Joshua 8:31
in Joshua 8just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses: “an altar of uncut stones on which no iron tool has been used.” And on it they offered burnt offerings to the LORD, and they sacrificed peace offerings.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
as Moses the servant of Jehovah commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of unhewn stones, upon which no man had lifted up any iron: and they offered thereon burnt-offerings unto Jehovah, and sacrificed peace-offerings.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Joshua 8
Commentary
8 notes on this verseI myself think that perhaps the holy apostles are able to be such whole and undefiled stones, making one altar all together on account of their unanimity and concord. For thus "praying unanimously" and opening their mouths all together, they are reported to have said, "You, Lord, you who know the hearts of all." Therefore, those of one mind who were able to pray with one voice and one spirit, they are perhaps the worthy ones who all together ought to build one altar, upon which Jesus may offer sacrifices to the Father.
This site's exposition
At that time Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal
on Joshua 8:30-31
Ebal stands at Shechem, about twenty miles north of Ai through country not yet taken, and the text gives no account of the march. The altar answers Deuteronomy 27:4-6, “an altar of uncut stones on which no iron tool has been used”, the law of Exodus 20:25.
This site's exposition
burnt offerings
Deuteronomy 27:6-7 had ordered both kinds of offering. John Gill reads them as thanks for the good land Israel had been brought into. Matthew Henry sees the act at Ebal as a renewal of the covenant, so that Israel would know on what terms it held the land.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Who do you think those whole stones are? The conscience of everyone knows who is whole, who is uncorrupted, unpolluted, unstained in flesh and in spirit. This is the one in whom iron has not been set, that is, who did not receive "the fiery darts of the evil one," the darts of lust, but by the shield of faith "quenched and repelled them"; or the one who never assumed the iron of battle, the iron of war, the iron of strife, but was always peaceable, always calm and gentle, formed out of the humility of Christ. Those, therefore, are "the living stones" out of which Jesus our Lord "constructed an altar from whole stones, in which iron had not been set," so that he might offer upon them "whole burnt offerings and the sacrifice of salvation."
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
As Moses the servant of the Lord commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses,.... Deu 27:5, an altar of whole stones, on which no man hath lift up any iron; See Gill on Exo 20:25; see Gill on Deu 27:5, and; see Gill on Deu 27:6, and they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the Lord, and sacrificed peace offerings; by way of thanksgiving for the good land they were introduced into, and this was what they were ordered to do by Moses, Deu 27:6.
), in token of their dedication of themselves to God, as living sacrifices to his honour, in and by a Mediator, who is the altar that sanctifies this gift. This altar was erected on Mount Ebal, the mount on which the curse was put ( Deut. xi.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation
Note, When we have faithfully put away sin, that accursed thing, which separates between us and God, then, and not till then, we may expect to hear from God to our comfort; and God's directing us how to go on in our Christian work and warfare is a good evidence of his being reconciled to us.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
an altar of whole stones--according to the instructions given to Moses (Ex 20:25; De 27:5). over which no man hath lifted up any iron--that is, iron tool.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
26 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר | kaasher | just as | H834 → | 5497 times |
| צִוָּה֩ | tzivah | he had commanded | H6680 → | 494 times |
| מֹשֶׁ֨ה | mosheh | Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
| עֶֽבֶד־ | ʾeved- | [the] servant of | H5650 → | 799 times |
| יְהוָ֜ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בְּנֵ֣י | benei | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| כַּכָּתוּב֙ | kakatuv | according to <the> [what] is written | H3789 → | 224 times |
| בְּסֵ֙פֶר֙ | besefer | in [the] book of | H5612 → | 186 times |
| תּוֹרַ֣ת | torat | [the] law of | H8451 → | 219 times |
| מֹשֶׁ֔ה | mosheh | Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
| מִזְבַּח֙ | mizbach | an altar of | H4196 → | 401 times |
| אֲבָנִ֣ים | ʾavanim | stones | H68 → | 273 times |
| שְׁלֵמ֔וֹת | shelemot | complete | H8003 → | |
| אֲשֶׁ֛ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| הֵנִ֥יף | henif | anyone has wielded | H5130 → | |
| עֲלֵיהֶ֖ן | ʾaleihen | on them | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| בַּרְזֶ֑ל | barzel | iron | H1270 → | 76 times |
| וַיַּעֲל֨וּ | vaiyaalu | and they offered up | H5927 → | 890 times |
| עָלָ֤יו | ʾalav | on it | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| עֹלוֹת֙ | ʾolot | burnt offerings | H5930 → | 287 times |
| לַֽיהוָ֔ה | layahweh | to Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וַֽיִּזְבְּח֖וּ | vaiyizbechu | and they sacrificed | H2076 → | |
| שְׁלָמִֽים׃ | shelamim | peace offerings | H8002 → | 87 times |
כַּאֲשֶׁ֣רjust as
kaasherH834 →5497 times
צִוָּה֩he had commanded
tzivahH6680 →494 times
מֹשֶׁ֨הMoses
moshehH4872 →765 times
עֶֽבֶד־[the] servant of
ʾeved-H5650 →799 times
יְהוָ֜הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
בְּנֵ֣י[the] people of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
כַּכָּתוּב֙according to <the> [what] is written
kakatuvH3789 →224 times
בְּסֵ֙פֶר֙in [the] book of
beseferH5612 →186 times
תּוֹרַ֣ת[the] law of
toratH8451 →219 times
מֹשֶׁ֔הMoses
moshehH4872 →765 times
מִזְבַּח֙an altar of
mizbachH4196 →401 times
אֲבָנִ֣יםstones
ʾavanimH68 →273 times
שְׁלֵמ֔וֹתcomplete
shelemotH8003 →
אֲשֶׁ֛רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
הֵנִ֥יףanyone has wielded
henifH5130 →
עֲלֵיהֶ֖ןon them
ʾaleihenH5921 →5755 times
בַּרְזֶ֑לiron
barzelH1270 →76 times
וַיַּעֲל֨וּand they offered up
vaiyaaluH5927 →890 times
עָלָ֤יוon it
ʾalavH5921 →5755 times
עֹלוֹת֙burnt offerings
ʾolotH5930 →287 times
לַֽיהוָ֔הto Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 times
וַֽיִּזְבְּח֖וּand they sacrificed
vaiyizbechuH2076 →
שְׁלָמִֽים׃peace offerings
shelamimH8002 →87 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Joshua 1:8This Book of the Law must not depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. For then you will prosper…
it leads to
- Psalms 119:15
I will meditate on Your precepts and regard Your ways.
- Psalms 19:14
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
- Colossians 3:16
Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to…
- Proverbs 3:1
My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments;
- Deuteronomy 29:9
So keep and follow the words of this covenant, that you may prosper in all you do.
- Psalms 119:15
Through
Exodus 24:5Then he sent out some young men of Israel, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as peace offerings to the LORD.
it leads to
- Exodus 18:12
Then Moses’ father-in-law Jethro brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God.
- Leviticus 3:1–17
“If one’s offering is a peace offering and he offers an animal from the herd, whether male or female, he must present it without blemish before the LORD.
- Leviticus 7:11–21
Now this is the law of the peace offering that one may present to the LORD:
- Exodus 18:12
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies9
On this verse
About Joshua
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON JOSHUA 9.2.