What is happening with Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal in this passage?

Here God sets up a public covenant ceremony for when Israel enters the land. Six tribes are to stand on Mount Gerizim to bless, and six on Mount Ebal to curse. The Levites will stand in between and loudly speak specific curses on sins like idolatry, disrespecting parents, cheating neighbors, harming the weak, sexual sins, and secret violence. After each curse, all the people must answer, “Amen.” This shows the whole nation agreeing that God is right and that these sins really do bring His curse.

Why do the Levites pronounce curses and the people say “Amen”?

The Levites were set apart to teach God’s law, so they speak as God’s servants, almost like God Himself is speaking through them. They list serious sins and the curses that go with them. The people answer, “Amen,” which means, “Yes, this is true.” By doing that, they admit that God’s judgments are fair, that these sins deserve His curse, and that they themselves are bound to this covenant. It is a solemn way of saying, “We agree with God and accept what He says about right and wrong.”

What kinds of sins are cursed in this list, and why these?

The list covers worship sins and everyday life sins. It starts with making a carved or metal image and hiding it, then moves to despising parents, moving a neighbor’s landmark, misleading the blind, twisting justice for the stranger, orphan, or widow, several forms of sexual sin within family or with animals, secret attacks on a neighbor, and taking a bribe to kill an innocent person. These are deep, often hidden sins that tear up families, neighbors, and worship. They stand for many other sins and show that no part of life is outside God’s concern.

Why does this passage focus so much on hidden sins?

Many of the curses mention things people try to hide: secret idols, moving property lines when no one is watching, leading the blind astray, sexual sins done behind closed doors, secret attacks, and taking money to shed innocent blood. Human judges often cannot see these things, but God can. By calling out these sins, God warns Israel that His law reaches the heart and the hidden place. It is not enough to look good on the outside. God sees what is done in secret and will judge it.

What does this passage teach about God’s care for the weak and vulnerable?

God singles out those who have little power in society: the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, as well as the blind person. He says that anyone who twists justice against them or misleads them is cursed. This shows that God’s heart is for fair treatment of those who cannot easily defend themselves. To harm or cheat such people is not a small matter to Him. In this covenant, the whole community must agree that protecting them is right and that hurting them brings God’s curse.

How does this passage relate to the idea of the curse of the law?

The last verse says anyone who does not confirm all the words of the law by doing them is cursed. Later, this is picked up to show that relying on law-keeping for blessing leads to a problem: no one keeps the law perfectly, so all fall under this curse. The law exposes sin and shows what God requires, but it does not give the power to meet that standard. This prepares the way for God’s grace, where someone else bears the curse so that those who trust in Him are freed from it.

How can this passage speak to believers today?

This passage reminds believers that God cares about both public and private life, about worship and how we treat others. It warns us against treating sin lightly, especially sins we think no one sees. It also shows that none of us can claim to have kept all God’s commands and that we need mercy. At the same time, the strong “Amen” from the people can shape us: we are called to agree with God about what is right, to love justice, and to guard the weak in our own communities.

Deut.27.11

Deuteronomy 27:11

Q: What does “Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them” mean?

This final curse gathers everything into one. It is not only about the specific sins just named, but about all of God’s law. To “confirm” the words of the law is to stand by them, accept them as right, and actually do them. So this curse says that anyone who does not keep all that God has commanded is under His curse. It shows that partial obedience is not enough and that, by themselves, people cannot make themselves right with God by law-keeping.

King James Version (KJV)

¶ And Moses charged the people the same day, saying,

Chapter:

Context:

Curses Pronounced from Ebal

¶ And Moses charged the people the same day, saying,

These shall stand upon mount Gerizim to bless the people, when ye are come over Jordan; Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Joseph, and Benjamin:

And these shall stand upon mount Ebal to curse; Reuben, Gad, and Asher, and Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.

¶ And the Levites shall speak, and say unto all the men of Israel with a loud voice,

Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen.

Cursed be he that setteth light by his father or his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Cursed be he that removeth his neighbour’s landmark. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Cursed be he that maketh the blind to wander out of the way. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Cursed be he that perverteth the judgment of the stranger, fatherless, and widow. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Cursed be he that lieth with his father’s wife; because he uncovereth his father’s skirt. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Cursed be he that lieth with any manner of beast. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Cursed be he that lieth with his sister, the daughter of his father, or the daughter of his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Cursed be he that lieth with his mother in law. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbour secretly. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Cursed be he that taketh reward to slay an innocent person. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Cross References

No cross references available for this verse.