Exodus 20:25

Exodus 20:25 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.
• New International Version (NIV)If you make an altar of stones for me, do not build it with dressed stones, for you will defile it if you use a tool on it.
• English Standard Version (ESV)If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stones, for if you wield your tool on it you profane it.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And if you make Me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stone; for if you use your tool on it, you have profaned it.

Context of Exodus 20:25

23Do not make gods of silver alongside Me, and do not make gods of gold for yourselves. 24You are to make an altar of earth for Me, and there you will sacrifice your burnt offerings, your fellowship offerings—your sheep and your cattle. In every place where I cause My name to be mentioned I will come to you and bless you. When you make for Me an altar of stones, do not build it from cut stone, for if you use a tool on it, you will have profaned it. 26Nor are you to go up to My altar on steps, so that your nakedness would not be uncovered while on it.”

Exodus 20:25 word by word

וְאִם־מִזְבַּ֤ח אֲבָנִים֙ תַּֽעֲשֶׂה־לִּ֔י לֹֽא־תִבְנֶ֥ה אֶתְהֶ֖ן גָּזִ֑ית כִּ֧י חַרְבְּךָ֛ הֵנַ֥פְתָּ עָלֶ֖יהָ וַתְּחַֽלְלֶֽהָ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And if thou wilt makeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
• me an altarמִזְבֵּחַmizbêach · altarH4196
• of stoneאֶ֫בֶן'eben · stoneH68
• thou shalt not buildבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
• it of hewn stoneגָּזִיתgâzîyth · cuttingH1496
• for if thou lift upנוּףnûph · to waveH5130
• thy toolחֶ֫רֶבchereb · swordH2719
• upon it, thou hast pollutedחָלַלchâlal · to profane/begin: profaneH2490

Cross-references for Exodus 20:25

• Deuteronomy 27:5There also you will build an altar to Adonai your God, an altar of stones—you are not to use an iron tool on them.
• Joshua 8:31as Moses the servant of Adonai had commanded Bnei-Yisrael, as written in the scroll of the Torah of Moses, an altar of uncut stones on which no man had wielded any iron tool. They offered on it burnt offerings to Adonai and sacrificed fellowship offerings.

Commentaries on Exodus 20:25

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 25Thou shalt not build it of hewn stone - Because they were now in a wandering state, and had as yet no fixed residence; and therefore no time should be wasted to rear costly altars, which could not be transported with them, and which they must soon leave. Besides, they must not lavish skill or expense on the construction of an altar; the altar of itself, whether costly or mean, was nothing in the worship; it was only the place on which the victim should be…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 22-26Verses 22-26 Nothing could be more appropriate as the commencement of the book of the covenant than these regulations for public worship. The rules for the building of altars must have been old and accepted, and are not inconsistent with the directions for the construction of the altar of the court of the tabernacle, Exodus 27:1-8 (compare Joshua 22:26-28).Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 22-26Verses 22-26 Moses having entered into the thick darkness, God there spake in his hearing all that follows from hence to the end of chap. 23, which is mostly an exposition of the ten commandments. The laws in these verses relate to God's worship. The Israelites are assured of God's gracious acceptance of their devotions. Under the gospel, men are encouraged to pray every where, and wherever God's people meet in his name to worship him, he will be in the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 22-26The Lord is beyond human understanding, as shown by his speaking to the people with a voice from heaven (20:22). This had two effects on their practices: They could not use silver or gold to make human-shaped gods (20:23). They could not carve stones for an altar (20:25). This might be to prevent them from carving stone gods. They must make the altar from earth and uncut stones (20:24, 25). The rule against revealing nakedness might have been to…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2525. thou shalt not build it of hewn stone, &c.--that is, carved with figures and ornaments that might lead to superstition.Read the comment

Topics related to Exodus 20:25

• Altar
• Art
• Worship

In the dictionaries

• Book
• Commit
• Covet
• Grave
• Guiltless
• Hold
• Knife
• Likeness
• Remember
• Steal

Commentaries on Exodus 20

• 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
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings