Joshua 8:32
in Joshua 8And there in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua inscribed on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
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.
KJV
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.
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This verse in Joshua 8
Commentary
9 notes on this verseA copy of the law of Moses - משנה תורת mishneh torath, the repetition of the law; that is, a copy of the blessings and curses, as commanded by Moses; not a copy of the Decalogue, as some imagine, nor of the book of Deuteronomy, as others think; much less of the whole Pentateuch; but merely of that part which contained the blessings and curses, and which was to be read on this solemn occasion. See the note on Deu 27:3.
This site's exposition
a copy of the law
What was written on the stones is read three ways, the ten commandments, the blessings and curses, or the whole law. Deuteronomy 27:2 had the stones coated with plaster. The word for the copy is the one Deuteronomy 17:18 uses of the book a king was to write out.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
How was he able to depict so large a book to the sons of Israel—or even to those standing and remaining there—so that they did not disperse until the writing of so many verses was finished? Or even how were the stones of the altar able to bear the contents of such a large book? Such things let those Jewish defenders of the letter who are ignorant of the spirit of the law tell me. In what manner is the truth of the narrative demonstrated in this? Yet among those former ones "to this day, whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart." But for us, "who have turned to the Lord" Jesus, "the veil is taken away" because "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom of understanding."15Therefore our Lord Jesus does not need much time in order to write Deuteronomy, in order to set up the "second law" in the hearts of believers and imprint the law of the Spirit in the minds of those who are worthy to be chosen for the construction of the altar. For immediately when anyone believes in Jesus Christ, the law of the gospel is written down in that person's heart and written down "in the sight of the sons of Israel."
He wrote, in the way the son of Nun was able at that time, to depict the law upon the stones of the altar; and, to the extent he was capable, he dimly sketched types. Let us see, however, how our Jesus wrote Deuteronomy "on living" and "whole stones."Deuteronomy is called, so to speak, a "second law." If therefore you wish to see how, after the first law was annulled, Jesus wrote the second law, hear him saying in the Gospel, "It was said in former times: You shall not kill.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Upon the stones - Not upon the stones of the altar, which were to be rough and unpolished, ver. 31, but upon other stones, smooth and plaistered, as is manifest from Deut. xxvii, 2.
And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the law of Moses,....
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.
2 more voices on this verse
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
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 exposed to common view in a known tongue, that it may be seen and read of all men.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
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.
The words behind it
13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּכְתָּב־ | vaiyikhtov- | and he wrote | H3789 → | 224 times |
| שָׁ֖ם | sham | there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הָאֲבָנִ֑ים | haavanim | the stones | H68 → | 273 times |
| אֵ֗ת | ʾet | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מִשְׁנֵה֙ | mishneh | <the> copy of | H4932 → | |
| תּוֹרַ֣ת | torat | [the] law of | H8451 → | 219 times |
| מֹשֶׁ֔ה | mosheh | Moses | H4872 → | 765 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| כָּתַ֔ב | katav | he had written | H3789 → | 224 times |
| לִפְנֵ֖י | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| בְּנֵ֥י | benei | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
וַיִּכְתָּב־and he wrote
vaiyikhtov-H3789 →224 times
שָׁ֖םthere
shamH8033 →834 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הָאֲבָנִ֑יםthe stones
haavanimH68 →273 times
אֵ֗ת<obj.>
ʾetH853 →10935 times
מִשְׁנֵה֙<the> copy of
mishnehH4932 →
תּוֹרַ֣ת[the] law of
toratH8451 →219 times
מֹשֶׁ֔הMoses
moshehH4872 →765 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
כָּתַ֔בhe had written
katavH3789 →224 times
לִפְנֵ֖י<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
בְּנֵ֥י[the] people of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
3 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
Deuteronomy 27:8And you shall write distinctly upon these stones all the words of this law.”
it leads to
- Habakkuk 2:2
Then the LORD answered me: “Write down this vision and clearly inscribe it on tablets, so that a herald may run with it.
- John 16:25
I have spoken these things to you in figures of speech. An hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you this way, but will tell you plainly about the Father.
- 2 Corinthians 3:12
Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.
- Habakkuk 2:2
Where this verse is studied
About Joshua
Who and where
2 names 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 (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: Joshua, Judges, Ruth; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON JOSHUA 9.4 and Origen of Alexandria, HOMILIES ON JOSHUA 9.3.