Deuteronomy 27 · Verse 5

Deuteronomy 27:5

And there shalt thou build an altar unto the Lord thy God, an altar of stones: thou shalt not lift up any iron tool upon them.
Deuteronomy 27:5, King James Version

Deuteronomy 27:5 in other translations

BSBMoreover, you are to build there an altar to the LORD your God, an altar of stones. You must not use any iron tool on them.
WEBThere you shall build an altar to the LORD your God, an altar of stones. You shall not use any iron tool on them.
ASVAnd there shalt thou build an altar unto Jehovah thy God, an altar of stones: thou shalt lift up no iron tool upon them.
YLTand built there an altar to Jehovah thy God, an altar of stones, thou dost not wave over them iron.
DARBYAnd there shalt thou build an altar to Jehovah thy God, an altar of stones; thou shalt not lift up an iron tool upon them;
BBEThere you are to make an altar to the Lord your God, of stones on which no iron instrument has been used.
WebsterAnd there shalt thou build an altar to the LORD thy God, an altar of stones: thou shalt not lift up any iron tool upon them.

What does Deuteronomy 27:5 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Deuteronomy 27:5-10
5-10. there shalt thou build an altar ... of whole stones--The stones were to be in their natural state, as if a chisel would communicate pollution to them. The stony pile was to be so large as to contain all the conditions of the covenant, so elevated as to be visible to the whole congregation of Israel; and the religious ceremonial performed on the occasion was to consist: first, of the elementary worship needed for sinful men; and secondly, of the peace offerings, or lively, social feasts, that were suited to the happy people whose God was the Lord. There were thus, the law which condemned, and the typical expiation--the two great principles of revealed religion.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Deuteronomy 27:1-10

As soon as they were come into Canaan, they must set up a monument, on which they must write the words of this law. They must set up an altar. The word and prayer must go together. Though they might not, of their own heads, set up any altar besides that at the tabernacle; yet, by the appointment of God, they might, upon special occasion. This altar must be made of unhewn stones, such as they found upon the field…

Read the full comment on Deuteronomy 27:1-10 →

Deuteronomy 27:5 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וּבָנִ֤יתָu.va.Ni.taand you will buildH1129
שָּׁם֙shamthereH8033
מִזְבֵּ֔חַmiz.Be.achan altarH4196
לַיהוָ֖הla.Yah.wehto YahwehH3068
אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ'e.lo.Hei.khaGod yourH430
מִזְבַּ֣חmiz.Bachan altar ofH4196
אֲבָנִ֔ים'a.va.NimstonesH68
לֹא\־lo'-notH3808
תָנִ֥יףta.Nifyou will wieldH5130
עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם'a.lei.Hemon themH5921
בַּרְזֶֽל\׃bar.ZelironH1270

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Deuteronomy 27:5

  • Exodus 20:25

    And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.

  • Exodus 24:4

    And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.

  • 1 Kings 18:31-32

    And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be thy name: And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.

  • Joshua 8:30-31

    Then Joshua built an altar unto the Lord God of Israel in mount Ebal, 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.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
And there.
Ex 24:4; Jos 8:30,31; 1Ki 18:31,32
thou shalt not.
Ex 20:25

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Deuteronomy 27:4

    Therefore it shall be when ye be gone over Jordan, that ye shall set up these stones, which I command you this day, in mount Ebal, and thou shalt plaister them with plaister.

  • Deuteronomy 27:5

    And there shalt thou build an altar unto the Lord thy God, an altar of stones: thou shalt not lift up any iron tool upon them.

  • Deuteronomy 27:6

    Thou shalt build the altar of the Lord thy God of whole stones: and thou shalt offer burnt offerings thereon unto the Lord thy God:

Read all of Deuteronomy 27

Deuteronomy 27:5 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y edificarás allí altar á Jehová tu Dios, altar de piedras: no alzarás sobre ellas hierro.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et tu bâtiras là un autel à l’ Éternel, ton Dieu, un autel de pierres, sur lesquelles tu ne lèveras pas le fer:
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und du sollst daselbst Jehova, deinem Gott, einen Altar bauen, einen Altar von Steinen; du sollst kein Eisen über dieselben schwingen:
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		et ædificabis ibi altare Domino Deo tuo de lapidibus, quos ferrum non tetigit,