John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 4. And therefore it shall be, when ye be gone over Jordan , etc.] 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 f482 , dry as stones and rocks itself, and perhaps had its name, as some think f483 , from the root in the Arabic language which signifies to strip a tree of its leaves, and a derivative from it, white stones and a mountain in which such are found. Hither the stones commanded to be set up were to be brought, and fixed here; from whence it is not certain; it may be from some part of the mountain. Here the Samaritan version has Gerizim instead of Ebal, which is generally thought to be a wilful corruption of the Samaritans, in favour of their temple built at Gerizim: and thou shall plaster them with plaster ; as before directed, ( Deuteronomy 27:2).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-10 - As soon as they were come into Canaan, they must set up a monument, of which they must write the words of this law. They must set up an altar The word and prayer must go together. Though they might not, of their own heads, set up any altar besides that at the tabernacle; yet, by the appointment of God, they might, upon special occasion. This altar mus be made of unhewn stones, such as they found upon the field. Christ our Altar, is a stone cut out of the mountain without hands, refused by the builders, as having no form or comeliness, but accepted of God the Father, and made the Head of the corner. In the Old Testament the word of the law are written, with the curse annexed; which would overcome u with horror, if we had not, in the New Testament, an altar erecte close by, which gives consolation. Blessed be God, the printed copie of the Scriptures among us, do away the necessity of such methods a were presented to Israel. The end of the gospel ministry is, and the end of preachers ought to be, to make the word of God as plain a possible. Yet, unless the Spirit of God prosper such labours with Divine power, we shall not, even by these means, be made wise unt salvation: for this blessing we should therefore daily and earnestl pray.
Original Hebrew והיה1961 בעברכם5674 את853 הירדן3383 תקימו6965 את853 האבנים68 האלה428 אשׁר834 אנכי595 מצוה6680 אתכם853 היום3117 בהר2022 עיבל5858 ושׂדת7874 אותם853 בשׂיד׃7874
