God gives instructions for the bronze altar of burnt offering — the first object encountered in the courtyard — along with its utensils, the courtyard enclosure of linen hangings on bronze pillars, and the perpetual lamp fueled by pure olive oil.
What Makes This Chapter Remarkable
The altar's horns (qarnot) project from the four corners as a single piece with the altar — blood is applied to these horns in sacrificial rituals, and they serve as a place of sanctuary (1 Kings 1:50). The courtyard material hierarchy creates a holiness gradient: bronze in the courtyard, silver at the structure's base, gold in the interior. The perpetual lamp (ner tamid, v20) burns 'from evening to morning' — light never ceases in the space where God dwells. Israel's first communal obligation is to supply oil for this unending flame.
Translation Friction
We rendered mizbach ha'olah as 'altar of burnt offering' rather than simply 'altar,' to distinguish it from the incense altar introduced in chapter 30. The bronze (nechoshet) overlay reflects the courtyard's position in the holiness gradient — not gold (interior) but the appropriate metal for the space of sacrifice. The phrase ner tamid ('perpetual lamp') we rendered as such, noting that 'perpetual' (tamid) means continually maintained, not miraculously self-sustaining.
Connections
The altar's design anticipates Solomon's much larger bronze altar (2 Chronicles 4:1). The horns of the altar appear in 1 Kings 1:50-51 and Psalm 118:27. The perpetual lamp connects to the seven-branched lampstand of 25:31-40 and anticipates the 'lamp of God' in Samuel's temple (1 Samuel 3:3). The courtyard enclosure establishes the boundary between sacred and common space.
"You shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits wide — the altar shall be square — and three cubits high.
KJV 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.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The bronze altar (mizbach hanechoshet) is the first object encountered upon entering the courtyard — sacrifice is the gateway to God's presence. Five cubits square (approximately 7.5 x 7.5 feet) and three cubits high (approximately 4.5 feet), it is the largest piece of tabernacle furniture.
You shall make horns for it on its four corners. Its horns shall be of one piece with it, and you shall overlay it with bronze.
KJV And thou shalt make the horns of it upon the four corners thereof: his horns shall be of the same: and thou shalt overlay it with brass.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
'Horns on its four corners' (qarnot al arba pinnotav) — the horns are projections at each corner, integral to the altar ('of one piece with it'). Blood is applied to these horns during sacrificial rituals (Leviticus 4:7, 18, 25, 30). A person could grasp the horns for sanctuary (1 Kings 1:50). The horn symbolizes power and refuge.
You shall make pots for removing its ashes, and shovels and basins and forks and fire pans. You shall make all its utensils of bronze.
KJV And thou shalt make his pans to receive his ashes, and his shovels, and his basons, and his fleshhooks, and his firepans: all the vessels thereof thou shalt make of brass.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The altar's utensils are all bronze — pots, shovels, basins, forks, fire pans. The bronze material reflects the courtyard's position in the holiness gradient: not gold (interior), not silver (structural), but bronze (sacrificial/external).
You shall make for it a grating, a network of bronze, and on the net you shall make four bronze rings at its four corners.
KJV And thou shalt make for it a grate of network of brass; and upon the net shalt thou make four brasen rings in the four corners thereof.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The bronze grating sits inside the altar, allowing air circulation for the fire and drainage for the blood. The engineering serves the sacrificial function — nothing in the design is merely decorative.
You shall make it hollow, with boards. As it was shown to you on the mountain, so shall it be made.
KJV Hollow with boards shalt thou make it: as it was shewed thee in the mount, so shall they make it.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
'Hollow, with boards' — the altar is not solid but a frame structure, likely filled with earth at each campsite (cf. 20:24, 'an altar of earth you shall make for Me'). The heavenly pattern shown on the mountain governs the construction.
"You shall make the courtyard of the tabernacle. On the south side the courtyard shall have hangings of finely twisted linen, a hundred cubits long on that side.
