Altar on Mount Ebal and the Law Proclaimed
Joshua 8:30-35
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Jos.8.30 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- אז: ADV
- יבנה: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,sg
- יהושע: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מזבח: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ליהוה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,def
- אלהי: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בהר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,def
- עיבל: NOUN,prop,m,sg
Parallels
- Deuteronomy 27:4-8 (allusion): Direct precedent: Moses commands an altar be built on Mount Ebal with uncut stones and offerings; Joshua’s action fulfills this earlier instruction.
- Deuteronomy 27:5 (verbal): Specific wording about using uncut (no iron tool) stones and building an altar on Ebal is echoed in Joshua’s account of constructing the altar.
- Deuteronomy 27:11-13 (thematic): Institutes the ceremony involving Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim (assembly of tribes to pronounce curses/blessings); Joshua’s altar on Ebal sets the stage for that covenant liturgy.
- Joshua 8:31-35 (structural): Immediate narrative continuation: the setting up of stones, sacrificial rites, and public reading of the law on Ebal — explains the purpose and fulfillment of Joshua 8:30.
- Joshua 24:25-27 (thematic): Later covenant-renewal scene at Shechem uses stone/monument and public covenant testimony like the Ebal altar — similar ritual function as a witness to Israel’s covenant with YHWH.
Alternative generated candidates
- Then Joshua built an altar to the LORD, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal.
- Then Joshua built an altar to the LORD, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal.
Jos.8.31 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- כאשר: CONJ
- צוה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- משה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- עבד: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- את: PRT,acc
- בני: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ככתוב: ADV
- בספר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- תורת: NOUN,f,sg,cons
- משה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- מזבח: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- אבנים: NOUN,f,pl,abs
- שלמות: ADJ,f,pl,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- לא: PART_NEG
- הניף: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- עליהן: PREP+PRON,3,pl,f
- ברזל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ויעלו: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,pl
- עליו: PREP,3,m,sg
- עלות: NOUN,f,sg,cons
- ליהוה: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,def
- ויזבחו: VERB,qal,impf,3,m,pl
- שלמים: ADJ,m,pl,abs
Parallels
- Deuteronomy 27:4-6 (quotation): Directly parallels the command to build an altar of uncut (whole) stones on Mount Ebal and not to use iron—Joshua is carrying out the instruction recorded in the book of the law.
- Exodus 20:24-25 (verbal): Contains the prohibition against hewing stones with iron for an altar (‚if you make an altar of stone, do not wield your tool on it'); Joshua's 'לא־ הניף עליהן ברזל' echoes this law.
- Deuteronomy 31:9-13 (structural): Prescribes public reading of the law to all Israel; Joshua's assembly and public reading of the law on Mount Ebal/GERIZIM follows this same covenant-communal pattern.
- Leviticus 7:11-12 (thematic): Describes the peace/thanksgiving (shlamim) offerings and their ritual context; Joshua's offering of burnt offerings and slaughtering of peace offerings (ויעלו עליו עלות... ויזבחו שלמים) corresponds to sacrificial practice in Levitical law.
Alternative generated candidates
- As Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the people of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses: an altar of whole stones upon which no iron had been raised; and they offered on it burnt offerings to the LORD and sacrificed peace offerings.
- As Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the people of Israel—just as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses—an altar of uncut stones, on which no iron had been lifted; and they offered thereon burnt offerings to the LORD and sacrificed peace offerings.
Jos.8.32 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ויכתב: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- שם: ADV
- על: PREP
- האבנים: NOUN,f,pl,def
- את: PRT,acc
- משנה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- תורת: NOUN,f,sg,cons
- משה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- כתב: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- לפני: PREP
- בני: NOUN,m,pl,construct
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
Parallels
- Deuteronomy 27:2-8 (verbal): Commands to set large stones on Mount Ebal and write 'all the words of this law' on them — same act of inscribing the law on stones echoed in Joshua 8:32.
- Deuteronomy 31:24-26 (verbal): Reports that Moses 'wrote this law' and gave the book to the priests to be placed beside the ark — parallels Joshua's statement that a written copy of Moses' law was made for Israel.
- Joshua 24:26 (structural): Later note that Joshua 'wrote these words in the book of the law of God' and set up a stone at the covenant site — a parallel covenant-renewal act linking public inscription with covenant witness.
- Exodus 24:4 (verbal): Says that Moses 'wrote all the words of the LORD' — parallels the motif of Moses' law being put into writing, which Joshua reproduces on the stones.
- Deuteronomy 17:18-19 (thematic): Requires the Israelite king to write a copy of the law for himself and read it daily — reflects the broader biblical concern for producing and preserving a written copy of the law for public and private obedience.
Alternative generated candidates
- And he wrote there on the stones a copy of the law of Moses which he had written before the children of Israel.
- And he wrote on the stones a copy of the law of Moses that he had written before the people of Israel.
Jos.8.33 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- וכל: CONJ+PRON,indef
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- וזקניו: NOUN,m,pl,abs,poss:3ms
- ושטרים: NOUN,m,pl,abs
- ושפטיו: NOUN,m,pl,abs,poss:3ms
- עמדים: VERB,qal,part,3,m,pl
- מזה: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ומזה: CONJ+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- לארון: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- נגד: PREP
- הכהנים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- הלוים: NOUN,m,pl,def
- נשאי: NOUN,m,pl,const
- ארון: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ברית: NOUN,f,sg,abs
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- כגר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- כאזרח: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- חציו: NOUN,m,sg,abs,poss:3ms
- אל: NEG
- מול: PREP
- הר: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- גרזים: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- והחציו: NOUN,m,sg,def,poss:3ms
- אל: NEG
- מול: PREP
- הר: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- עיבל: NOUN,prop,m,sg
- כאשר: CONJ
- צוה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- משה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- עבד: NOUN,m,sg,cons
- יהוה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- לברך: VERB,qal,inf
- את: PRT,acc
- העם: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- בראשנה: PREP+NOUN,f,sg,abs
Parallels
- Deuteronomy 27:11-13 (quotation): Direct command that half the people shall stand on Mount Gerizim and half on Mount Ebal; Joshua 8:33 explicitly implements Moses' instruction.
