Deuteronomy 27:6 kjv
Thou shalt build the altar of the LORD thy God of whole stones: and thou shalt offer burnt offerings thereon unto the LORD thy God:
Deuteronomy 27:6 nkjv
You shall build with whole stones the altar of the LORD your God, and offer burnt offerings on it to the LORD your God.
Deuteronomy 27:6 niv
Build the altar of the LORD your God with fieldstones and offer burnt offerings on it to the LORD your God.
Deuteronomy 27:6 esv
you shall build an altar to the LORD your God of uncut stones. And you shall offer burnt offerings on it to the LORD your God,
Deuteronomy 27:6 nlt
Build the altar of uncut stones, and use it to offer burnt offerings to the LORD your God.
Deuteronomy 27 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ex 20:25 | If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stones, for if you wield your tool on it you profane it. | The foundational command against using tools on altar stones, linking human modification to profanity. |
| Josh 8:31 | as Moses the servant of the LORD 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 wielded." | A direct fulfillment of this very command by Joshua. |
| Lev 1:3 | If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. | Requirement for an unblemished offering, reflecting the perfection implied by "uncut" stones. |
| Mal 1:8 | When you offer blind animals in sacrifice... Is that not evil? | Condemnation of offering defiled or imperfect sacrifices, paralleling the demand for purity in the altar's construction. |
| Ps 4:5 | Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the LORD. | Emphasizes the importance of offerings that align with God's righteousness. |
| Rom 12:1 | I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God... | New Covenant concept of a spiritual sacrifice, mirroring the need for "whole" or "holy" devotion. |
| Heb 9:14 | how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God... | Christ as the ultimate, perfect and unblemished sacrifice, fulfilling the pursuit of wholeness in Old Covenant offerings. |
| Heb 10:10 | And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. | Christ's one-time perfect sacrifice negates the need for continuous animal sacrifices and perfect altars. |
| 1 Pet 2:5 | you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. | Believers as "living stones" forming a spiritual temple and offering spiritual sacrifices, connected to the imagery of stones and sacrifice. |
| Jn 4:24 | God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. | Highlights the shift from physical structures and rituals to the internal disposition of worship, transcending specific altar materials. |
| 2 Cor 6:16 | For we are the temple of the living God... Come out from among them, and be separate from them... | Reinforces separation from idolatrous practices, much like the "uncut stone" rule distanced Israel's worship from pagan altar construction. |
| Eph 2:20-22 | built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone... in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. | Imagery of a spiritual structure where believers are incorporated like stones into God's dwelling. |
| 1 Cor 10:20 | what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. | A clear warning against mixing true worship with pagan practices, a principle also reflected in the altar's prescribed simplicity. |
| Phil 3:3 | For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh... | Emphasizes worship that is not dependent on human performance or physical acts (like circumcision here) but on divine grace. |
| Col 2:20-23 | Why do you submit to regulations— "Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch" (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? | Caution against relying on humanly devised regulations or elaborate rituals for righteousness. |
| Mt 5:23-24 | So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar... | Links the act of offering to the moral and spiritual state of the worshiper, indicating that outer ritual is incomplete without inner purity. |
| Isa 1:11-15 | "What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?" says the LORD... Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hates... | God's disdain for mere external religious acts without true heart change or righteous living. |
| 1 Sam 15:22 | Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice... | Prioritizes obedience to God's commands over ritual, even a divinely prescribed one. |
| Jer 7:22-23 | For when I brought your fathers out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to them or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice...' | Reiterates that ultimate priority is placed on obedience and hearing God's voice over ritual sacrifices themselves. |
| 2 Chron 7:1-3 | When Solomon finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering... Then all the people of Israel saw the fire come down... | Demonstrates God's acceptance of an altar and offerings, underscoring that His approval makes the sacrifice valid, not human embellishment. |
| 1 Ki 18:30-38 | Elijah repaired the altar of the LORD that had been broken down... then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering... | An altar built for true worship to Yahweh, accepted by divine fire. |
| Hag 2:6-9 | I will shake all nations... and the glory of this latter house shall be greater than that of the former, says the LORD of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the LORD of hosts. | Prophecy pointing to the coming glory which is not about physical building materials, but God's presence and peace, ultimately found in Christ. |
Deuteronomy 27 verses
Deuteronomy 27 6 Meaning
Deuteronomy 27:6 commands the people of Israel to construct an altar to the LORD their God using only natural, unhewn stones, untouched by any iron tool. Upon this specific altar, they were to offer burnt offerings exclusively to the LORD. This mandate emphasizes divine instruction for worship, ensuring purity, simplicity, and a clear distinction from human craft or pagan religious practices. The act signifies absolute obedience and a focus on God's holiness rather than human skill.
Deuteronomy 27 6 Context
Deuteronomy 27 is part of Moses' farewell addresses to Israel before they enter the Promised Land. This chapter specifically outlines the solemn ceremony to be performed upon crossing the Jordan, particularly on Mount Ebal, a place of curses. Before this declaration of curses and blessings (vv. 11-26), Moses commands the people to set up large, plaster-coated stones upon which the entire Law is to be inscribed (vv. 2-4) and to build an altar on Mount Ebal (vv. 5-8). The command in verse 6 specifies the precise manner of constructing this altar, emphasizing its role in solemnizing their renewed covenant with the LORD in the new land. The broader historical and cultural context shows this command standing in stark contrast to the often elaborate, carved, and humanly engineered altars and idols of the surrounding pagan nations. This insistence on natural, untouched stones asserted Yahweh's unique nature, transcending human artifice, and ensuring a worship focused solely on His divine command and holiness.
