Exodus

CHAPTER 27

The Altar for Burnt Offerings. 1You shall make an altar^a of acacia wood, on a square, five cubits long and five cubits wide; it shall be three cubits high. 2At the four corners make horns^* that are of one piece with the altar. You shall then plate it with bronze. 3Make pots for removing the ashes, as well as shovels, basins, forks, and fire pans; all these utensils you shall make of bronze. 4Make for it a grating,^* a bronze network; make four bronze rings for it, one at each of its four corners. 5Put it down around the altar, on the ground. This network is to be half as high as the altar. 6You shall also make poles of acacia wood for the altar, and plate them with bronze. 7These poles are to be put through the rings, so that they are on either side of the altar when it is carried. 8Make the altar itself in the form of a hollow^* box. Just as it was shown you on the mountain, so it is to be made.

Court of the Tabernacle. 9^b You shall also make a court for the tabernacle. On the south side the court shall have hangings, of fine linen twined, a hundred cubits long, 10with twenty columns and twenty pedestals of bronze; the hooks and bands on the columns shall be of silver. 11On the north side there shall be similar hangings, a hundred cubits long, with twenty columns and twenty pedestals of bronze; the hooks and bands on the columns shall be of silver. 12On the west side, across the width of the court, there shall be hangings, fifty cubits long, with ten columns and ten pedestals. 13The width of the court on the east side shall be fifty cubits. 14On one side there shall be hangings to the extent of fifteen cubits, with three columns and three pedestals; 15on the other side there shall be hangings to the extent of fifteen cubits, with three columns and three pedestals.

16At the gate of the court there shall be a variegated curtain, twenty cubits long, woven of violet, purple, and scarlet yarn and of fine linen twined. It shall have four columns and four pedestals.

17All the columns around the court shall have bands and hooks of silver, and pedestals of bronze. 18The court is to be one hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide, and five cubits high. Fine linen twined must be used, and the pedestals must be of bronze. 19All the fittings of the tabernacle, whatever be their use, as well as all its tent pegs and all the tent pegs of the court, must be of bronze.

Oil for the Lamps. 20You shall command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of crushed olives, to be used for the light, so that you may keep lamps burning always.^c 21From evening to morning Aaron and his sons shall maintain them before the LORD in the tent of meeting, outside the veil which hangs in front of the covenant. This shall be a perpetual statute for the Israelites throughout their generations.

* [27:2] Horns: the horn of a ram, goat or ox is a common Old Testament figure for strength and dignity; they represent the divine character of the altar itself or the deity worshiped there.

* [27:4] Grating: it is not clear whether this was flush with the altar or at some small distance from it; in the latter case the space between the altar and the grating would be filled with stones and serve as a platform around the altar, which would otherwise be too high for the priest to reach conveniently.

* [27:8] Hollow: probably filled with earth or stones when in use. Cf. 20:24–25.

a. [27:1–8] Ex 38:1–7.

b. [27:9–19] Ex 38:9–20.

c. [27:20–21] Lv 24:1–4.