📖 Biblical Definition
Mount Ebal stood in central Canaan opposite Mount Gerizim — Shechem nestled in the valley between — and was the curse-mountain of the covenant ceremony. Moses commanded that six tribes (Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali) stand on Ebal to pronounce the curses of the law: "And these shall stand upon mount Ebal to curse; Reuben, Gad, and Asher, and Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali" (Deuteronomy 27:13; cf. Joshua 8:33). Joshua faithfully obeyed, building an altar of uncut stones on Ebal, offering burnt offerings, and inscribing a copy of the law on plastered stones for all the people to read (Joshua 8:30-32). The covenant carries two edges — blessing and curse — and a nation called by God’s name must answer to both.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
The mountain of curse in Joshua's covenant ceremony.
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The mountain near Shechem from which the curses of the Sinai covenant were pronounced when Israel entered the land. Six tribes stood on Ebal and answered "amen" to twelve curses (Deut 27:14-26), while six stood opposite on Mount Gerizim. Joshua built an altar of unhewn stones on Ebal and wrote a copy of the law on plastered stones (Josh 8:30-32) — a 2019 archaeological lead-curse find may corroborate this account.
📖 Key Scripture
Deuteronomy 27:13 — "And these shall stand upon mount Ebal to curse; Reuben, Gad, and Asher, and Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali."
Joshua 8:30-32 — "Then Joshua built an altar unto the LORD God of Israel in mount Ebal, As Moses the servant of the LORD commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones."
Galatians 3:13 — "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
The curse-mountain is forgotten or softened; without Ebal, Christ's becoming-the-curse loses its force.
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Modern preaching loves Gerizim's blessings and avoids Ebal's curses. The covenant ceremony required both. Galatians 3:13 only makes sense against Ebal: Christ "became a curse for us" because the curses of Ebal demanded a bearer.
Recover the dual mountain: the same gospel that gives blessing-of-Gerizim through Christ rescues us from curse-of-Ebal through Him also. Both mountains preach the cross.
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
Hebrew Har Eval.
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['Hebrew', 'H5858', 'Eval', 'Mount Ebal']
Usage
"Ebal is the curse-mountain."
"Christ became the curse-of-Ebal."
"Both mountains preach the cross."