Exodus 40:10
in Exodus 40Anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils; consecrate the altar, and it shall be most holy.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And thou shalt anoint the altar of burnt-offering, and all its vessels, and sanctify the altar: and the altar shall be most holy.
KJV
And thou shalt anoint the altar of the burnt offering, and all his vessels, and sanctify the altar: and it shall be an altar most holy.
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This verse in Exodus 40
Commentary
3 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Most holy - In Exo 40:9 the tabernacle and its utensils are said to be rendered holy by the anointing; the altar and its utensils are in Exo 40:10 said to be “most holy”. The difference does not express a higher degree of holiness: it is only used as a caution. The position of the altar exposed it to the chance of being touched by the people when they assembled in the court, while they were not permitted to enter the tabernacle. The tabernacle itself, with all that belonged to it, is called most holy in Exo 30:29.
This site's exposition
take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle
on Exodus 40:9-11
The oil compounded by the recipe of Exodus 30:22-33 goes over the tent, its vessels, the altar and the laver, and what changes is the status of each thing rather than the look of it. Matthew Henry observes that each item was sanctified once it stood in its proper place, since until then it was not fit for the use it was set apart for. The altar of burnt offering is called most holy, and it is the one anointed piece standing in the open court where the people came.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Observe, Every thing was sanctified when it was put in its proper place, and not till then, for till then it was not fit for the use to which it was to be sanctified.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Since they would also sacrifice on it the most holy offerings, Scripture describes the altar as “most holy,” even though it stood in the court of the Tabernacle. Of the Tabernacle, however, Scripture says, and it shall be holy, 81 Verse.
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. 4 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
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּמָשַׁחְתָּ֛ | umashachta | and you will anoint | H4886 → | 70 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מִזְבַּ֥ח | mizbach | [the] altar of | H4196 → | 401 times |
| הָעֹלָ֖ה | haolah | the burnt offering | H5930 → | 287 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| כֵּלָ֑יו | kelav | articles its | H3627 → | 325 times |
| וְקִדַּשְׁתָּ֙ | vekidashta | and you will consecrate | H6942 → | 171 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ | hamizbeach | the altar | H4196 → | 401 times |
| וְהָיָ֥ה | vehayah | and it will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ | hamizbeach | the altar | H4196 → | 401 times |
| קֹ֥דֶשׁ | kodesh | holiness of | H6944 → | 469 times |
| קָֽדָשִֽׁים׃ | kadashim | holiness<es> | H6944 → | 469 times |
וּמָשַׁחְתָּ֛and you will anoint
umashachtaH4886 →70 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מִזְבַּ֥ח[the] altar of
mizbachH4196 →401 times
הָעֹלָ֖הthe burnt offering
haolahH5930 →287 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
כֵּלָ֑יוarticles its
kelavH3627 →325 times
וְקִדַּשְׁתָּ֙and you will consecrate
vekidashtaH6942 →171 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַthe altar
hamizbeachH4196 →401 times
וְהָיָ֥הand it will be
vehayahH1961 →3559 times
הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַthe altar
hamizbeachH4196 →401 times
קֹ֥דֶשׁholiness of
kodeshH6944 →469 times
קָֽדָשִֽׁים׃holiness<es>
kadashimH6944 →469 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
Isaiah 61:1The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty…
it leads to
- Luke 4:18–19
“The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight…
- Luke 7:22
So He replied, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and…
- Isaiah 42:7
to open the eyes of the blind, to bring prisoners out of the dungeon and those sitting in darkness out from the prison house.
- Matthew 11:5
The blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.
- Psalms 147:3
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
- Luke 4:18–19
Through
Isaiah 11:2The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him—the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the LORD.
it leads to
- Isaiah 61:1
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty…
- John 16:13
However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to…
- Ephesians 1:17–18
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in your knowledge of Him.
- Isaiah 61:1
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
On this verse
On this chapter
About Exodus
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.