Exodus 38:1

Exodus 38:1 in other versions

• King James Version (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.
• New International Version (NIV)They built the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood, three cubits high; it was square, five cubits long and five cubits wide.
• English Standard Version (ESV)He made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood. Five cubits was its length, and five cubits its breadth. It was square, and three cubits was its height.
• New King James Version (NKJV)He made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood; five cubits was its length and five cubits its width—it was square—and its height was three cubits.

Context of Exodus 38:1

Bezalel used acacia wood to build the altar for burnt offerings. It was square, 2.2 metres long and 2.2 metres wide. It was 1.3 metres high. 2He made four horns, one at each corner of the altar. The horns and the altar itself were one piece of work. He covered the whole altar with bronze. 3He made all the tools for the altar with bronze. He made pots to remove the ashes, and also spades and bowls. He made forks for the meat and dishes to carry the fire.

Exodus 38:1 word by word

וַיַּ֛עַשׂ אֶת־מִזְבַּ֥ח הָעֹלָ֖ה עֲצֵ֣י שִׁטִּ֑ים חָמֵשׁ֩ אַמּ֨וֹת אָרְכּ֜וֹ וְחָֽמֵשׁ־אַמּ֤וֹת רָחְבּוֹ֙ רָב֔וּעַ וְשָׁלֹ֥שׁ אַמּ֖וֹת קֹמָתֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And he madeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
• the altarמִזְבֵּחַmizbêach · altarH4196
• of burnt offeringעֹלָה‛ôlâh ‛ôlâh · burnt offeringH5930
• shittimשִׁטָּהshiţţâh shiţţîym · acaciaH7848
• woodעֵץ‛êts · tree: woodH6086
• fiveחָמֵשׁchâmêsh chămishshâh · fiveH2568
• cubitsאַמָּה'ammâh · cubitH520
• the lengthאֹ֫רֶךְ'ôrek · lengthH753
• the breadthרֹ֫חַבrôchab · widthH7341
• foursquareרָבַעrâba‛ · to squareH7251
• and threeשָׁלֹשׁshâlôsh shâlôsh shelôshâh shelôshâh · threeH7969
• the heightקוֹמָהqômâh · heightH6967

Cross-references for Exodus 38:1

• Exodus 27:1Use acacia wood to make an altar. It must be square, 2.2 metres long and 2.2 metres wide. It must be 1.3 metres high.
• Exodus 40:6Put the altar for burnt offerings in front of the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
• 2 Chronicles 4:1Solomon's workers made a bronze altar. It was 9 metres long, 9 metres wide and 4 metres high.
• Ezekiel 43:13This is the size of the altar. There is a hole, 50 centimetres deep and 50 centimetres wide, all around the altar. There is a border around its outside edge, 25 centimetres high.
• Romans 8:3The Law that God gave to Moses could not make us free like that. We were too weak to obey his Law because we are human. But God has done what his Law could not do. He sent his own Son to become a person like us. His human body was like the body of people who do wrong things. God's Son died as a sacrifice to take away the punishment for our sins. In that way, God destroyed the power of sin over people who are weak and human.
• Romans 12:1My Christian friends, God has been very kind to us. Because of that, I really want you to serve God with your whole life. Offer your bodies to him like a sacrifice that continues to live. Serve him with everything that you have and that will please him. That is the true way to worship God.
• Hebrews 3:1So, Christian friends, think carefully about who Jesus is. Like us, God has chosen you to belong to him. We tell people that we believe in Jesus as the messenger that God has sent. He helps us as God's most important priest.
• Hebrews 9:14But the blood of Christ's sacrifice will do much more than that! Christ offered himself to God, in the power of his Spirit, who lives for ever. That sacrifice was completely good. There was no wrong thing in Christ. He offered his own blood to make us completely clean inside ourselves. We no longer have to do things that lead to death. Instead, we can serve the God who lives for ever.
• Hebrews 13:10Jesus Christ is the sacrifice that saves us. Jewish priests do not have the authority to receive anything from his sacrifice.
• 1 Peter 2:5You yourselves are also like stones that are alive. God is using you, like stones, to build a house where his Spirit lives. You will serve him like his special priests who offer sacrifices to him. God will be happy with the spiritual offerings that you give to him, because you belong to Jesus Christ.
• Ezekiel 43:16The top of the altar is square, with each side 6 metres long.
• John 6:37Everyone that the Father gives to me will come to me. When anyone comes to me, I will never send that person away.
• Hebrews 13:8Jesus Christ is always the same, yesterday, today and for ever.
• Revelation 21:16The shape of the city was a square. It was as long as it was wide. The angel measured the city with his stick. It was 12,000 stadia (2,400 kilometres) long. It was as wide and as high as it was long.

Commentaries on Exodus 38:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1The altar of burnt-offering - See Clarke's note on Exodus 27:1; and for its horns, pots, shovels, basins, etc., see the meaning of the Hebrew terms explained, Exodus 27:3-5; (note).Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1For Exodus 38:1-7 and Exodus 38:9-20 see the notes to Exodus 27.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The brazen altar and laver. (1-8) The court. (9-20) The offerings of the people. (21-31) Verses 1-8 In all ages of the church there have been some persons more devoted to God, more constant in their attendance upon his ordinances, and more willing to part even with lawful things, for his sake, than others. Some women, devoted to God and zealous for the tabernacle worship, expressed zeal by parting with their mirrors, which were polished plates of brass…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-20This section reports on building the courtyard (38:9–20) and its equipment, including the altar of burnt offering and the bronze basin (38:1–7; 38:8).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-311. the altar of burnt offering--The repetitions are continued, in which may be traced the exact conformity of the execution to the order.Read the comment

Topics related to Exodus 38:1

• Altar
• Bezalel
• Shittim
• Tabernacle

In the dictionaries

• Burnt offering
• Cunning
• Fillet
• Occupy
• Overlaying
• Altar
• Atonement, Day of
• Color; Colors
• Exodus, the Book of
• Foursquare

Commentaries on Exodus 38

• 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