Joshua 8:32

And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Benson Commentary

Joshua 8:32. Upon the stones — Not upon the stones of the altar, which, were to be rough and unpolished, (Joshua 8:13,) but upon other stones, smooth and plastered, as is manifest from Deuteronomy 27:2. A copy of the law of Moses — Not certainly the whole five books of Moses, for what stones or time would have sufficed for this? but the most weighty parts of the law, and especially the law of the ten commandments.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

8:30-35 As soon as Joshua got to the mountains Ebal and Gerizim, without delay, and without caring for the unsettled state of Israel, or their enemies, he confirmed the covenant of the Lord with his people, as appointed, De 11; 27. We must not think to defer covenanting with God till we are settled in the world; nor must any business put us from minding and pursuing the one thing needful. The way to prosper is to begin with God, Mt 6:33. They built an altar, and offered sacrifice to God, in token of their dedicating themselves to God, as living sacrifices to his honour, in and by a Mediator. By Christ's sacrifice of himself for us, we have peace with God. It is a great mercy to any people to have the law of God in writing, and it is fit that the written law should be in a known tongue, that it may be seen and read of all men.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

See the note marginal reference.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

32. he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses—(See on [185]De 27:2, 3, 5); that is, the blessings and curses of the law. Some think that the stones which contained this inscription were the stones of the altar: but this verse seems rather to indicate that a number of stone pillars were erected alongside of the altar, and on which, after they were plastered, this duplicate of the law was inscribed.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Not upon the stones of the altar, which were to be rough and unpolished, Joshua 8:31, but upon other stones, smooth and plastered, as is manifest from Deu 27:2.

A copy of the law of Moses; not certainly the whole five books of Moses, for what stones and time would have sufficed for this! nor the blessings and the curses here following, which never are nor can without great impropriety be called the law of Moses, seeing they presuppose the law, and the observation or transgression thereof, to which they belong, only as rewards of the one, and punishments of the other: but the most weighty and substantial parts of the law, as may be gathered from the laws which are mentioned, and to the violators whereof the curses are applied, Deu 27:15, and especially the law of the ten commandments.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses,.... Not upon the stones of which the altar was made, though some have so thought; but upon other stones erected in the form of a pillar, and plastered over, Deuteronomy 27:4; which copy of the law was not the whole book of Deuteronomy, as some, at least only an abstract of the laws in it; but rather the decalogue, as Abarbinel; or the blessings and curses later read, as Ben Gersom:

which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel: they being witness of it, that he did what was enjoined.

Geneva Study Bible

And he wrote there upon the stones a {n} copy of the law of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel.

(n) Meaning, the ten commandments, which are the sum of the whole Law.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

32. a copy of the law] “Short declaracioun of the lawe of Moyses,” Wyclif. This has been variously interpreted as meaning (a) the whole Law; (b) the Decalogue; (c) the Book of Deuteronomy; (d) the “commandments” proper, the “statutes” and “rights” contained in the Pentateuch, “six hundred and thirteen in number, according to the Jewish reckoning, not including all the narratives also, and warnings, admonitions, discourses, reasons, and the like.”

he wrote in the presence] The Law was probably “written upon or in the plaster with which these pillars were coated. This could easily be done; and such writing was common in ancient times. I have seen numerous specimens of it certainly more than two thousand years old, and still as distinct as when they were first inscribed on the plaster.” Thomson’s Land and the Book, p. 471. “The investigation of the Egyptian monuments has shewn that it was an ancient Egyptian custom first to plaster the stone walls of buildings, and also monumental stones that were to be painted with figures and hieroglyphics, with a plaster of lime and gypsum, into which the figures were worked; thus it was possible in Egypt to engrave on the walls the most extensive pieces of writing. And in this manner Deuteronomy 27:4-8 must be understood, and in this manner it was accomplished by Joshua.” Oehler’s Theology of the Old Testament, p. 121 n.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 32. - And he wrote there upon the stones; i.e., upon the plaster, as we read in Deuteronomy 27:2, 4. "The wall destined to receive the picture," and it was just the same with inscriptions - was covered with a coating of lime and gypsum plaster. The outline was then sketched with red chalk, and afterwards corrected and filled in with black (Keurick's 'Egypt,' 1, p. 271). Thomson ('Land and the Book,' Io. 471) says that he has seen writings in plaster which could not have been less than two thousand years old. This passage shows that our author had Deuteronomy 28:2, 3 in his mind. The stones of the altar, which alone have been mentioned, are clearly not meant here, but the erection of plastered stone on which the law was to be written. A copy of the law of Moses, "Deuteronomium legis," Vulgate. So also LXX. Not the whole law, nor yet the Book of Deuteronomy, for time would not permit,but the decalogue, as the word מִשְׁנֶה duplicate, from whence the word Mishna comes, signifies. It is to be observed that the word is definite, the copy, not a copy, of the law. This (Deuteronomy 5:22) was what was written on the two tables of stone, which (Exodus 24:12, 31:18) God gave to Moses. Yet it is possible that, as some commentaters suggest, and as ver. 34 may be held to imply, what is meant is the curses and blessings mentioned in Deuteronomy 27, and 28. The formal setting up of this memorial was intended to remind the Israelites, by a perpetual standing witness, of the conditions on which they held the land of Canaan. And it is to be observed that the moral, rather than the positive, precepts of the law were thus solemnly enjoined on them, since neglect of the moral law of God is the invariable source of national degradation and decay. Which he wrote. Namely, Joshua. Joshua 8:32

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

"As Moses commanded:" namely, Deuteronomy 27:5. "As it is written in the book of the law of Moses:" viz., in Exodus 20:22 (25). On the presentation of burnt-offerings and slain-offerings, see at Deuteronomy 27:6-7. - In Joshua 8:32 nothing is mentioned but the writing of the law upon the stones; all the rest is presupposed from Deuteronomy 27:2., to which the expression "the stones" refers. "Copy of the law:" as in Deuteronomy 17:18; see the explanation at Deuteronomy 27:3. In connection with the third part of the ceremony the promulgation of the law with the blessing and cursing, the account of the Mosaic instructions given in Deuteronomy 27:11. is completed in Joshua 8:33 by the statement that "all Israel, and their elders (i.e., with their elders), and shoterim, and judges," stood on both sides of the ark before the Levitical priests, the stranger as well as the native, i.e., without any exception, one half (i.e., six tribes) towards Mount Ebal, and the other half towards Mount Gerizim. For further remarks, see at Deuteronomy 27:11. "As Moses commanded to bless the people before:" i.e., as he had previously commanded. The fact that the thought itself does not suit the context is quite sufficient to show that the explanation given by many commentators, viz., that they were to commence with the blessings, is incorrect. But if, on the other hand, we connect the word "before" with the principal verb of the sentence, "commanded," the meaning will be that Moses did not give the command to proclaim the blessings and cursings to the people for the first time in connection with these instructions (Deuteronomy 27), but had done so before, at the very outset, namely, as early as Deuteronomy 11:29.