Exodus 27:2
in Exodus 27Make a horn on each of its four corners, so that the horns are of one piece, and overlay it with bronze.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And thou shalt make the horns of it upon the four corners thereof; the horns thereof shall be of one piece with it: and thou shalt overlay it with brass.
KJV
And thou shalt make the horns of it upon the four corners thereof: his horns shall be of the same: and thou shalt overlay it with brass.
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This verse in Exodus 27
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThou shalt make the horns of it - The horns might have three uses: 1. For ornament. 2. To prevent carcasses, etc., from falling off. 3. To tie the victim to, previously to its being sacrificed. So David: Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar; Psa 118:27. Horns were much used in all ancient altars among the heathen, and some of them were entirely constructed of the horns of the beasts that had been offered in sacrifice; but such altars appear to be erected rather as trophies in honor of their gods.
This site's exposition
make an altar of shittim wood
on Exodus 27:1-2
Exodus 40:6 places this altar before the door of the tent, so it is the first object anyone entering the court comes to. Its overlay is brass where everything inside the tent is gold, which carries on the grading of chapter 26, where the metal grows plainer the further out a thing sits. The horns are worked out of the same piece rather than fastened on, blood goes on them at Exodus 29:12, and Adonijah and then Joab later catch hold of them for their lives at 1 Kings 1:50 and 1 Kings 2:28.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), 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. The materials; it was of wood overlaid with brass,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Which were either for ornament, or for keeping what was laid upon the altar from falling off, or for the fastening of the sacrifice to them, and were what criminals fled to for refuge, and laid hold on; and may denote the power of Christ, who is the horn of salvation to preserve his people from a final falling away, and from ruin and destruction, and his protection of those that fly to him for refuge; and these horns being at the corners of the altar may respect the four parts of the world, from whence souls come to Christ for everlasting salvation: his horns shall be of the same; that is, made of the same wood as the altar itself and so may lead to observe the like things: or "upwards out of it" (b), the altar; prominent from it, as the Arabic version, and so the sacrifices could be bound to them, Psa 118:27, and thou shalt overlay it with brass; with plates of brass, that it may endure the fire, and preserve the wood from being burnt with it; this may denote not only the brightness, lustre, and glory of Christ, like the shining brass, but his great strength in bearing the sins of his people, and all the punishment due unto them, even the fire of divine wrath, without being consumed by it. Jarchi observes, that it was overlaid with brass, because it was to make atonement for the impudence of the forehead, which is as brass, Isa 48:4. (b) ממנו "sursum exeo", Noldius, p. 615.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
Any shape whose length is the same size as its width is called a square. The latter is a true.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
11 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְעָשִׂ֣יתָ | veasita | and you will make | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| קַרְנֹתָ֗יו | karnotav | horns its | H7161 → | 76 times |
| עַ֚ל | ʾal | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| אַרְבַּ֣ע | ʾarba' | [the] four | H702 → | 318 times |
| פִּנֹּתָ֔יו | pinotav | corners its | H6438 → | |
| מִמֶּ֖נּוּ | mimenu | from it | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| תִּהְיֶ֣יןָ | tihyeina | they will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| קַרְנֹתָ֑יו | karnotav | horns its | H7161 → | 76 times |
| וְצִפִּיתָ֥ | vetzipita | and you will overlay | H6823 → | 47 times |
| אֹת֖וֹ | ʾoto | <obj.> it | H853 → | 10935 times |
| נְחֹֽשֶׁת׃ | nechoshet | bronze | H5178 → | 140 times |
וְעָשִׂ֣יתָand you will make
veasitaH6213 →2628 times
קַרְנֹתָ֗יוhorns its
karnotavH7161 →76 times
עַ֚לon
ʾalH5921 →5755 times
אַרְבַּ֣ע[the] four
ʾarba'H702 →318 times
פִּנֹּתָ֔יוcorners its
pinotavH6438 →
מִמֶּ֖נּוּfrom it
mimenuH4480 →1188 times
תִּהְיֶ֣יןָthey will be
tihyeinaH1961 →3559 times
קַרְנֹתָ֑יוhorns its
karnotavH7161 →76 times
וְצִפִּיתָ֥and you will overlay
vetzipitaH6823 →47 times
אֹת֖וֹ<obj.> it
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
נְחֹֽשֶׁת׃bronze
nechoshetH5178 →140 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Hebrews 6:18Thus by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be strongly encouraged.
it leads to
- Numbers 23:19
God is not a man, that He should lie, or a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?
- Titus 1:2
in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began.
- 1 Samuel 15:29
Moreover, the Glory of Israel does not lie or change His mind, for He is not a man, that He should change His mind.”
- 2 Timothy 2:13
if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.
- Romans 3:4
Certainly not! Let God be true and every man a liar. As it is written: “So that You may be proved right when You speak and victorious when You judge.”
- Numbers 23:19
Through
Leviticus 4:7The priest must then put some of the blood on the horns of the altar of fragrant incense that is before the LORD in the Tent of Meeting. And he is to pour out…
it leads to
- Leviticus 9:9
The sons of Aaron brought the blood to him, and he dipped his finger in the blood and applied it to the horns of the altar. And he poured out the rest of the…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Leviticus 9:9
Through
Psalms 118:27The LORD is God; He has made His light to shine upon us. Bind the festal sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.
it leads to
- Psalms 18:28
For You, O LORD, light my lamp; my God lights up my darkness.
- John 8:12
Once again, Jesus spoke to the people and said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in the darkness, but will have the light of life.”
- Psalms 18:28
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies6
On this chapter
About Exodus
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.