structure for transmitting wisdom, discipline, and the covenant itself from one generation to the next. A society where children hold their parents in contempt is a society that is rotting from the inside out. Again, the people say "Amen," agreeing that the breakdown of the family is a curse-worthy offense.
17 ‘Cursed is he who moves his neighbor’s boundary mark.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
This curse protects the eighth commandment concerning theft, but in a specific, covenantal way. In Israel, land was not just a commodity; it was a heritage, a gift from God to a particular family and tribe. To secretly move a boundary stone was to steal a man's inheritance. It was a sin of greed that undermined the economic stability and justice of the entire community. It was a lie written on the land itself. The people agree: this form of fraud deserves God's curse.
18 ‘Cursed is he who leads a blind person astray on the road.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
This addresses sins against the vulnerable. Leading a blind person astray is the epitome of malicious, cowardly cruelty. It is to take advantage of someone's weakness for your own perverse amusement or gain. This principle extends to all forms of exploitation of the helpless. A righteous society is measured by how it treats its most vulnerable members. God stands as the defender of those who cannot defend themselves, and the people affirm His justice in this.
19 ‘Cursed is he who perverts the justice due a sojourner, orphan, and widow.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
Like the previous curse, this one protects the vulnerable, but specifically within the legal system. The sojourner, orphan, and widow were the three classes of people most likely to lack a powerful male relative to represent them in court. They were therefore susceptible to being cheated or oppressed by the powerful. To pervert justice against them is to corrupt the very means God established to maintain righteousness in the land. It is a profound offense, and the people consent to the curse upon it.
20-23 ‘Cursed is he who lies with his father’s wife because he has uncovered his father’s skirt.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ ‘Cursed is he who lies with any animal.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ ‘Cursed is he who lies with his sister, the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ ‘Cursed is he who lies with his mother-in-law.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
This block of four curses deals with gross sexual immorality, violations of the seventh commandment that strike at the heart of God's design for family and procreation. These are not merely arbitrary rules; they are prohibitions against acts that defile the image of God and destroy the integrity of the family. Incest with a stepmother, bestiality, incest with a sister, and incest with a mother-in-law are all profound perversions of the created order. They are sins that blur the lines God has drawn and introduce chaos into the most basic unit of society. The people's repeated "Amen" affirms God's holy standard for sexual purity.
24 ‘Cursed is he who strikes his neighbor in secret.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
This curse addresses the sixth commandment, "You shall not murder," but focuses on hidden violence. This could refer to assassination, ambush, or any form of malicious harm done when no one is watching. Like the secret idolater, the secret assailant thinks he can escape human justice. This curse reminds the people that God is the ultimate witness and judge. He sees what is done in the dark, and He will bring it to light. The people agree that such cowardly violence is worthy of a curse.
25 ‘Cursed is he who takes a bribe to strike down innocent blood.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
This is a compound sin. It combines the sin of murder with the sin of perverting justice for money. This is the hired killer or the corrupt judge who condemns the innocent for a price. It is the ultimate betrayal of the legal system, turning it from an instrument of justice into a weapon for the wicked. It is a sin that cries out to heaven for vengeance, and the people rightly affirm the curse upon it.
26 ‘Cursed is he who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
This final curse is the capstone that summarizes and seals all the others. It is all-encompassing. After listing specific, heinous sins, the law now broadens its scope to include any and every failure to obey. It is not enough to avoid these twelve specific curses. The standard is perfect obedience. To "confirm the words of this law" means to establish them, to uphold them, to validate them through consistent action. Anything less brings one under the curse. This is the verse the apostle Paul quotes in Galatians 3:10 to prove that no one can be justified by works of the law. This curse is the great leveler. It places every single person, without exception, under condemnation. And it is to this curse, this impossible standard, that all the people say "Amen." In doing so, they are confessing their own need for a salvation that must come from outside themselves.
Application
So what are we to do with this ancient, solemn, and frankly terrifying ceremony? First, we must see in it the holiness of God. God is not a celestial guidance counselor who makes gentle suggestions. He is the sovereign King of the universe, and His law is not optional. Sin is not a mere misstep; it is treason, and it carries a penalty, a curse, which is death. This passage forces us to take sin as seriously as God does.
Second, we must see our own condemnation. As we read down this list, we may be tempted to feel smug. We haven't made secret idols or moved boundary stones. But then we arrive at verse 26, the great catch-all. "Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them." That is our address. We have all failed. By our own "Amen," we stand condemned. The law was designed to do this. It is a mirror that shows us our filth, a schoolmaster that drives us to the end of our own resources.
And that is where the gospel shines most brightly. For the central claim of the New Testament is this: "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us" (Galatians 3:13). Jesus Christ, the only one who ever lived in perfect obedience to this law, stood on the ultimate Mount Ebal, the cross of Calvary, and took the full weight of every one of these curses upon Himself. He took the curse for idolatry, for dishonor, for theft, for cruelty, for injustice, for sexual perversion, for violence, and for every failure to keep the law. He absorbed the full, righteous wrath of God that we deserved. He became the curse so that we could be transferred to Mount Gerizim and receive the blessing, the righteousness of God, as a free gift. The only "Amen" that saves us is the "Amen" of faith, where we agree with God about our sin and agree with Him about His Son, Jesus Christ, our only hope of righteousness.