Joshua 8:33

“And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark, and on that side, etc.] Some on Ebal, and some on Gerizim: before the priests and the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord; it being brought out of the tabernacle on this occasion, and bottle by the priests and Levites: as well the stranger, as he that was born among them; that is, as well the proselytes as the native Israelites, both appeared and were in the same situation: half of them over against Mount Gerizim; that is, half of the tribes, and these were Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin: and half of them over against Mount Ebal; which were the tribes of…”

“all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their judges, stood on this side the ark and on that side--One half of Israel was arranged on Gerizim, and the other half on Ebal--along the sides and base of each. before the priests the Levites--in full view of them.”

“The account of this solemnity is very brief. An acquaintance with Deuteronomy 27:0 is evidently presupposed; and the three several acts of which the solemnity consisted are only so far distinctly named as is necessary to show that the commands of Moses there given were fully carried out by Joshua. It is difficult to escape the conviction that these verses are here out of their proper and original place. The connection between Joshua 8:29, and Joshua 9:1, is natural and obvious; and in Joshua 9:3, the fraud of the Gibeonites is represented as growing out of the alarm caused by the fall of Jericho and Ai. It is, moreover, extremely unlikely that a solemnity of this nature in the very center of…”

“All Israel - That is, the whole congregation, old and young, male and female. That side - Some on one side of it, and some on the other. Mount Gerizim - These two places were in the tribe of Ephraim, not far from Shechem, as appears both from scripture, and from other authors. Bless - Or curse, which is easily understood out of the following verse. Joshua 8:34”

“8:33-35 This ceremony marked the formal possession of the land, even though major campaigns against the Canaanites were still to come. The ritual of sacrifice and reading of the law highlighted the promises and obligations of God’s covenant with them and anticipated the eventual possession of all of Canaan. 8:33 The town of Shechem, located between Mount Gerizim to the south and Mount Ebal to the north, guarded the pass between the two mountains. Although the covenant renewal ceremony took place at Shechem, neither Joshua nor Judges records that Israel conquered the town. • With every Israelite involved and the Ark positioned in the valley between the two groups, this ceremony was a promise…”

“all Israel: Jos 23:2, Jos 24:1; Deu 27:12, Deu 27:13, Deu 29:10, Deu 29:11 priests: Jos 3:3, Jos 3:6, Jos 3:14, Jos 4:10, Jos 4:18, Jos 6:6; Deu 31:9, Deu 31:25; Ch1 15:11-15 stranger: Exo 12:49; Lev 24:22; Num 15:16, Num 15:29; Deu 31:12 Moses: Jos 8:30-32; Deu 11:29, Deu 27:12 Joshua 8:34”