And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD, as well the stranger, as he that was born among them; half of them over against mount Gerizim, and half of them over against mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel.
All of Israel, their leaders, officials, and judges, stood on both sides of the ark of the covenant before the Levite priests who carried it. This included both foreigners living among them and native-born Israelites. Half the people stood facing Mount Gerizim, and half stood facing Mount Ebal, just as Moses the servant of the Lord had previously commanded them to do when blessing the people of Israel.
The writer is describing how all the Israelites, including their leaders and even foreigners among them, gathered around God's ark in a special ceremony to receive blessings, following Moses' earlier instructions.
📚 Historical Context
In the Book of Joshua, after the Israelites defeated the city of Ai, they gathered between Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal as part of fulfilling Moses' commands from earlier in the wilderness journey. This assembly included all people, from leaders and judges to foreigners living among them, with half standing on one side of the ark of the covenant and half on the other, to publicly reaffirm their commitment to God's laws. It was a ceremonial act to pronounce blessings for obedience and serve as a visual reminder of the covenant God made with Israel.
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