The Meaning of Deuteronomy 27:3 Explained

Deuteronomy 27:3

KJV: And thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law, when thou art passed over, that thou mayest go in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, a land that floweth with milk and honey; as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee.

YLT: and written on them all the words of this law in thy passing over, so that thou goest in unto the land which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee -- a land flowing with milk and honey, as Jehovah, God of thy fathers, hath spoken to thee.

Darby: and thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law, when thou goest over that thou mayest enter into the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, as Jehovah the God of thy fathers hath promised thee.

ASV: and thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law, when thou art passed over; that thou mayest go in unto the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, as Jehovah, the God of thy fathers, hath promised thee.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And thou shalt write  upon them all the words  of this law,  when thou art passed over,  that thou mayest go in  unto the land  which the LORD  thy God  giveth  thee, a land  that floweth  with milk  and honey;  as the LORD  God  of thy fathers  hath promised  thee. 

What does Deuteronomy 27:3 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 27:1-26 - Curses Upon Evildoers
Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal were two masses of limestone rock, reaching 2700 and 2000 feet above the sea-level. Between them lay a beautiful valley, about 300 yards wide. At the foot and on the lower slopes of Gerizim stood the descendants of Rachel and Leah; on those of Ebal, the descendants of Zilpah and Bilhah, together with Zebulun and with Reuben, who had forfeited the rights of the first-born. The priests and the Levites, grouped beside the Ark in the valley, uttered both the benedictions and the solemn denunciations of the Law, each item eliciting the responsive "Amens."
Notice the sensitiveness of the divine Spirit! To make a blind man wander out of his way and to wrest the judgment of the fatherless, was held to be as reprehensible as to commit those terrible breaches of the law of purity. Nothing in life is insignificant or trivial when weighed in the balance of eternal justice. We can only rejoice when we realize that we are accepted in the Beloved, and that He has stood for us, Romans 3:20; Romans 5:1-3; Romans 5:9. [source]

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 27

1  The people are commanded to write the law upon stones
5  and to build an altar of whole stones
11  The tribes to be divided on Gerizim and Ebal
14  The curses to be pronounced on mount Ebal

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 27:3 mean?

And You shall write on them - all the words of law this when you have crossed over to the end that - you may enter into the land which Yahweh your God is giving you a land flowing with milk and honey just as promised God of your fathers you
וְכָתַבְתָּ֣ עֲלֵיהֶ֗ן אֶֽת־ כָּל־ דִּבְרֵ֛י הַתּוֹרָ֥ה הַזֹּ֖את בְּעָבְרֶ֑ךָ לְמַ֡עַן אֲשֶׁר֩ תָּבֹ֨א אֶל־ הָאָ֜רֶץ אֲ‍ֽשֶׁר־ יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֣יךָ ׀ נֹתֵ֣ן לְךָ֗ אֶ֣רֶץ זָבַ֤ת חָלָב֙ וּדְבַ֔שׁ כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבֶּ֛ר אֱלֹהֵֽי־ אֲבֹתֶ֖יךָ לָֽךְ

וְכָתַבְתָּ֣  And  You  shall  write 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: כָּתַב  
Sense: to write, record, enrol.
עֲלֵיהֶ֗ן  on  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine plural
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
אֶֽת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
דִּבְרֵ֛י  the  words 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
הַתּוֹרָ֥ה  of  law 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: תֹּורָה  
Sense: law, direction, instruction.
הַזֹּ֖את  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
בְּעָבְרֶ֑ךָ  when  you  have  crossed  over 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
לְמַ֡עַן  to  the  end  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: לְמַעַן 
Sense: purpose, intent prep.
אֲשֶׁר֩  - 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
תָּבֹ֨א  you  may  enter 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
אֶל־  into 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
הָאָ֜רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
יְהוָ֥ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֶ֣יךָ ׀  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
נֹתֵ֣ן  is  giving 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
אֶ֣רֶץ  a  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
זָבַ֤ת  flowing 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular construct
Root: זוּב  
Sense: to flow, gush, issue, discharge.
חָלָב֙  with  milk 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חָלָב  
Sense: milk, sour milk, cheese.
וּדְבַ֔שׁ  and  honey 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דְּבַשׁ  
Sense: honey.
כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר  just  as 
Parse: Preposition-k, Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
דִּבֶּ֛ר  promised 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
אֱלֹהֵֽי־  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
אֲבֹתֶ֖יךָ  of  your  fathers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.