Joshua 8:31

²⁹ He hung the king of Ai on a tree until evening, and at sunset Joshua commanded that they take down the body from the tree and throw it down at the entrance of the city gate. And over it they raised a large pile of rocks, which remains to this day.

³⁰ At that time Joshua built an altar on Mount Ebal to the LORD, the God of Israel,

just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses: “an altar of uncut stones on which no iron tool has been used.” And on it they offered burnt offerings to the LORD, and they sacrificed peace offerings.

³² And there in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua inscribed on the stones a copy of the law of Moses, which he had written.

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.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses: “an altar of uncut stones on which no iron tool has been used.” And on it they offered burnt offerings to the LORD, and they sacrificed peace offerings.
KJV: 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.
WEB: 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 uncut stones, on which no one had lifted up any iron. They offered burnt offerings on it to the LORD and sacrificed peace offerings.
ASV: as Moses the servant of Jehovah commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of unhewn stones, upon which no man had lifted up any iron: and they offered thereon burnt-offerings unto Jehovah, and sacrificed peace-offerings.
DARBY: as Moses the servant of Jehovah had commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which iron had not been lifted up. And they offered up burnt-offerings on it to Jehovah, and sacrificed peace-offerings.
BLB: as Moses the servant of YHWH had commanded the sons of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses: “An altar of whole stones, over which he has not wielded iron.” And they offered on it burnt offerings to YHWH, and they sacrificed peace offerings.

ÅB: slik som Moses, Herrens tjener, hadde befalt Israels barn, etter det som står skrevet i Mose lovbok, et alter av hele steiner, som det ikke hadde vært brukt jern på; og på det ofret de brennoffer for Herren og slaktet takkoffer.
OTB: slik Moses, Herrens tjener, hadde befalt israelittene, som det er skrevet i Mose lovbok—et alter av uhugget stein, som ingen jernredskap hadde blitt brukt på. De ofret brennoffer på det til Herren, og ofret fellesskapsoffer.
B1930: således som Moses, Herrens tjener, hadde befalt Israels barn, efter det som står skrevet i Mose lovbok, et alter av hele stener, som det ikke hadde vært brukt jern på; og på det ofret de brennoffer for Herren og slaktet takkoffer.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Deuteronomy 27:5–7
Moreover, 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.
Read in context
Exodus 20:24–25
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.
Read in context
Joshua 8:34–35
Afterward, Joshua read aloud all the words of the law—the blessings and the curses—according to all that is written in the Book of the Law.
Read in context
Joshua 1:8
This Book of the Law must not depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in all you do.
Read in context
Exodus 18:12
Then Moses’ father-in-law Jethro brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God.
Read in context
1 Kings 18:31–32
And Elijah took twelve stones, one for each tribe of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come and said, “Israel shall be your name.”
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Exodus 24:5
Then he sent out some young men of Israel, and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls as peace offerings to the LORD.
Read in context
Ezra 6:18
They also appointed the priests by their divisions and the Levites by their groups to the service of God in Jerusalem, according to what is written in the Book of Moses.
Read in context