Deuteronomy 27:13 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

To curse; he saith to bless the people, Deuteronomy 27:12, but here only to curse, not expressing whom, either because he was loth to mention the people as objects of the curse; or because he presumed and hoped that though some particular persons might deserve the curse, yet the generality of the people would keep out of the reach of it; or to intimate, that though the blessing was peculiar to the people of Israel, yet the curse was indefinite and common to all nations, as may appear from the particular sins here numbered, which are such as made the Gentiles guilty and abominable to God, as is elsewhere affirmed. See Leviticus 18:28. Gad and Asher, Dan and Naphtali, are the children of the bond-women, to show that the curse belongs to those of servile and disingenuous spirits and carriages to God. With these are joined Reuben, who by his shameful sin fell from his dignity, Genesis 49:4, and Zebulun, as the youngest of Leah's children, who was necessary to be joined with those, that the numbers might be equal.