As Moses the servant of the LORD commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which no man hath lift up any iron: and they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings.
They built the altar exactly as Moses, the LORD's servant, had commanded the people of Israel. It was built according to what was written in Moses' law book - an altar made of uncut stones that no iron tool had touched. On this altar they offered burnt offerings to the LORD and sacrificed peace offerings.
The Israelites carefully followed Moses' instructions to build an altar of uncut stones and offer sacrifices to God, showing their obedience to His commands.
📚 Historical Context
This took place after Joshua led Israel's victory over the city of Ai. Following Moses' earlier instructions, Joshua built this altar on Mount Ebal as part of a covenant renewal ceremony. The requirement for uncut stones reflected God's desire for natural, unaltered materials in worship, emphasizing that human craftsmanship shouldn't improve upon God's creation in sacred contexts.
Ask the AI Assistant
Have a question about this chapter or verse? Ask below for a clear explanation.