KJV And thou shalt make the court of the tabernacle: for the south side southward there shall be hangings for the court of fine twined linen of an hundred cubits long for one side:
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The courtyard (chatser) is the outermost sacred zone — 100 x 50 cubits (approximately 150 x 75 feet). Linen hangings create walls that separate sacred space from the surrounding camp. The enclosure is visible but not transparent: the linen creates a boundary without a barrier to sight.
Its twenty pillars and their twenty bases shall be of bronze. The hooks of the pillars and their bands shall be of silver.
KJV And the twenty pillars thereof and their twenty sockets shall be of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
Twenty pillars on the south side with bronze bases and silver hooks — the material gradient continues: bronze at ground level, silver at attachment points. The courtyard is less holy than the sanctuary interior but holier than the camp beyond.
Likewise along the north side there shall be hangings a hundred cubits long, with twenty pillars and twenty bronze bases. The hooks and bands of the pillars shall be of silver.
KJV And likewise for the north side in length there shall be hangings of an hundred cubits long, and his twenty pillars and their twenty sockets of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The north side mirrors the south — bilateral symmetry governs the entire tabernacle complex.
The width of the courtyard on the west side shall have hangings of fifty cubits, with ten pillars and ten bases.
KJV And for the breadth of the court on the west side shall be hangings of fifty cubits: their pillars ten, and their sockets ten.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The west side (back of the tabernacle) is fifty cubits — half the length of the sides. The courtyard is twice as long as it is wide, creating a rectangular processional space leading toward the sanctuary.
On the other side shall be hangings of fifteen cubits, with three pillars and three bases.
KJV And on the other side shall be hangings fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their sockets three.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
Fifteen cubits on the other side — the gate is flanked symmetrically. The entrance is twenty cubits wide (v16), leaving fifteen cubits of hanging on each side.
For the gate of the courtyard there shall be a screen twenty cubits long, of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen, the work of an embroiderer, with four pillars and four bases.
KJV And for the gate of the court shall be an hanging of twenty cubits, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework: and their pillars shall be four, and their sockets four.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The gate screen is the courtyard's entrance — embroidered (not woven with cherubim like the inner veil). Blue, purple, scarlet, and linen: the same four materials used throughout the tabernacle, maintaining visual continuity from outer entrance to inner sanctuary.
All the pillars around the courtyard shall be banded with silver. Their hooks shall be of silver and their bases of bronze.
KJV All the pillars round about the court shall be filleted with silver; their hooks shall be of silver, and their sockets of brass.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
Silver bands and hooks throughout — silver is the connecting material that holds the courtyard together, just as silver bases hold the tabernacle frames.
The length of the courtyard shall be a hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height five cubits, with hangings of finely twisted linen and bases of bronze.
KJV The length of the court shall be an hundred cubits, and the breadth fifty every where, and the height five cubits of fine twined linen, and their sockets of brass.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
The complete dimensions are stated: 100 x 50 x 5 cubits. The five-cubit height of the hangings is high enough to block ground-level view but low enough that the tabernacle structure rises above it, visible from the camp.
"You shall command the sons of Israel to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light, to keep a lamp burning continually.
KJV And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
'Clear oil of pressed olives' (shemen zayit zakh) — the finest quality olive oil, cold-pressed without heat to ensure clarity. The eternal light (ner tamid) in the tabernacle burns the best fuel available. God's light is sustained by the people's contribution.
In the tent of meeting, outside the veil that is before the Testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening to morning before the LORD. It shall be an eternal statute throughout their generations on behalf of the sons of Israel.
KJV In the tabernacle of the congregation without the vail, which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning before the LORD: it shall be a statute for ever unto their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel.
Notes & Key Terms
Translator Notes
'From evening to morning' — the lamp burns through the night, ensuring the tabernacle is never in darkness. Aaron and his sons tend it — priestly service includes the maintenance of sacred light. 'An eternal statute' (chuqqat olam) — the lamp-tending obligation is perpetual, binding across all generations.