Exodus 30:20

Exodus 30:20 in other versions

• King James Version (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:
• New International Version (NIV)Whenever they enter the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die. Also, when they approach the altar to minister by presenting a food offering to the Lord,
• English Standard Version (ESV)When they go into the tent of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn a food offering to the Lord, they shall wash with water, so that they may not die.
• New King James Version (NKJV)When they go into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn an offering made by fire to the Lord, they shall wash with water, lest they die.

Context of Exodus 30:20

18‘Use bronze to make a large bowl for water. Also use bronze to make a base for it to stand on. Put it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar. Fill it with water. 19Aaron and his sons must use the water from the bowl to wash their hands and their feet. Every time they go into the Tent of Meeting, they must wash in the same way. Then they will not die. They must also wash before they go to the altar to make a burnt offering to the Lord. 21If they wash their hands and their feet, they will not die as they serve me. This will always be a rule for Aaron and for his descendants, the priests.’ 22Then the Lord said to Moses,

Exodus 30:20 word by word

בְּבֹאָ֞ם אֶל־אֹ֧הֶל מוֹעֵ֛ד יִרְחֲצוּ־מַ֖יִם וְלֹ֣א יָמֻ֑תוּ א֣וֹ בְגִשְׁתָּ֤ם אֶל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ לְשָׁרֵ֔ת לְהַקְטִ֥יר אִשֶּׁ֖ה לַֽיהוָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• When they goבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• into the tabernacleאֹ֫הֶל'ôhel · tentH168
• of the congregationמוֹעֵדmô‛êd mô‛êd mô‛âdâh · meetingH4150
• they shall washרָחַץrâchats · to wash: washH7364
• with waterמַיmayim · waterH4325
• that they dieמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• not; or when they come nearנָגַשׁnâgash · to approach: approachH5066
• to the altarמִזְבֵּחַmizbêach · altarH4196
• to ministerשָׁרַתshârath · to ministerH8334
• to burn offeringקָטַרqâţar · to offer: burnH6999
• made by fireאִשֶּׁה'ishshâh · food offeringH801
• unto the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068

Cross-references for Exodus 30:20

• Exodus 12:15For seven days, you must eat flat bread that has no yeast in it. On the first day of the Passover festival, you must take all the yeast out of your houses. During those seven days, if anyone eats bread with yeast in it, he will no longer belong to my people, the Israelites.
• Leviticus 10:1Nadab and Abihu were sons of Aaron. They put hot material in the pots that they used to burn incense. They threw incense over the hot material. They offered the incense to the Lord. This was a wrong thing to do. The Lord had not told them that they should do it. So it was wrong.
• Leviticus 16:1The Lord spoke to Moses after the two sons of Aaron died. The gift that they gave to the Lord was not holy. So they died.
• 1 Samuel 6:19But some of the men from Beth Shemesh looked inside the Lord's Covenant Box. So God killed 70 of them. The people were very sad because the Lord had punished them so much.
• 1 Chronicles 13:10The Lord was very angry with Uzzah because he had touched the Covenant Box. He knocked Uzzah down to the ground. Uzzah died there, beside God's Covenant Box.
• Psalms 89:7When the angels meet together in heaven, they respect you with fear. All who meet round your throne in heaven respect you, as you deserve.
• Acts 5:5As soon as he heard Peter say this, Ananias fell down and he died. When people heard what had happened, they were all very afraid.
• Hebrews 12:28But we are receiving a place where we will rule with God. We belong to God's kingdom, and nobody can ever shake that! So we should thank God. We should worship him in a way that makes him happy. He is great, and we should serve him well and respect him.

Commentaries on Exodus 30:20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20They 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. This washing was…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 17-21Verses 17-21 Exodus 38:8. The bronze for the “Laver of brass” and its foot was supplied from the bronze mirrors of the women who voluntarily gave up these articles of luxury. Bronze mirrors were much used by the ancient Egyptians. No hint is given as to the form of the laver. The brazen sea and the ten lavers that served the same purpose in the temple of Solomon, were elaborately worked in artistic designs and are minutely described 1 Kings 7:23-29…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 17-21Verses 17-21 A large vessel of brass, holding water, was to be set near the door of the tabernacle. Aaron and his sons must wash their hands and feet at this laver, every time they went in to minister. This was to teach them purity in all their services, and to dread the pollution of sin. They must not only wash and be made clean, when first made priests, but must wash and be kept clean, whenever they went to minister. It teaches us daily to attend upon…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 17-21On why the plans for the bronze washbasin are included here, see study note on 30:1–10.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 18-2118-21. Thou shalt ... make a laver of brass--Though not actually forming a component part of the furniture of the tabernacle, this vase was closely connected with it; and though from standing at the entrance it would be a familiar object, it possessed great interest and importance from the baptismal purposes to which it was applied. No data are given by which its form and size can be ascertained; but it was probably a miniature pattern of Solomon's--a…Read the comment

Topics related to Exodus 30:20

• Ablution
• Laver
• Purification
• Types
• Worship

In the dictionaries

• Ablution
• Beat
• Compound
• Curious
• Onycha
• Perpetual
• Purification
• Smell
• Spices
• Temper

Commentaries on Exodus 30

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings