Ezekiel 43:20
in Ezekiel 43You are to take some of its blood and put it on the four horns of the altar, on the four corners of the ledge, and all around the rim; thus you will cleanse the altar and make atonement for it.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And thou shalt take of the blood thereof, and put it on the four horns of it, and on the four corners of the ledge, and upon the border round about: thus shalt thou cleanse it and make atonement for it.
KJV
And thou shalt take of the blood thereof, and put it on the four horns of it, and on the four corners of the settle, and upon the border round about: thus shalt thou cleanse and purge it.
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This verse in Ezekiel 43
Commentary
7 notes on this verseAnd thou shalt take of the blood thereof,.... Ezekiel being a priest. This must be understood in a visionary way; for, as Kimchi observes, Ezekiel did not live to come up out of the captivity, but died, and was buried in the land of Babylon, and so did not actually do this: though it is a mere dream of the same writer, that this is to be understood of the resurrection of the dead, when he supposes Ezekiel will be high priest, though Aaron be present; or however be the second, or deputy to him.
This site's exposition
These are the statutes for the altar
on Ezekiel 43:18-21
The dedication follows the pattern of Aaron's altar (Exodus 29:36-37), with a young bull's blood on horns, ledge and rim to “make atonement for it”. The priests are “of the family of Zadok,” the line this book marked out at 40:46, so the consecration is entrusted to a proven priesthood.
This site's exposition
make atonement for it
John Gill, following the Jewish commentator Kimchi, notes Ezekiel died in Babylon and never performed this rite, so the command is visionary. Its meaning after Christ is disputed. Jamieson, Fausset & Brown argue that literal sacrifices would contradict Hebrews 10, while dispensational interpreters expect memorial offerings in a future temple.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
(Ver. 18 and following) And he said to me: Son of man, thus says the Lord God: These are the rituals of the altar when it is made, to offer a burnt offering and pour out blood. And you shall give to the priests, the Levites who are of the seed of Zadok, who approach me, says the Lord God: to offer to me a young bull from the herd as a sin offering.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
He has seen the temple, and sees it to be very spacious and splendid; but, till the glory of God comes into it, it is but like the dead bodies he had seen in vision ( ch. xxxvii. ), that had no breath till the Spirit of life entered into them. Here therefore he sees the house filled with God's glory. He has a vision of the glory of God (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
It is observable that there are several differences between the rites of dedication here and those which were appointed Exod. xxix. , to intimate that the ceremonial institutions were mutable things, and the changes in them were earnests of their period in Christ. Only here, according to the general law, that all the sacrifices must be seasoned with salt ( Lev. ii.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The expressions, "blood" (Eze 43:18), and "for a sin offering" (Eze 43:19, 21, 22), prove this. In the literal sense they can only apply to the second temple. Under the Christian dispensation they would directly oppose the doctrine taught in Heb 10:1-18, namely, that Christ has by one offering for ever atoned for sin.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְלָקַחְתָּ֣ | velakachta | and you will take | H3947 → | 966 times |
| מִדָּמ֗וֹ | midamo | some of blood its | H1818 → | 360 times |
| וְנָ֨תַתָּ֜ה | venatatah | and you will put [it] | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| אַרְבַּ֤ע | ʾarba' | [the] four | H702 → | 318 times |
| קַרְנֹתָיו֙ | karnotav | horns its | H7161 → | 76 times |
| וְאֶל־ | veel- | and to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אַרְבַּע֙ | ʾarba' | [the] four | H702 → | 318 times |
| פִּנּ֣וֹת | pinot | [the] corners of | H6438 → | |
| הָעֲזָרָ֔ה | haazarah | the ledge | H5835 → | 9 times |
| וְאֶֽל־ | veel- | and to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַגְּב֖וּל | hagevul | the border | H1366 → | 240 times |
| סָבִ֑יב | saviv | all around | H5439 → | 336 times |
| וְחִטֵּאתָ֥ | vechiteta | and you will cleanse from sin | H2398 → | 238 times |
| אוֹת֖וֹ | ʾoto | <obj.> it | H853 → | 10935 times |
| וְכִפַּרְתָּֽהוּ׃ | vekhipartahu | and you will make atonement for it | H3722 → | 102 times |
וְלָקַחְתָּ֣and you will take
velakachtaH3947 →966 times
מִדָּמ֗וֹsome of blood its
midamoH1818 →360 times
וְנָ֨תַתָּ֜הand you will put [it]
venatatahH5414 →2011 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
אַרְבַּ֤ע[the] four
ʾarba'H702 →318 times
קַרְנֹתָיו֙horns its
karnotavH7161 →76 times
וְאֶל־and to
veel-H413 →5510 times
אַרְבַּע֙[the] four
ʾarba'H702 →318 times
פִּנּ֣וֹת[the] corners of
pinotH6438 →
הָעֲזָרָ֔הthe ledge
haazarahH5835 →9 times
וְאֶֽל־and to
veel-H413 →5510 times
הַגְּב֖וּלthe border
hagevulH1366 →240 times
סָבִ֑יבall around
savivH5439 →336 times
וְחִטֵּאתָ֥and you will cleanse from sin
vechitetaH2398 →238 times
אוֹת֖וֹ<obj.> it
ʾotoH853 →10935 times
וְכִפַּרְתָּֽהוּ׃and you will make atonement for it
vekhipartahuH3722 →102 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 29:12Take some of the blood of the bull and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger; then pour out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar.
it leads to
- Exodus 27:2
Make a horn on each of its four corners, so that the horns are of one piece, and overlay it with bronze.
- 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…
- Leviticus 8:15
Moses slaughtered the bull, took some of the blood, and applied it with his finger to all four horns of the altar, purifying the altar. He poured out the rest of the blood at…
- Exodus 30:2
It is to be square, a cubit long, a cubit wide, and two cubits high. Its horns must be of one piece.
- Leviticus 4:25
Then the priest is to take some of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and pour out the rest of…
- Exodus 27:2
Through
Leviticus 8:15Moses slaughtered the bull, took some of the blood, and applied it with his finger to all four horns of the altar, purifying the altar. He poured out the rest of the blood at…
it leads to
- Leviticus 4:7
The 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…
- Leviticus 4:7
Through
Leviticus 16:19He is to sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times to cleanse it and consecrate it from the uncleanness of the Israelites.
it leads to
- Zechariah 13:1
“On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the people of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.
- Zechariah 13:1
Through
Ezekiel 43:22On the second day you are to present an unblemished male goat as a sin offering, and the altar is to be cleansed as it was with the bull.
it leads to
- Ezekiel 43:25–26
For seven days you are to provide a male goat daily for a sin offering; you are also to provide a young bull and a ram from the flock, both unblemished.
- Ezekiel 43:25–26
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Ezekiel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Commentary on Ezekiel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.