Deuteronomy 27:4 (KJV)

What does Deuteronomy 27:4 mean?

Deuteronomy 27:4 tells the Israelites where to place a visible, lasting record of the law after they cross the Jordan River. They are to prepare stones on Mount Ebal by coating them with plaster, making a surface on which the words can be written.

Moses is addressing the people before they enter the land across the river. The instruction carries forward the command to write the words of the law on the stones, given in verses 2–3. Mount Ebal gives that public record a specific location.

The Hebrew behind Deuteronomy 27:4

• “plaister” — שִׂיד (sid): This word refers to a lime coating. The old KJV spelling “plaister” describes the material spread over the stones.
• “up” — קוּם (qum): Here the word carries the sense of setting something upright. It helps picture the stones standing as a visible monument rather than lying in a pile.

Why Deuteronomy 27:4 matters

• The stones are meant to carry readable words, not merely mark a place. Verse 8 says to write the words of the law on them “very plainly.”
• Mount Ebal is also the setting for an altar made of uncut stones in verses 5–6. The passage places the written record and the altar at the same mountain.
• Ebal has a further role in the gathering described later in the chapter. In verse 13, six tribes are appointed to stand on Ebal for the pronouncement of curses, or warnings of consequences for breaking the law.