Deuteronomy 27 6 Word analysis
- You shall build (וּבָנִיתָ - u-vanita): A direct and unambiguous command. The Hebrew verb banah (בנה) signifies "to build" or "to construct." This is not an optional suggestion but a divine imperative, underscoring the necessity of fulfilling specific instructions for worship.
- an altar (מִזְבַּח - mizbeach): From the root zabach (זבח), meaning "to slaughter" or "to sacrifice." An altar is a designated place for offering sacrifices, central to ancient Israelite worship, signifying atonement, fellowship, and devotion to God.
- to the LORD your God (לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ - laYHWH Eloheykha): Explicitly states the divine recipient of the worship. This reiterates that the altar and its sacrifices are exclusively for Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel, distinguishing Him from all other gods. It highlights His unique holiness and the singular nature of proper worship.
- of uncut stones (אֲבָנִים שְׁלֵמוֹת - 'avanim shalemot):
- אֲבָנִים ('avanim): "stones."
- שְׁלֵמוֹת (shalemot): The plural form of shalem (שָׁלֵם), meaning "whole," "complete," "sound," "perfect," "undisturbed." This implies stones found in their natural state, untouched by human tools. This understanding is critical, clarified by the preceding verse (Deut 27:5) and parallel in Ex 20:25 which states "no iron tool" shall be used on them, "for if you wield your tool on it you profane it."
- Significance: This restriction forbids any human alteration, ensuring the altar’s purity and distinction. It prevents human pride or artistry from "improving" on God’s natural design. It makes the altar less like a work of art and more like a raw expression of submission to divine command. It was a strong polemic against pagan altars, which were often elaborate, carved images representing human efforts to control or manipulate deities. It signifies that the holiness of the altar derives not from its construction but from God’s command and presence.
- And you shall offer (וְהַעֲלִיתָ - v'ha'alita): Another direct command. The verb `alah` (עלה) means "to go up" or "to ascend," used here in the causative (Hiphil) to mean "to bring up" or "to cause to ascend," referring to the smoke of the burnt offering.
- burnt offerings (עֹלוֹת - olot): From `olah` (עוֹלָה), a sacrifice completely consumed by fire upon the altar, symbolizing complete devotion, propitiation, and purification. It's fully given up to God.
- on it (עָלָיו - 'alav): Refers directly to the specially constructed altar, reinforcing that this specific, pure altar is the only place for these particular offerings.
- to the LORD your God (לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ - laYHWH Eloheykha): A repetition of the recipient, cementing the focus of worship and offerings on the one true God, further distinguishing true worship from any idolatrous practice.
Words-group analysis
- "You shall build an altar... of uncut stones": This phrase details the construction of the altar, stressing its specific materials. The emphasis on "uncut stones" directly implies simplicity, naturalness, and a divine requirement for unadulterated purity in worship. It removes human artistry or embellishment from the sacred space, highlighting that sacredness is divinely endowed, not humanly contrived or earned.
- "And you shall offer burnt offerings on it to the LORD your God": This defines the purpose of the uniquely constructed altar – for legitimate worship through whole burnt offerings, given completely to God. The repeated "to the LORD your God" underscores the singular focus of devotion, ensuring that the act of sacrifice, even with the required pure altar, remains solely directed at Yahweh and not subject to human manipulation or pagan influence. It's about giving fully to God, reflecting the wholeness of the altar stones themselves.
Deuteronomy 27 6 Bonus section
The command to build this specific altar on Mount Ebal (Deut 27:4) is significant. Mount Ebal was the mountain of curses, directly contrasting Mount Gerizim, the mountain of blessings. Building the altar there, before the declarations of the Law and its consequences, powerfully illustrates that redemption (through sacrifice on the altar) precedes and enables covenant faithfulness, even when faced with the consequences of disobedience. The simplicity of the altar points to the unchanging, eternal nature of God and His simple demand for obedience, not elaborate ritual. The altar of "uncut stones" can be seen as a metaphor for the pure gospel message—unaltered by human philosophies or additions—and for the individual believer, who, like an uncut stone, is to present themselves as a raw, honest vessel, ready to be used by God in His divinely ordained way, rather than relying on human achievement or embellishment for acceptance.
Deuteronomy 27 6 Commentary
Deuteronomy 27:6 is a foundational command dictating the unadulterated nature of worship to the LORD. By demanding an altar made of naturally formed, untouched stones, God taught His people that their approach to Him must be unmediated by human skill or design. This wasn't merely an architectural guideline; it was a profound theological statement. It underscored divine sovereignty over human ingenuity, emphasizing that true holiness comes from God's decree, not from man's attempts to "improve" upon nature or God's instructions. The prohibition of iron tools – often used for shaping and war – further emphasized that the altar was to be a place of peace, divine communion, and absolute surrender, distinct from instruments of conflict or self-reliance. The burnt offerings signify complete devotion and atonement, mirroring the wholeness of the stones. This verse thus prefigures the call for purity, sincerity, and obedience in all worship, ultimately fulfilled in the perfect, blemish-free sacrifice of Christ and the "living sacrifices" of believers in the New Covenant.