Devarim 27: Why These 12?

YINR 929: Tanach Yomi · May 7, 2026 · 3m

God commands the people to split onto two mountains with six tribes on one and six on the other. One side answers amen to the blessings and one side answers amen to the curses. God then pronounces twelve curses.

“When you cross the Jordan, these shall stand on Mount Gerizim for the blessing… and these shall stand on Mount Ebal for the curse.”

אֵלֶּה יַעַמְדוּ לְבָרֵךְ אֶת־הָעָם עַל־הַר גְּרִזִים… וְאֵלֶּה יַעַמְדוּ עַל־הַקְּלָלָה בְּהַר עֵיבָל

(Deuteronomy 27:12–13)

Why these twelve curses? How are they related? One possible answer is that these curses given at the end of the wilderness…