Deuteronomy
Chapter 27
The Curses
Moses and the elders of Israel gave this order to the people: “Observe all the commandments that I give you today.
When you cross the Jordan to go to the land which the Lord, your God, will give you, set up large stones and plaster them with lime.
Then you shall write upon them all the words of this law when you cross over, that you may enter the land which the Lord, the God of your ancestors, will give you as he has promised, a land flowing with milk and honey.
When you cross Jordan, set up these stones on Mount Ebal as I command you today and plaster them with lime.
Set up an altar in honor of the Lord, built with rough stones.
Build the altar to the Lord with uncut stones and on this altar offer burnt offerings to the Lord, your God.
There you shall also sacrifice peace offerings; you shall eat and feast in the presence of the Lord, your God.
Write plainly upon these stones all the words of this law.”
Then Moses and the priests from the tribe of Levi said to the people of Israel:
“Pay attention and listen, Israel. Today you have become the people of the Lord, your God:
Listen to his voice and put into practice the commandments and the norms that I give you today.”
On that day, Moses gave this command to the people:
“When you have crossed the Jordan River, the tribes of Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin shall stand on Mount Gerizim to repeat the blessings over the people,
while those of Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali shall stand on Mount Ebal to repeat the curses.
The Levites shall declare to all the Israelites with a loud voice:
Cursed be the man who makes an idol covered with metal,
a thing hateful to the Lord, the work of the hands of a craftsman,
and sets it up in a hidden place!
All the people shall answer: Amen!
Cursed be he who despises his father or mother! And the people shall respond: Amen!
Cursed be he who moves the boundaries of his neighbor’s inheritance. All the people shall respond: Amen!
Cursed be he who leads the blind astray from the way!
All the people shall respond: Amen!
Cursed be anyone who does not respect the rights of the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow!
All the people shall respond: Amen!
Cursed be he who lies with the wife of his father and dishonors his father’s bed!
All the people shall respond: Amen!
Cursed be anyone who sins with any animal!
The people shall respond: Amen!
Cursed be he who lies with his sister, whether the daughter of his father or mother!
All the people shall respond: Amen!
Cursed be he who lies with his mother-in-law!
All the people shall say: Amen!
Cursed be anyone who treacherously murders a neighbor!
All the people shall say: Amen!
Cursed be anyone who accepts a bribe to kill an innocent person!
All the people shall say: Amen!
Cursed be anyone who does not affirm the words of this law by putting them into practice!
And all the people shall say: Amen!
Commentaries
Curses.
Emphasizing that these rules and commandments will serve as a blueprint for the people’s lives when they “cross the Jordan,” Moses tells the community leaders that they are responsible for enforcing this law. Verses 15-26 list abominations that must be eliminated from the people when they live in the land the Lord will give them. The list begins with a curse on anyone who breaks the religious law prohibiting the creation of divine images (15); the rest of the curses concern disobedience to precepts related to life and healthy sexual relations.
Verse 26 summarizes all the laws not explicitly mentioned here but known to be obligatory. Over time, rabbinical interpretation added 613 commands, all carrying the exact weight of obligation: “cursed is he who does not keep the articles of this law by putting them into practice.” It is clear that, by that point, most Israelites were “under the curse” of the law for not fulfilling it. This was the environment in which Jesus was born and grew up, and it is from that curse that he has freed those who hear the Good News of freedom and the Father’s merciful love.