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Exodus 27:1 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

1 And thou shalt make H6213 an altar H4196 of shittim H7848 wood, H6086 five H2568 cubits H520 long, H753 and five H2568 cubits H520 broad; H7341 the altar H4196 shall be foursquare: H7251 and the height H6967 thereof shall be three H7969 cubits. H520

Cross Reference

Exodus 38:1-7 STRONG

And he made H6213 the altar H4196 of burnt offering H5930 of shittim H7848 wood: H6086 five H2568 cubits H520 was the length H753 thereof, and five H2568 cubits H520 the breadth H7341 thereof; it was foursquare; H7251 and three H7969 cubits H520 the height H6967 thereof. And he made H6213 the horns H7161 thereof on the four H702 corners H6438 of it; the horns H7161 thereof were of the same: and he overlaid H6823 it with brass. H5178 And he made H6213 all the vessels H3627 of the altar, H4196 the pots, H5518 and the shovels, H3257 and the basons, H4219 and the fleshhooks, H4207 and the firepans: H4289 all the vessels H3627 thereof made H6213 he of brass. H5178 And he made H6213 for the altar H4196 a brasen H5178 grate H4345 of network H7568 H4639 under the compass H3749 thereof beneath H4295 unto the midst H2677 of it. And he cast H3332 four H702 rings H2885 for the four H702 ends H7099 of the grate H4345 of brass, H5178 to be places H1004 for the staves. H905 And he made H6213 the staves H905 of shittim H7848 wood, H6086 and overlaid H6823 them with brass. H5178 And he put H935 the staves H905 into the rings H2885 on the sides H6763 of the altar, H4196 to bear H5375 it withal; he made H6213 the altar hollow H5014 with boards. H3871

Exodus 20:24-26 STRONG

An altar H4196 of earth H127 thou shalt make H6213 unto me, and shalt sacrifice H2076 thereon thy burnt offerings, H5930 and thy peace offerings, H8002 thy sheep, H6629 and thine oxen: H1241 in all places H4725 where I record H2142 my name H8034 I will come H935 unto thee, and I will bless H1288 thee. And if thou wilt make H6213 me an altar H4196 of stone, H68 thou shalt not build H1129 it of hewn stone: H1496 for if thou lift up H5130 thy tool H2719 upon it, thou hast polluted H2490 it. Neither shalt thou go up H5927 by steps H4609 unto mine altar, H4196 that thy nakedness H6172 be not discovered H1540 thereon.

Ezekiel 43:13-17 STRONG

And these are the measures H4060 of the altar H4196 after the cubits: H520 The cubit H520 is a cubit H520 and an hand breadth; H2948 even the bottom H2436 shall be a cubit, H520 and the breadth H7341 a cubit, H520 and the border H1366 thereof by the edge H8193 thereof round about H5439 shall be a H259 span: H2239 and this shall be the higher place H1354 of the altar. H4196 And from the bottom H2436 upon the ground H776 even to the lower H8481 settle H5835 shall be two H8147 cubits, H520 and the breadth H7341 one H259 cubit; H520 and from the lesser H6996 settle H5835 even to the greater H1419 settle H5835 shall be four H702 cubits, H520 and the breadth H7341 one cubit. H520 So the altar H741 H2025 shall be four H702 cubits; H520 and from the altar H741 and upward H4605 shall be four H702 horns. H7161 And the altar H741 shall be twelve H8147 H6240 cubits long, H753 twelve H8147 H6240 broad, H7341 square H7251 in the four H702 squares H7253 thereof. And the settle H5835 shall be fourteen H702 H6240 cubits long H753 and fourteen H702 H6240 broad H7341 in the four H702 squares H7253 thereof; and the border H1366 about H5439 it shall be half H2677 a cubit; H520 and the bottom H2436 thereof shall be a cubit H520 about; H5439 and his stairs H4609 shall look H6437 toward the east. H6921

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Exodus 27

Commentary on Exodus 27 Matthew Henry Commentary


Chapter 27

In this chapter directions are given,

  • I. Concerning the brazen altar for burnt-offerings (v. 1-8).
  • II. Concerning the court of the tabernacle, with the hangings of it (v. 9-19).
  • III. Concerning oil for the lamp (v. 20, 21).

