Exodus 27:1

Exodus 27:1

And thou shalt make an altar of shittim wood, five cubits long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall be foursquare: and the height thereof shall be three cubits.

a. ASV: And thou shalt make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall be foursquare: and the height thereof shall be three cubits.

b. YLT: 'And thou hast made the altar of shittim wood, five cubits the length, and five cubits the breadth -- the altar is square -- and three cubits its height.

c. Amplified Bible Classic: And make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits square and three cubits high [within reach of all].

d. Septuagint: And thou shalt make an altar of incorruptible wood, of five cubits in the length, and five cubits in the breadth; the altar shall be square, and the height of it shall be of three cubits.

e. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: You shall make the Altar of acacia wood, five cubits in length and five cubits in width---the Altar shall be square---and three cubits in height.

1. “And thou shalt make an altar of shittim wood…

a. [And you shall] make [Strong: 6213  ʻâsâh, aw-saw'; a primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application:—accomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, × certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, feast, (fight-) ing man, finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go about, govern, grant, great, hinder, hold (a feast), × indeed, be industrious, journey, keep, labour, maintain, make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, officer, pare, bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure, provide, put, requite, ×sacrifice, serve, set, shew, × sin, spend, × surely, take, × thoroughly, trim, × very, vex, be (warr-) ior, work(-man), yield, use.]

b. [an] altar [Strong: 4196 mizbêach, miz-bay'-akh; from H2076; an altar:—altar.]

c. [of] shittim [Strong: 7848 shiṭṭâh, shit-taw'; feminine of a derivative (only in the plural שִׁטִּים shiṭṭîym; meaning the sticks of wood) from the same as H7850; the acacia (from its scourging thorns):—shittah, shittim.]

d. wood [Strong: 6086  ʻêts, ates; from H6095; a tree (from its firmness); hence, wood (plural sticks):— carpenter, gallows, helve, pine, plank, staff, stalk, stick, stock, timber, tree, wood.]

2. “...five cubits long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall be foursquare…”

a.  five [Strong: 2568 châmêsh, khaw-maysh'; masculine חֲמִשָּׁה chămishshâh; a primitive numeral; five:—fif(-teen), fifth, five (× apiece).]

b. cubits [Strong: 520 ʼammâh, am-maw'; prolonged from H517; properly, a mother (i.e. unit of measure, or the fore-arm (below the elbow), i.e. a cubit; also a door-base (as a bond of the entrance):—cubit, + hundred (by exchange for H3967), measure, post.]

c. long [Strong: 753 ʼôrek, o'rek; from H748; length:— forever, length, long.]

d. [and] five [Strong: 2568 châmêsh, khaw-maysh'; masculine חֲמִשָּׁה chămishshâh; a primitive numeral; five:—fif(-teen), fifth, five (× apiece).]

e. cubits [Strong: 520 ʼammâh, am-maw'; prolonged from H517; properly, a mother (i.e. unit of measure, or the fore-arm (below the elbow), i.e. a cubit; also a door-base (as a bond of the entrance):—cubit, + hundred (by exchange for H3967), measure, post.]

f. broad [Strong: 7341 rôchab, ro'-khab; from H7337; width (literally or figuratively):—breadth, broad, largeness, thickness, wideness.]

g. [the] altar [Strong: 4196 mizbêach, miz-bay'-akh; from H2076; an altar:—altar.]

h. shall be [Strong: 1961 hayah haw-yaw a primitive root (Compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit (one-)self, require, X use.]

i. foursquare [Strong: 7251 râbaʻ, raw-bah'; a primitive root (rather identical with H7250 through the idea of sprawling 'at all fours' (or possibly the reverse is the order of derivation); compare H702); properly, to be four (sided); used only as denominative of H7253; to be quadrate:—(four-) square(-d).]

3. “...and the height thereof shall be three cubits.”

a. [and the] height [thereof] [Strong: 6967 qôwmâh, ko-maw'; from H6965; height:—× along, height, high, stature, tall.]

b. [shall be] three [Strong: 7969 shâlôwsh, shaw-loshe'; or שָׁלֹשׁ shâlôsh; masculine שְׁלוֹשָׁה shᵉlôwshâh; or שְׁלֹשָׁה shᵉlôshâh; a primitive number; three; occasionally (ordinal) third, or (multiple) thrice:—+ fork, + often(-times), third, thir(-teen, -teenth), three, + thrice.]

c. cubits cubits [Strong: 520 ʼammâh, am-maw'; prolonged from H517; properly, a mother (i.e. unit of measure, or the fore-arm (below the elbow), i.e. a cubit; also a door-base (as a bond of the entrance):—cubit, + hundred (by exchange for H3967), measure, post.]

1). Under the Mosaic Covenant all the sacrifices that included fire were to be burnt on this altar. That system was in place for over 1400 years (minus the Babylonian captivity). Under the New Covenant all of the sacrifices were fulfilled and done away with in Christ Jesus. Now in the New Covenant and under our High Priest Christ Jesus (Hebrews 4:14), we are the priest (1 Peter 2:5, 9), we are the person bringing sacrifice and we are the sacrifice (Romans 12:1, 2). Glory to God.