Exodus 27:1-2

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Exodus 27:1-8

As God intended in the tabernacle to manifest his presence among his people, so there they were to pay their devotions to him, not in the tabernacle itself (into that only the priests entered as God's domestic servants), but in the court before the tabernacle, where, as common subjects, they attended. There an altar was ordered to be set up, to which they must bring their sacrifices, and on which their priests must offer them to God: and this altar was to sanctify their gifts. Here they were... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 27:1

And thou shall make an altar of shittim wood ,.... This is a different altar from that made of earth before the tabernacle was built, Exodus 20:24 and from the altar of incense, Exodus 30:1 this was to offer burnt offerings on, and was placed at the door of the tabernacle, in the court of the people, where they brought their sacrifices to the priests to offer for them: it stood in the open air, as it was proper it should, that the smoke or the sacrifices might ascend up and scatter. This... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 27:2

Which were either for ornament, or for keeping what was laid upon the altar from falling off, or for the fastening of the sacrifice to them, and were what criminals fled to for refuge, and laid hold on; and may denote the power of Christ, who is the horn of salvation to preserve his people from a final falling away, and from ruin and destruction, and his protection of those that fly to him for refuge; and these horns being at the corners of the altar may respect the four parts of the world,... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 27:1

Thou shalt make an altar - מזבח mizbeach , from זבח zabach , to slay: Septuagint, θυσιαστηριον , from θυσιαζω , to sacrifice or from θυω to kill, etc. See Clarke's note on Genesis 8:20 . Four square - As this altar was five cubits long and five broad, and the cubit is reckoned to be twenty-one inches, hence it must have been eight feet nine inches square, and about five feet three inches in height, the amount of three cubits, taken at the same ratio. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 27:2

Thou shalt make the horns of it - The horns might have three uses: For ornament. To prevent carcasses, etc., from falling off. To tie the victim to, previously to its being sacrificed. So David: Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar; Psalm 118:27 . Horns were much used in all ancient altars among the heathen, and some of them were entirely constructed of the horns of the beasts that had been offered in sacrifice; but such altars appear to be erected rather as... read more

John Calvin

John Calvin's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 27:1

Verse 1 1.And thou shalt make an altar. The altar of whole burnt-offerings (holocaustorum) is here described, which, however, it was called by synecdoche, for not only entire victims were burnt there, but also parts of them only, as we shall see in Leviticus. The burnt-offerings received their name from their ascending, (147) whereby the Israelites were reminded that they had need to be purified, that they might ascend to God; and at the same time were instructed that whatever corruption there... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 27:1

Thou shalt make an altar . Rather, " the altar." God had already declared that he would have an altar made to him in the place where he should "record his name" ( Exodus 20:24 ). And, even apart from this, an altar would be regarded as so essential an element in Divine worship, that no place of worship could be without one. Of shittim wood. God had required (1. s. c.) that his altar should be "of earth," or else of unhewn stones ( Exodus 20:25 ). The command now given was to make,... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 27:1-8

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 27:1-8

The symbolism of the brazen altar. The noticeable points of this altar are its position, material, ornaments, and purpose or use. I. ITS POSITION . II. ITS MATERIAL . The material was the earth alone constituting the true altar ( Exodus 20:24 ), and the wood and metal a casing, by means of which the earth was kept together. III. ITS ORNAMENTS . These were, IV. ITS PURPOSE . We have assumed throughout that the purpose of the altar—its main purpose—was... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 27:1-20

The brazen altar and court of the tabernacle. From the sanctuary, we pass in this chapter to the outer court, the principal object in which was the brazen altar, or altar of burnt offering. I. THE BRAZEN ALTAR ( Exodus 27:1-9 ). 1 . Form of the altar . The altar was a foursquare case of shittim wood, five cubits long and five broad, made with four horns, and overlaid with plates of bronze. Round it, at some distance from the ground, was apparently a ledge, on which the... read more

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