And all Israel, and their elders, and officers, and their
judges, stood on this side the ark, and on that side
Some on Ebal, and some on Gerizim:
before the priests and the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant
of the Lord;
it being brought out of the tabernacle on this occasion, and bottle by the priests and Levites:
as well the stranger, as he that was born among them;
that is, as well the proselytes as the native Israelites, both appeared and were in the same situation:
half of them over against Mount Gerizim;
that is, half of the tribes, and these were Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin:
and half of them over against Mount Ebal;
which were the tribes of Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali; (See Gill on Deuteronomy 27:12) and (See Gill on Deuteronomy 27:13);
as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded before, that they
should bless the people of Israel,
as in ( Deuteronomy 27:12 ) .