Bible Strands
Joshua 8:33
All Israel, foreigners and citizens alike, with their elders, officers, and judges, stood on both sides of the ark of the covenant of the LORD facing the Levitical priests who carried it. Half of the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded earlier, to bless the people of Israel.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Joshua addresses the assembled nation immediately after the conquest of Ai and the inscription of the law on stones. The text places Israel, foreigners, citizens, elders, officers, and judges on both sides of the ark carried by Levitical priests, with half facing Mount Gerizim and half facing Mount Ebal.
The words — עֹמְדִים ('o.me.Dim) describes the standing posture of the entire assembly, while מִ/זֶּה and וּ/מִ/זֶּה (mi./Zeh; u./mi./Zeh) designate the two opposite sides of the valley where the people positioned themselves.
The thread — The text states this arrangement occurs as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded earlier to bless the people of Israel, aligning with the gathering mandate in Deuteronomy 31:12 and the mountain positioning in Deuteronomy 27:11 and Deuteronomy 11:29.
Why it lands — The passage demands recognition that every demographic group stands together in a fixed, ordered formation before the covenant ark. It presents the physical division of the people as the direct prerequisite for the public reading of the law that follows in Joshua 8:34.
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
And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark and on that side before the priests the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, as well the stranger, as he that was born among them; half of them over against mount Gerizim, and half of them over against mount Ebal; as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel.
Cross-references
- Deuteronomy 11:29 When the LORD your God brings you into the land you are entering to possess, you are to proclaim the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal.
- Deuteronomy 31:12 Assemble the people—men, women, children, and the foreigners within your gates—so that they may listen and learn to fear the LORD your God and to follow carefully all the words of this law.
- Deuteronomy 27:11 On that day Moses commanded the people:
- Deuteronomy 31:9 So Moses wrote down this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel.
- Exodus 12:49 The same law shall apply to both the native and the foreigner who resides among you.”
- Numbers 15:16 The same law and the same ordinance will apply both to you and to the foreigner residing with you.”
- Numbers 15:29 You shall have the same law for the one who acts in error, whether he is a native-born Israelite or a foreigner residing among you.
- Deuteronomy 31:25 he gave this command to the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD:
- Joshua 3:3 and commanded the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God being carried by the Levitical priests, you are to set out from your positions and follow it.
- Joshua 4:18 When the priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD came up out of the Jordan and their feet touched the dry land, the waters of the Jordan returned to their course and overflowed all the banks as before.