Bible Strands
Joshua 8:30
At that time Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal to the LORD, the God of Israel,
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrative places Joshua on Mount Ebal immediately following the defeat of Ai and the execution of its king. He constructs a stone altar dedicated to Yahweh, the God of Israel.
The words — The verb יִבְנֶה (yivneh) means "he built," paired with מִזְבֵּחַ (mizbeach) for "an altar." The phrase לַֽיהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל (la-Yahweh Elohei Yisrael) literally reads "to Yahweh God of Israel."
The thread — The act of building altars to Yahweh echoes earlier records in Genesis 8:20 and Genesis 12:7, while the Mount Ebal location directly follows the stone-setting instruction in Deuteronomy 27:4.
Why it lands — The text records a timed, physical act of worship at a specified site, requiring the reader to track how covenant obedience is executed through concrete geography and ritual construction.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Then Joshua built an altar unto the Lord God of Israel in mount Ebal,
Cross-references
- Deuteronomy 27:4 And when you have crossed the Jordan, you are to set up these stones on Mount Ebal, as I am commanding you today, and you are to coat them with plaster.
- Genesis 8:20 Then Noah built an altar to the LORD. And taking from every kind of clean animal and clean bird, he offered burnt offerings on the altar.
- Genesis 12:7 Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, “I will give this land to your offspring.” So Abram built an altar there to the LORD, who had appeared to him.
- Exodus 20:24 You are to make for Me an altar of earth, and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and peace offerings, your sheep and goats and cattle. In every place where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you.