Exodus 38:1
in Exodus 38Bezalel constructed the altar of burnt offering from acacia wood. It was square, five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he made the altar of burnt-offering of acacia wood: five cubits was the length thereof, and five cubits the breadth thereof, foursquare; and three cubits the height thereof.
KJV
And he made the altar of burnt offering of shittim wood: five cubits was the length thereof, and five cubits the breadth thereof; it was foursquare; and three cubits the height thereof.
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This verse in Exodus 38
Commentary
5 notes on this verseOn this all their sacrifices were offered, and it was this which, being sanctified itself for this purpose by the divine appointment, sanctified the gift that was in faith offered on it. Christ was himself the altar to his own sacrifice of atonement, and so he is to all our sacrifices of acknowledgment.
This site's exposition
Bezalel constructed the altar of burnt offering from acacia wood
on Exodus 38:1-2
The courtyard altar is the one piece of furniture an ordinary Israelite could come near. Its horns are of one piece with the altar, and 29:12 puts the blood of the sin offering on them.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And he made the altar of burnt offering,.... That is, Bezaleel made it, or it was made by his direction, he having the care and oversight of it, wherefore the making of it is ascribed to him, 2Ch 1:5 the account of this, its horns, vessels, rings, and staves, is carried on to Exo 38:2 of which See Gill on Exo 27:1, Exo 27:2, Exo 27:3, Exo 27:4, Exo 27:5, Exo 27:6, Exo 27:7, Exo 27:8.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
The altar of burnt-offering - See Clarke’s note on Exo 27:1; and for its horns, pots, shovels, basins, etc., see the meaning of the Hebrew terms explained, Exo 27:3-5 (note).
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
For Exo 38:1-7 and Exo 38:9-20 see the notes to Exo. 27.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּ֛עַשׂ | vaiyaas | and he made | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מִזְבַּ֥ח | mizbach | [the] altar of | H4196 → | 401 times |
| הָעֹלָ֖ה | haolah | the burnt offering | H5930 → | 287 times |
| עֲצֵ֣י | ʾatzei | wood<s> of | H6086 → | 328 times |
| שִׁטִּ֑ים | shitim | acacia | H7848 → | 28 times |
| חָמֵשׁ֩ | chamesh | [was] five | H2568 → | 343 times |
| אַמּ֨וֹת | ʾamot | cubits | H520 → | 247 times |
| אָרְכּ֜וֹ | ʾareko | length its | H753 → | 95 times |
| וְחָֽמֵשׁ־ | vechamesh- | and [was] five | H2568 → | 343 times |
| אַמּ֤וֹת | ʾamot | cubits | H520 → | 247 times |
| רָחְבּוֹ֙ | rachebo | breadth its | H7341 → | 101 times |
| רָב֔וּעַ | ravua' | square | H7251 → | 12 times |
| וְשָׁלֹ֥שׁ | veshalosh | and [was] three | H7969 → | 432 times |
| אַמּ֖וֹת | ʾamot | cubits | H520 → | 247 times |
| קֹמָתֽוֹ׃ | komato | height its | H6967 → | 45 times |
וַיַּ֛עַשׂand he made
vaiyaasH6213 →2628 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מִזְבַּ֥ח[the] altar of
mizbachH4196 →401 times
הָעֹלָ֖הthe burnt offering
haolahH5930 →287 times
עֲצֵ֣יwood<s> of
ʾatzeiH6086 →328 times
שִׁטִּ֑יםacacia
shitimH7848 →28 times
חָמֵשׁ֩[was] five
chameshH2568 →343 times
אַמּ֨וֹתcubits
ʾamotH520 →247 times
אָרְכּ֜וֹlength its
ʾarekoH753 →95 times
וְחָֽמֵשׁ־and [was] five
vechamesh-H2568 →343 times
אַמּ֤וֹתcubits
ʾamotH520 →247 times
רָחְבּוֹ֙breadth its
racheboH7341 →101 times
רָב֔וּעַsquare
ravua'H7251 →12 times
וְשָׁלֹ֥שׁand [was] three
veshaloshH7969 →432 times
אַמּ֖וֹתcubits
ʾamotH520 →247 times
קֹמָתֽוֹ׃height its
komatoH6967 →45 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
Exodus 40:6Place the altar of burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting.
it leads to
- Exodus 27:1–8
“You are to build an altar of acacia wood. The altar must be square, five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Exodus 40:29
He placed the altar of burnt offering near the entrance to the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the grain offering, just as the LORD had commanded…
- 1 John 4:9–10
This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him.
- Exodus 27:1–8
Through
Hebrews 13:10We have an altar from which those who serve at the tabernacle have no right to eat.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 10:20
No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to be participants with demons.
- 1 Corinthians 5:7–8
Get rid of the old leaven, that you may be a new unleavened batch, as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
- 1 Corinthians 10:20
Through
2 Chronicles 4:1He made a bronze altar twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and ten cubits high.
it leads to
- 1 Kings 8:64
On that same day the king consecrated the middle of the courtyard in front of the house of the LORD, and there he offered the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the fat of…
- Ezekiel 43:13–17
These are the measurements of the altar in long cubits (a cubit and a handbreadth): Its gutter shall be a cubit deep and a cubit wide, with a rim of one span around its…
- 1 Kings 8:64
Through
Revelation 21:16The city lies foursquare, with its width the same as its length. And he measured the city with the rod, and all its dimensions were equal—12,000 stadia in length and width and height.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 48:8–20
Bordering the territory of Judah, from east to west, will be the portion you are to set apart. It will be 25,000 cubits wide, and the length of a tribal portion from east to…
- Ezekiel 48:8–20
Where this verse is studied
About Exodus
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.