Deuteronomy 27:12 - Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Upon mount Gerizim The original words may be rendered beside or near to mount Gerizim. There were in Canaan two mountains that lay near together, with a valley between, the one called Gerizim, the other Ebal. On the sides of these which faced each other, all the tribes were to be drawn up, six on a side, so that in the valley they came near each other, so near that the priests standing between them might be heard by them that were next them on both sides. Then one of the priests, or perhaps more, at some distance from each other, pronounced with a loud voice one of the curses following. And all the people who stood on the foot and side of mount Ebal (those further off taking the signal from those who were nearer) said, Amen! Then the contrary blessing was pronounced, “Blessed is he that doth so or so:” to which all who stood on the foot and side of mount Gerizim said, Amen! Simeon, Levi, &c. All these were the children of the free-women, Leah and Rachel, to show both the dignity of the blessings above the curses, and that the blessings belong only to those who are evangelically free, as this is expounded and applied, Galatians 4:22, even to those that receive the Spirit of adoption and liberty. Joseph is here put for both his sons and tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim, which are reckoned as one tribe, because Levi is here numbered; but when Levi is omitted, as it is where the division of the land is made, there Manasseh and Ephraim pass for two tribes.