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
In the Book of Joshua, after the Israelites defeated the city of Ai, Joshua led them to Mount Ebal as part of their conquest and covenant obligations in the Promised Land. Moses had previously commanded in the Law that altars be built with uncut stones to maintain ritual purity and avoid any human craftsmanship that might profane the worship, as detailed in Deuteronomy. This act symbolized the people's dedication to God's unchanging instructions during their entry into Canaan.
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