There you shall build an altar to Yahweh your God, an altar of stones. You shall not use any iron tool on them.
Parallel translations
- KJV And there shalt thou build an altar unto the LORD thy God, an altar of stones: thou shalt not lift up any iron tool upon them.
- BSB Moreover, you are to build there an altar to the LORD your God, an altar of stones. You must not use any iron tool on them.
- NKJV And there you shall build an altar to the Lord your God, an altar of stones; you shall not use an iron tool on them.
- NASB Moreover, you shall build there an altar to the Lord your God, an altar of stones; you shall not wield an iron tool on them.
- NLT “Then build an altar there to the Lord your God, using natural, uncut stones. You must not shape the stones with an iron tool.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
On Ebal Israel is to build an altar of natural stones, untouched by iron tools. Worship is to be on God's terms, not shaped by human invention.
Overview
The command for an altar of uncut stones, free of iron tools, echoes Exodus 20:25 and guards worship from human pride and pagan craftsmanship. The altar's simplicity kept the focus on God's appointed means of approach through sacrifice. This points toward the truth that acceptable worship rests not on human achievement but on God's provision, ultimately the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- Exod 20:25If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of cut stones; for if you lift up your tool on it, you have polluted it.
- Exod 24:4Moses wrote all Yahweh’s words, and rose up early in the morning, and built an altar under the mountain, and twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel.
- 1 Kgs 18:31–32Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom Yahweh’s word came, saying, “Israel shall be your name.”
- Josh 8:30–31Then Joshua built an altar to Yahweh, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Moses promised a Prophet like himself to whom Israel must listen (18:15); Jesus is that Prophet, the one who keeps the covenant we broke and becomes the curse for us by hanging on a tree (Gal 3:13).
How Deuteronomy 27:5 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.