Exodus 30:20
in Exodus 30Whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the altar to minister by presenting an offering made by fire to the LORD, they must wash with water so that they will not die.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
when they go into the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn an offering made by fire unto Jehovah.
KJV
When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto the Lord:
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This verse in Exodus 30
Commentary
6 notes on this verseWhen they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water,.... The laver standing near the door of the tabernacle, they washed at it as soon as they entered; and no man, we are told (c), entered into the court before he washed, even though he was clean; though he had contracted no filthiness, and even though he had washed his hands and feet at home, he was obliged to do it when he went into the tabernacle, before he attempted to perform any service.
This site's exposition
And the LORD said to Moses
on Exodus 30:17-21
The third speech gives the one piece whose size the text never fixes, the basin, described by its metal and use alone. Exodus 38:8 says its bronze came from the mirrors of the women who served at the tent entrance. The washing of 29:4 was once, while this washing of “hands and feet” comes at every approach, “so that they will not die”.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
But many of the Jewish writers, and others from them, are of opinion that it was to be an annual tribute, only it was begun when Moses first numbered the people. This was that tribute-money which Christ paid, for fear of offending his adversaries ( Matt. xvii.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
For this purpose clean water was put into the laver fresh every day. Though they washed themselves ever so clean at their own houses, that would not serve; they must wash at the laver, because that was appointed for washing, 2 Kings
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
They shall wash with water, that they die not - This was certainly an emblematical washing; and as the hands and the feet are particularly mentioned, it must refer to the purity of their whole conduct. Their hands - all their works, their feet - all their goings, must be washed - must be holiness unto the Lord. And this washing must be repeated every time they entered into the tabernacle, or when they came near to the altar to minister.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
This laver was provided for the priests alone. But in the Christian dispensation, all believers are priests, and hence the apostle exhorts them how to draw near to God (Joh 13:10;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
The words behind it
16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| בְּבֹאָ֞ם | bevoam | when go they | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | into | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אֹ֧הֶל | ʾohel | [the] tent of | H168 → | 345 times |
| מוֹעֵ֛ד | moed | meeting | H4150 → | 223 times |
| יִרְחֲצוּ־ | yirchatzu- | they will wash | H7364 → | 72 times |
| מַ֖יִם | mayim | water | H4325 → | 581 times |
| וְלֹ֣א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יָמֻ֑תוּ | yamutu | they will die | H4191 → | 839 times |
| א֣וֹ | ʾo | or | H176 → | 321 times |
| בְגִשְׁתָּ֤ם | vegishtam | when draw near they | H5066 → | 125 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ | hamizbeach | the altar | H4196 → | 401 times |
| לְשָׁרֵ֔ת | lesharet | to serve | H8334 → | 97 times |
| לְהַקְטִ֥יר | lehaktir | to make smoke | H6999 → | 116 times |
| אִשֶּׁ֖ה | ʾisheh | a fire offering | H801 → | 65 times |
| לַֽיהוָֽה׃ | layahweh | to Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
בְּבֹאָ֞םwhen go they
bevoamH935 →2568 times
אֶל־into
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אֹ֧הֶל[the] tent of
ʾohelH168 →345 times
מוֹעֵ֛דmeeting
moedH4150 →223 times
יִרְחֲצוּ־they will wash
yirchatzu-H7364 →72 times
מַ֖יִםwater
mayimH4325 →581 times
וְלֹ֣אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
יָמֻ֑תוּthey will die
yamutuH4191 →839 times
א֣וֹor
ʾoH176 →321 times
בְגִשְׁתָּ֤םwhen draw near they
vegishtamH5066 →125 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙the altar
hamizbeachH4196 →401 times
לְשָׁרֵ֔תto serve
lesharetH8334 →97 times
לְהַקְטִ֥ירto make smoke
lehaktirH6999 →116 times
אִשֶּׁ֖הa fire offering
ʾishehH801 →65 times
לַֽיהוָֽה׃to Yahweh
layahwehH3068 →6520 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
1 Chronicles 13:10And the anger of the LORD burned against Uzzah, and He struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God.
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 15:15
And the Levites carried the ark of God on their shoulders with the poles, as Moses had commanded in accordance with the word of the LORD.
- 1 Chronicles 15:13
It was because you Levites were not with us the first time that the LORD our God burst forth in anger against us. For we did not consult Him about the proper order.”
- Numbers 4:15
When Aaron and his sons have finished covering the holy objects and all their equipment, as soon as the camp is ready to move, the Kohathites shall come and do the carrying. But they…
- 1 Samuel 6:19
But God struck down some of the people of Beth-shemesh because they looked inside the ark of the LORD. He struck down seventy men, and the people mourned because the LORD had struck them…
- 1 Chronicles 15:15
Through
Acts 5:5On hearing these words, Ananias fell down and died. And great fear came over all who heard what had happened.
it leads to
- Acts 5:10–11
At that instant she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband.
- Acts 2:43
A sense of awe came over everyone, and the apostles performed many wonders and signs.
- Revelation 11:5
If anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouths and devours their enemies. In this way, anyone who wants to harm them must be killed.
- Acts 5:13
Although the people regarded them highly, no one else dared to join them.
- Acts 5:10–11
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Exodus
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole 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.