- Deuteronomy 27:4-8 (thematic): Instructions to build an altar on Mount Ebal, use uncut stones, and write the law on them—the ceremonial context that Joshua enacts during the covenant ceremony.
- Deuteronomy 11:29-32 (thematic): Moses' announcement that blessings will be proclaimed on Gerizim and curses on Ebal when Israel enters the land, providing the theological background for the positioning in Joshua 8:33.
- Joshua 8:30-35 (structural): Immediate narrative context describing the altar-building, offerings, and public reading of the law—Joshua 8:33 is part of this larger ceremonial scene.
- Deuteronomy 27:14-26 (verbal): The catalog of curses to be pronounced on Ebal; Joshua's ceremony includes reading these curses (cf. Joshua 8:34–35), linking verse 33 to the content of Deut 27.
Alternative generated candidates
- And all Israel, with their elders, officers, and judges, stood on either side of the ark opposite the priests, the Levites, the bearers of the ark of the covenant of the LORD—half facing Mount Gerizim and half facing Mount Ebal—just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded, to bless the people of Israel.
- All Israel and their elders and their officers and their judges stood on this side and on that side of the ark, before the Levitical priests, the bearers of the ark of the covenant of the LORD—both the resident alien and the native-born; half opposite Mount Gerizim and half opposite Mount Ebal—just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded when he blessed the people of Israel.
Jos.8.34 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- ואחרי: CONJ
- כן: ADV
- קרא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- את: PRT,acc
- כל: DET
- דברי: NOUN,m,pl,abs+PRON,1,c,sg
- התורה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- הברכה: NOUN,f,sg,def
- והקללה: CONJ+NOUN,f,sg,def
- ככל: PREP
- הכתוב: ADJ,m,sg,def
- בספר: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs
- התורה: NOUN,f,sg,def
Parallels
- Deuteronomy 27:11-26 (verbal): The assembly stands on Gerizim and Ebal to pronounce the curses listed in the Law—Joshua’s reading of the ‘curse’ directly echoes and implements this Deuteronomic text.
- Deuteronomy 31:10-13 (structural): Moses commands a public, periodic reading of the Law to all Israel so that everyone may hear and learn—parallel in form and purpose to Joshua’s public reading.
- Deuteronomy 11:26-28 (verbal): The formula ‘a blessing and a curse’ is set before the people in Deuteronomy; Joshua’s reading repeats this Deuteronomic juxtaposition of blessing and curse.
- Deuteronomy 28 (thematic): This chapter contains the canonical list of blessings and curses for obedience and disobedience, which Joshua says he read ‘according to all that is written in the Book of the Law.’
- Nehemiah 8:1-8 (structural): Ezra’s public reading and explanation of the Law to the assembled people mirrors Joshua’s act of reading the Law aloud so the whole congregation can hear and understand.
Alternative generated candidates
- And afterward Joshua read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law.
- Afterward he read all the words of the law—the blessing and the curse—according to all that is written in the Book of the Law.
Jos.8.35 - Details
Original Text
Morphology
- לא: PART_NEG
- היה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- דבר: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- מכל: PREP
- אשר: PRON,rel
- צוה: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- משה: NOUN,prop,m,sg,abs
- אשר: PRON,rel
- לא: PART_NEG
- קרא: VERB,qal,perf,3,m,sg
- יהושע: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- נגד: PREP
- כל: DET
- קהל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- ישראל: NOUN,m,sg,abs
- והנשים: CONJ+NOUN,f,pl,def
- והטף: CONJ+NOUN,m,pl,def
- והגר: NOUN,m,sg,def
- ההלך: VERB,qal,ptc,ms,sg
- בקרבם: PREP+NOUN,m,sg,abs+PRON,3,pl
Parallels
- Deut.31:11-13 (quotation): Moses' explicit command that the Torah be read aloud before 'men, women, children, and the sojourner'—Joshua's public reading is a direct fulfillment of this instruction.
- Deut.31:24-26 (structural): Moses wrote down the law and entrusted it to the Levitical priests beside the ark—background for the authoritative text that Joshua proclaims to the assembly.
- Neh.8:2-8 (thematic): Ezra and the Levites publicly read and explained the Law to all the people, including women and children; parallels Joshua's communal proclamation and instruction.
- 2 Kings 23:1-3 (thematic): King Josiah publicly reads the Book of the Covenant before all the people and leads them in covenant renewal—another instance of communal public reading and application of the law.
Alternative generated candidates
- There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read before the whole assembly of Israel—men, women, the little ones, and the stranger who walked among them.
- There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read before the whole assembly of Israel, the women, the little ones, and the resident alien who lived among them.
Then Joshua built an altar to the LORD, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal.
As Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the people of Israel—as it is written in the book of the law of Moses—an altar of uncut stones, on which no iron tool had been used; and they offered on it burnt offerings to the LORD and sacrificed peace offerings.
There he inscribed on the stones a copy of the law of Moses that Moses had written before the people of Israel.
All Israel—and their elders, officers, and judges—stood on this side and on that side of the ark before the priests the Levites, who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD; the foreigner as well as the native-born; half of them opposite Mount Gerizim and half opposite Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded, to bless the people of Israel at the first.
After that Joshua read all the words of the law—the blessings and the curses—according to all that is written in the book of the law.
There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded that Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel, with the women and the children and the foreigner who walked among them.