That confirmeth not all the words of this law - The word כל col, All, is not found in any printed copy of the Hebrew text; but the Samaritan preserves it, and so do six MSS. in the collections of Kennicott and De Rossi, besides several copies of the Chaldee Targum. The Septuagint also, and St. Paul in his quotation of this place, Galatians 3:10. St. Jerome says that the Jews suppressed the word, that it might not appear that they were bound to fulfill All the precepts in the law of Moses.

1. Dr. Kennicott, who contends that it was the Decalogue that was written on the stones mentioned in this chapter, says, "If we examine these twelve curses, they will appear to contain a strong enforcement of the ten commands; and it is highly probable that the curses were here proclaimed principally to secure obedience to the commandments, as will be made more clear by the table: -

The first, second, third, and fourth Commandments

Galatians 3:15 - Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination to the Lord, etc.

The fifth Commandment

Galatians 3:16 - Cursed be he that setteth light by his father or his mother.

The sixth Commandment

Galatians 3:25 - Cursed be he that taketh reward to slay an innocent person.

Galatians 3:24 - Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbor secretly.

Galatians 3:18 - Cursed be he that maketh the blind to wander out of the way.

The seventh Commandment

Galatians 3:20 - Cursed be he that lieth with his father's wife.

Galatians 3:21 - Cursed be he that lieth with any beast.

Galatians 3:22 - Cursed be he that lieth with his sister.

continued...

Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them,.... That is, who does not perfectly perform all that the law requires, and continues to do so; for the law requires obedience, and that perfect and constant, and in failure thereof curses, in proof of which the apostle produces this passage; see Gill on Galatians 3:10, for the reconciliation of these Scriptures, as to what seeming difference there is between them:

and all the people shall say, Amen; See Gill on Deuteronomy 27:15; See Gill on Deuteronomy 27:16.

Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.

27:26 Confirmeth not - Or, performeth not. To this we must all say, Amen! Owning ourselves to be under the curse, and that we must have perished for ever, if Christ had not redeemed us from the curse of the law, by being made a curse for us.

27:11-26 The six tribes appointed for blessing, were all children of the free women, for to such the promise belongs, Ga 4:31. Levi is here among the rest. Ministers should apply to themselves the blessing and curse they preach to others, and by faith set their own Amen to it. And they must not only allure people to their duty with the promises of a blessing, but awe them with the threatenings of a curse, by declaring that a curse would be upon those who do such things. To each of the curses the people were to say, Amen. It professed their faith, that these, and the like curses, were real declarations of the wrath of God against the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, not one jot of which shall fall to the ground. It was acknowledging the equity of these curses. Those who do such things deserve to fall, and lie under the curse. Lest those who were guilty of other sins, not here mentioned, should think themselves safe from the curse, the last reaches all. Not only those who do the evil which the law forbids, but those also who omit the good which the law requires. Without the atoning blood of Christ, sinners can neither have communion with a holy God, nor do any thing acceptable to him; his righteous law condemns every one who, at any time, or in any thing, transgresses it. Under its awful curse we remain as transgressors, until the redemption of Christ is applied to our hearts. Wherever the grace of God brings salvation, it teaches the believer to deny ungodliness and wordly lusts, to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, consenting to, and delighting in the words of God's law, after the inward man. In this holy walk, true peace and solid joy are to be found.