Deuteronomy 27:12 kjv
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:
Deuteronomy 27:12 nkjv
"These shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people, when you have crossed over the Jordan: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin;
Deuteronomy 27:12 niv
When you have crossed the Jordan, these tribes shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph and Benjamin.
Deuteronomy 27:12 esv
"When you have crossed over the Jordan, these shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin.
Deuteronomy 27:12 nlt
"When you cross the Jordan River, the tribes of Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin must stand on Mount Gerizim to proclaim a blessing over the people.
Deuteronomy 27 12 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 11:26-32 | See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing if you obey... upon Mount Gerizim... curse upon Mount Ebal. | Moses presents the initial concept of Gerizim for blessing. |
| Deut 27:1-8 | ...you shall set up large stones and plaster them with plaster. And you shall write on them all the words of this law... upon Mount Ebal. | Instructions for erecting memorial stones with the Law at Ebal. |
| Deut 27:11 | And Moses charged the people on that day, saying, | Sets the stage for the command to divide the tribes. |
| Deut 27:13 | And these shall stand on Mount Ebal for the curse: Reuben, Gad... | The opposing group of tribes designated for pronouncing curses. |
| Deut 27:14 | And the Levites shall declare in a loud voice... | Role of the Levites in declaring the blessings and curses. |
| Deut 28:1-14 | If you obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands... all these blessings will come on you and accompany you. | Details the comprehensive blessings for obedience. |
| Deut 28:15-68 | If you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow... all these curses will come on you and overtake you. | Details the comprehensive curses for disobedience. |
| Josh 8:30-35 | Then Joshua built an altar to the Lord, the God of Israel, on Mount Ebal... and wrote on stones a copy of the Law... he read all the words of the Law, the blessing and the curse. | Joshua's faithful fulfillment of this command. |
| Gen 12:2-3 | I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. | God's foundational promise of blessing to Abraham. |
| Gen 49:10 | The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs... | Significance of Judah among the tribes, prophesying future royalty. |
| Num 6:22-27 | The Lord bless you and keep you... | The Aaronic priestly blessing. |
| Lev 26:3-13 | If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I will send you rain in its season... | General blessings promised for obedience to the Law. |
| Ps 1:1-3 | Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked... whatever they do prospers. | Wisdom literature's perspective on the blessings of righteousness. |
| Ps 32:1-2 | Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. | Blessing through forgiveness of sin. |
| Jer 17:7-8 | Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water... | Blessings tied to trust in God. |
| Heb 8:6-13 | But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant he mediates is superior to the old one... | New Covenant's superiority, which offers spiritual blessing in Christ. |
| Gal 3:13-14 | Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us... in order that the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus. | Christ bearing the curse to bring spiritual blessing. |
| Eph 1:3 | Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. | The comprehensive spiritual blessings available in Christ Jesus. |
| Deut 4:5-6 | See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the Lord my God commanded me... Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. | Obedience to Law brings national wisdom and understanding, a blessing. |
| Josh 1:8 | Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. | Connection between obedience to Law and prosperity/success. |
| Isa 51:1-2 | Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn; look to Abraham, your father... when he was but one, I called him and blessed him and made him many. | Call to remember God's initial blessing to Abraham. |
| Prov 10:22 | The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, without painful toil for it. | General principle of divine blessing bringing prosperity. |
Deuteronomy 27 verses
Deuteronomy 27 12 Meaning
Deuteronomy 27:12 describes which specific tribes were designated to stand on Mount Gerizim for the purpose of proclaiming blessings. This act was a pivotal part of the covenant renewal ceremony commanded by Moses, designed to publicly reaffirm Israel's commitment to the Lord upon entering the Promised Land.
Deuteronomy 27 12 Context
Deuteronomy chapter 27 describes a significant covenant renewal ceremony that Israel was to perform immediately after crossing the Jordan River and entering the Promised Land. This ceremony, commanded by Moses, involved erecting large stones on Mount Ebal, plastering them, and writing the Law upon them. An altar was also to be built on Ebal for burnt offerings and peace offerings. Following these preparations, the people were to divide into two groups, each positioned on one of the two facing mountains, Gerizim and Ebal. Verse 12 identifies the six tribes who would stand on Mount Gerizim to pronounce the blessings promised for obedience to the covenant. This grand, public spectacle served to solemnly impress upon the nation the conditional nature of their continued favor and dwelling in the land—dependent on their adherence to the Law of the Lord.
