Deuteronomy 27 is the chapter where Moses gives Israel a concrete ceremony to carry out once they cross the Jordan: setting up large plastered stones on Mount Ebal, building an altar, and then having the tribes divided between blessing and curse as the law is read aloud. The questions below are built for a small group, a Sunday class, or personal study. Each set moves from what the text says, to what it means, to how it shapes daily life.
Deuteronomy 27 at a Glance
The chapter opens with Moses and the elders commanding Israel to keep the whole commandment. Instructions follow for the stones, the writing on them, and the altar on Ebal, with burnt and peace offerings and rejoicing before the Lord. Then the tribes are split between Mount Gerizim, for blessing, and Mount Ebal, for curse, and the Levites pronounce a series of curses, each answered by the people with “Amen.”
A leader can use the questions in order without a separate summary. The curses in verses 15 through 26 are the heart of the chapter, and most of the discussion questions gather around them.
Observation Questions
Use these first to make sure everyone has read the chapter closely and can point to the text. Let people answer from the verses before anyone offers an interpretation.
Deuteronomy 27:1
Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, “Keep all the commandment which I command you today.
(WEB)
Read this to open the session, since it sets the tone of the chapter as a direct command to keep all of God’s commandments. It frames everything that follows and reminds the group that the instructions are meant to be lived, not just studied.
Deuteronomy 27:9-10
9 Moses and the priests the Levites spoke to all Israel, saying, “Be silent, and listen, Israel! Today you have become the people of the LORD your God. 10 You shall therefore obey the LORD your God’s voice, and do his commandments and his statutes, which I command you today.”
(WEB)
These verses root obedience in the identity Israel has just received. Reading them aloud helps the group hear that God’s commands come from a relationship he has already established with his people.
Deuteronomy 27:14
With a loud voice, the Levites shall say to all the men of Israel…
(WEB)
Reading this verse in a loud, clear voice mirrors the public character of the ceremony. It is a good moment to ask the group what it means for God’s word to be proclaimed publicly and not kept private.
Deuteronomy 27:19
‘Cursed is he who withholds justice from the foreigner, fatherless, and widow.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
(WEB)
This verse names the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, people easily neglected. Reading it aloud keeps the group focused on justice and mercy toward those on the margins, which often gets lost in discussions of the curses.
Deuteronomy 27:26
‘Cursed is he who doesn’t uphold the words of this law by doing them.’ All the people shall say, ‘Amen.’”
(WEB)
End the reading with this verse, since it gathers all the earlier curses into one principle: the law is meant to be done. Let the group sit with the weight of that word before moving on to prayer.
Memory Verse for Deuteronomy 27
Deuteronomy 27:10
You shall therefore obey the LORD your God’s voice, and do his commandments and his statutes, which I command you today.”
(WEB)
This verse is a sound choice for memorizing because it is short and direct. It sums up the chapter’s call to obey the Lord’s voice and keep his commandments and statutes as a daily response to the relationship he has given.
A Closing Prayer for the Group
Father, we come to you as the people you have claimed as your own. Teach us to take your word seriously, to write it on the stones of our daily lives, and to say “Amen” to your good commands with honest hearts. Show us where we have turned from your law, and give us grace to return. Make us generous toward the vulnerable among us, and let our obedience become a source of real gladness before you. Thank you for leading us through these words together. Amen.