Exd 27:1-8

As God intended in the tabernacle to manifest his presence among his people, so there they were to pay their devotions to him, not in the tabernacle itself (into that only the priests entered as God's domestic servants), but in the court before the tabernacle, where, as common subjects, they attended. There an altar was ordered to be set up, to which they must bring their sacrifices, and on which their priests must offer them to God: and this altar was to sanctify their gifts. Here they were to present their services to God, as from the mercy-seat he gave his oracles to them; and thus a communion was settled between God and Israel. Moses is here directed about,

  • 1. The dimensions of it; it was square, v. 1.
  • 2. The horns of it (v. 2), which were for ornament and for use; the sacrifices were bound with cords to the horns of the altar, and to them malefactors fled for refuge.
  • 3. The materials; it was of wood overlaid with brass, v. 1, 2.
  • 4. The appurtenances of it (v. 3), which were all of brass.
  • 5. The grate, which was let into the hollow of the altar, about the middle of it, in which the fire was kept, and the sacrifice burnt; it was made of network like a sieve, and hung hollow, that the fire might burn the better, and that the ashes might fall through into the hollow of the altar, v. 4, 5.
  • 6. The staves with which it must be carried, v. 6, 7.

And, lastly, he is referred to the pattern shown him, v. 8.

Now this brazen altar was a type of Christ dying to make atonement for our sins: the wood would have been consumed by the fire from heaven if it had not been secured by the brass; nor could the human nature of Christ have borne the wrath of God if it had not been supported by a divine power. Christ sanctified himself for his church, as their altar (Jn. 17:19), and by his mediation sanctifies the daily services of his people, who have also a right to eat of this altar (Heb. 13:10), for they serve at it as spiritual priests. To the horns of this altar poor sinners fly for refuge when justice pursues them, and they are safe in virtue of the sacrifice there offered.

Exd 27:9-19

Before the tabernacle there was to be a court or yard, enclosed with hangings of the finest linen that was used for tents. This court, according to the common computation of cubits, was fifty yards long, and twenty-five broad. Pillars were set up at convenient distances, in sockets of brass, the pillars filleted with silver, and silver tenter-hooks in them, on which the linen hangings were fastened: the hanging which served for the gate was finer than the rest, v. 16. This court was a type of the church, enclosed and distinguished from the rest of the world, the enclosure supported by pillars, denoting the stability of the church, hung with the clean linen, which is said to be the righteousness of saints, Rev. 19:8. These were the courts David longed for and coveted to reside in (Ps. 84:2, 10), and into which the people of God entered with praise and thanksgiving (Ps. 100:4); yet this court would contain but a few worshippers. Thanks be to God, now, under the gospel, the enclosure is taken down. God's will is that men pray every where; and there is room for all that in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ.

Exd 27:20-21

We read of the candlestick in the twenty-fifth chapter; here is an order given for the keeping of the lamps constantly burning in it, else it was useless; in every candlestick there should be a burning and shining light; candlesticks without candles are as wells without water or as clouds without rain. Now,

  • 1. The people were to provide the oil; from them the Lord's ministers must have their maintenance. Or, rather, the pure oil signified the gifts and graces of the Spirit, which are communicated to all believers from Christ the good olive, of whose fulness we receive (Zec. 4:11, 12), and without which our light cannot shine before men.
  • 2. The priests were to light the lamps, and to tend them; it was part of their daily service to cause the lamp to burn always, night and day; thus it is the work of ministers, by the preaching and expounding of the scriptures (which are as a lamp), to enlighten the church, God's tabernacle upon the earth, and to direct the spiritual priests in his service. This is to be a statute for ever, that the lamps of the word be lighted as duly as the incense of prayer and praise is offered.