Chapter Overview
Summary
Exodus 27 details the bronze altar of burnt offering (vv. 1–8), the courtyard of the tabernacle (vv. 9–19), and the command to keep a perpetual lamp burning (vv. 20–21). LXX Exodus 27 tracks MT closely. The chapter's third occurrence of the 'according to the pattern shown you on the mountain' refrain at 27:8 reinforces the LXX typos theology that Hebrews 8:5 builds on.
Notable Variants
The third repetition of the 'pattern shown on the mountain' refrain at 27:8; the 'continual lamp' (kauseis dia pantos) at 27:20 supplying the perpetual-light cultic vocabulary that Zech 4 and Rev 1 inherit.
Structural Notes
LXX Exodus 27 preserves MT's 21-verse structure.
"You shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits wide — the altar shall be square — and three cubits high.
The bronze altar dimensions (5 × 5 × 3 cubits) track MT. The LXX's thysiastērion ('altar') is the standard cultic Greek term that the NT inherits (Matt 5:23–24, 23:35, Rom 11:3, Heb 7:13, 13:10, Rev 6:9, 8:3, 9:13, 11:1, 14:18, 16:7).
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.
The four horns of the altar track MT. Sanctuary-horns become the mercy-grasping object (1 Kgs 1:50, 2:28) and the typological feature Rev 9:13 echoes.
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.
The bronze utensils list tracks MT.
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.
The bronze grating and rings track MT.
You shall set it under the ledge of the altar so that the net extends halfway down the altar.
The grating-under-ledge placement tracks MT.
You shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze.
The bronze-overlaid acacia poles track MT.
The poles shall be put through the rings, so that the poles are on the two sides of the altar when it is carried.
The pole-through-ring carrying arrangement tracks MT.
You shall make it hollow, with boards. As it was shown to you on the mountain, so shall it be made.
Masoretic (WLC)
כַּאֲשֶׁר הֶרְאָה אֹתְךָ בָּהָר כֵּן יַעֲשׂוּ
As it was shown to you on the mountain, so shall it be made
Septuagint (LXX)
καθὰ δειχθέν σοι ἐν τῷ ὄρει οὕτως ποιήσεις αὐτό
As was shown to you on the mountain, so shall you make it
Third occurrence in Exodus of the 'pattern shown on the mountain' refrain (after 25:9, 25:40). The triple-repetition establishes the typos principle that Hebrews 8:5 cites.
The altar — the locus of sacrifice — is the most obviously Christological piece of tabernacle furniture for NT typology. Hebrews 13:10 ('we have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat') takes this directly.
"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.
The courtyard hangings of finely twisted linen track MT. The aulē ('courtyard') is the same Greek word used at Matt 26:3 for the high priest's courtyard where Peter denies Jesus — cultic-vocabulary echoing across the Passion.
Its twenty pillars and their twenty bases shall be of bronze. The hooks of the pillars and their bands shall be of silver.
Twenty bronze pillars with silver hooks track MT — the inner-outer metal hierarchy continues.
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.
Symmetric north-side construction tracks MT.
The width of the courtyard on the west side shall have hangings of fifty cubits, with ten pillars and ten bases.
Fifty-cubit west side with ten pillars tracks MT.
The width of the courtyard on the east side shall be fifty cubits.
East-side width tracks MT.
The hangings on one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits, with three pillars and three bases.
Fifteen-cubit gate side tracks MT.
On the other side shall be hangings of fifteen cubits, with three pillars and three bases.
Symmetric other-side hangings track MT.
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.
The courtyard-gate screen (four pillars, four bases) tracks MT.
All the pillars around the courtyard shall be banded with silver. Their hooks shall be of silver and their bases of bronze.
Silver bands, silver hooks, bronze bases on all courtyard pillars track MT.
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.
Courtyard dimensions (100 × 50 × 5 cubits) track MT.
All the utensils of the tabernacle used in all its service, and all its tent pegs, and all the tent pegs of the courtyard, shall be of bronze.
All tabernacle-service utensils and tent pegs in bronze tracks MT.
"You shall command the sons of Israel to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light, to keep a lamp burning continually.
Masoretic (WLC)
לְהַעֲלֹת נֵר תָּמִיד
to keep a lamp burning continually
Septuagint (LXX)
ἵνα καίῃ λύχνος διὰ παντός
that a lamp may burn continually
The 'continually burning lamp' (lychnos kaiōn dia pantos) becomes a standing LXX image. 1 Samuel 3:3 ('the lamp of God had not yet gone out') locates the young Samuel sleeping near this lamp.
Zechariah 4's menorah-vision and Revelation 1:12–20's seven lampstands (christologized as the church's presence in the world) both draw on this cultic-perpetual-light tradition. Matthew 5:14–16 ('you are the light of the world') is the Christological fulfillment of the continual-lamp imagery.
'Forever' / 'continually' (dia pantos) is the LXX vocabulary for perpetual cultic obligation that Hebrews 10:11–14 contrasts with Christ's once-for-all offering.
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.
Aaron and his sons tending the lamp 'from evening to morning' as an 'eternal statute' (nomimon aiōnion) tracks MT. The dusk-to-dawn tending establishes the daily priestly cycle.