Deuteronomy 27:5

5 "Build an altar there to honor the LORD your God. Make it out of stones. Don't use any iron tool on them.

Deuteronomy 27:5 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 27:5

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 ^F20 places this altar not on Mount Ebal, but between that and Gerizim. This altar, he says, was ordered to be built towards the rising sun, not far from the city of Shechem, between two mountains, Gerizim and Ebal; but the text is express, that it was to be built where the stones were set up, which was on Mount Ebal, and there it was built, ( Joshua 8:30 ) ; an altar of stones; of whole stones, as in ( Deuteronomy 27:6 ) , not broken, nor hewed, but rough as they were when taken out of the quarry: thou shalt not lift up [any] iron [tool] upon them;
to hew them, and make them smooth; (See Gill on Exodus 20:25);

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FOOTNOTES:

F20 Ut supra. (Antiqu. l. 4. c. 8. sect. 44.)

Deuteronomy 27:5 In-Context

3 Write all of the words of this law on them. Do it when you have crossed over into the land the LORD your God is giving you. It's a land that has plenty of milk and honey. The LORD is the God of your fathers. He promised you that you would enter the land.

4 After you have gone across the Jordan, set up those stones on Mount Ebal. Put a coat of plaster on them. We're commanding you today to do that.

5 "Build an altar there to honor the LORD your God. Make it out of stones. Don't use any iron tool on them.

6 Use stones you find in the fields to build his altar. Then offer burnt offerings on it to the LORD your God.

7 Sacrifice friendship offerings there. Eat them and be filled with joy in the sight of the LORD your God.