Deuteronomy 27 12 Word analysis
- And these (וְאֵ֣לֶּה, vĕ'êlleh): The introductory conjunction "and" links this instruction to the preceding ones concerning the covenant ceremony. "These" directly refers to the six specific tribes that follow, highlighting their immediate designation for this task. It indicates a precise instruction for a particular group.
- shall stand (יַעַמְד֤וּ, ya'amdu): From the root עָמַד (amad), meaning to stand, stand firm, remain, or endure. This term implies a deliberate, formal, and prominent positioning. They were not just to be present but to actively participate by standing in a specific, designated location during the sacred pronouncements, emphasizing their role as active witnesses and participants in the covenant affirmation.
- on Mount Gerizim (עַל־הַ֥ר גְּרִזִּ֖ים, 'al-har Gĕrizîm): Mount Gerizim is located in the central part of Canaan, near Shechem. It is often described as the greener, more fertile of the two mountains, symbolizing fertility and prosperity associated with blessing. Its paired location with Mount Ebal creates a natural amphitheater, amplifying the spoken words for the vast assembly below. The selection of this mountain for blessings directly correlates with the conditional nature of God's covenant: obedience leads to a prosperous land. This specific geographical command underscores divine providence and direction, setting God's covenant apart from generic local religious sites.
- to bless (לְבָרֵ֑ךְ, lěvareḵ): From the root בָּרַךְ (barakh), meaning to bless, praise, or kneel. In this context, it signifies proclaiming the benefits, favor, and prosperity that God would grant to His people if they obeyed His commands. It is an act of solemn declaration, invoking God's promised goodness based on covenant fidelity. The use of "to bless" contrasts sharply with the "to curse" specified for the tribes on Mount Ebal in the subsequent verse (Deut 27:13).
- Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Joseph, and Benjamin: These are six of the twelve tribes of Israel. Their selection for standing on Mount Gerizim is significant. It's not strictly based on birth order or maternal lineage (Simeon, Levi, and Judah are sons of Leah, while Joseph and Benjamin are sons of Rachel, and Issachar is also a son of Leah). This mixed grouping suggests a divine selection beyond mere familial ties, emphasizing their collective responsibility in upholding the covenant's positive promises. Each tribe, with its unique history and future, was to stand united in affirming God's good intentions for His obedient people. Levi, being the priestly tribe, although not inheriting land, is included here among those pronouncing blessings, reinforcing their pivotal role in mediating the covenant between God and Israel. The tribes are symbolically associated with the proclamation of the favorable outcomes of covenant fidelity.
Deuteronomy 27 12 Bonus section
The ritual prescribed for Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal creates one of the most vivid mental images in the Hebrew Bible, profoundly demonstrating the "way of life and the way of death" presented by the Lord. This natural amphitheater, with its distinct geomorphology—Gerizim generally fertile and Ebal rugged and barren—provided a powerful visual metaphor for the blessings and curses to be declared. This geographical distinction reinforced the moral and spiritual implications of Israel's choices. The Samaritans, in a deviation from the Masoretic Text (the standard Hebrew Bible), chose Mount Gerizim as their sole sacred place for the temple, differing significantly from the Jewish focus on Jerusalem. This long-standing theological dispute originates in their interpretation of this event and associated passages, where the Samaritan Pentateuch implies a command to build an altar on Gerizim (rather than Ebal as in Deut 27:4 in the MT). This underscores the critical interpretive power and theological significance attached to even specific words or locations within biblical commands. The ceremony also foreshadows the New Testament concept of being blessed "in Christ," where all spiritual blessings are found through faithful adherence to the New Covenant established through Jesus.
Deuteronomy 27 12 Commentary
Deuteronomy 27:12 is a command for a highly symbolic and foundational covenant renewal ceremony, a grand national act of commitment that profoundly impressed upon the Israelites the conditions of their continued blessedness in the land. The strategic division of tribes across Gerizim and Ebal, and their active role in declaring blessings and curses, established a physical and audible reminder of the stark choice Israel faced: life and prosperity through obedience, or destruction and exile through disobedience. The presence of the priestly tribe of Levi among those administering the declarations underscores the sacred and divine nature of these stipulations. This public ritual, later executed under Joshua (Josh 8), highlighted that blessings were not automatic, but a result of choosing God's way. The fertile Mount Gerizim became an enduring symbol of God's desire to bless His people, dependent on their faithful adherence to His covenant.