Exodus 27

1 “You are to build an altar [a place of sacrifice, for offering to God] of acacia wood [shittim wood, a durable and thorny tree]. The altar must be square [foursquare, having four equal sides], five cubits [about 7.5 feet, a unit of measurement] long, five cubits wide, and three cubits [about 4.5 feet, a unit of length] high. word study 2 Make a [projection, like a horn] horn on each of its four corners [angles], so that the horns are [of one piece, unified] of one piece, and overlay [cover, plate] it with [copper, bronze, a base metal] bronze. word study 3 Make all its utensils [articles, tools, or vessels] of bronze [copper, a base metal]—its pots [buckets, containers] for removing ashes [dirt, residue], its shovels [diggers, scoops], its sprinkling bowls [basins, liquid holders], its meat forks [three-pronged forks, for turning], and its firepans [censers, coal holders]. word study 4 Construct for it a grate [lattice-work, screen] of bronze [copper, a base metal] mesh, and make a bronze [made of copper] ring [signet] at each of the four [a simple counting number, describing quantity] corners [end, termination, or edge] of the mesh [net]. word study 5 Set the grate [network, mesh] beneath [under, below] the ledge [rim, edge] of the altar [place of sacrifice], so that the mesh [net, grate] comes [reaches, extends] halfway [to the middle, half] up the altar [sacred table, offering table]. word study 6 Additionally, make poles [staves, rods] of acacia wood [shittim wood, a strong and firm tree] for the altar [a place of sacrifice, where offerings are made to God] and overlay [cover, plate] them with bronze [brass, a copper alloy]. word study 7 The poles [staves, bars] are to be inserted into the rings [signet rings] so that the poles [alone, apart] are on two [a pair, dual] sides [ribs, architectural supports] of the altar [place of sacrifice, where offerings are made to God] when it is carried [lifted, borne, to lift or raise something]. word study 8 Construct the altar [hollow with boards, like a box] with boards [of acacia wood] so that it is [empty and] hollow [without solid substance]. It is to be made [as God instructed, according to the divine plan] just as you were shown [in a vision, by God’s providence] on the mountain [where God reveals Himself]. word study 9 You are also to make [create, construct] a courtyard [open space, outer court] for the tabernacle [portable place of worship, divine dwelling]. On the south [Negeb, southern direction] side of the courtyard make curtains [hangings, screens] of finely spun [twined, twisted] linen [fine white linen], a hundred [numerous, abundant] cubits [unit of measurement, forearm length] long on one side [edge, corner], word study 10 with twenty [two tens, a complete set] posts [pillars, columns] and twenty bronze [made of copper] bases [sockets, foundations], and silver [precious, valuable] hooks [pegs, fasteners] and bands [rings, connectors] on the posts [pillars, upright supports]. word study 11 Likewise [in the same manner, thus] there are to be curtains [hangings, screens] on the north [Zaphon, towards the northern direction] side, a hundred [one hundred, numerous] cubits long, with twenty [a multitude] posts [pillars, columns] and twenty bronze [made of copper, brass] bases [sockets, foundations], and with silver [valuable, precious] hooks [pegs, nails] and bands [rings, rods] on the posts [pillars, supports]. word study 12 The curtains [hangings, screens] on the west [seaward, toward the Mediterranean] side of the courtyard [court, open space] shall be fifty [a quantity of fifty] cubits [units of measurement, about the length of a forearm] wide, with ten [a decade] posts [pillars, columns] and ten [a decade] bases [sockets, foundations]. word study 13 The east [toward the sunrise, facing the morning] side [edge, border] of the courtyard [court, open space], toward the sunrise [eastward, to the front], is to be fifty [a measurement of quantity] cubits [a unit of length, about the forearm’s length] wide [in breadth, having a certain width]. word study 14 Make the curtains [hangings of the gate] on one side fifteen [ten and five] cubits [a unit of measurement, about the length of a forearm] long, with three [thrice] posts [pillars, columns] and three [thrice] bases [sockets, foundations], word study 15 and the curtains [hangings, screens] on the other side [second, opposite] fifteen [ten and five] cubits long, with three [thrice] posts [pillars, columns] and three [thrice] bases [sockets, foundations]. word study 16 The gate [entrance, doorway] of the courtyard shall be twenty [twentieth, a unit of measurement] cubits [about the length of a forearm] long, with a curtain [hanging, screen, veil] embroidered [wrought with needlework, intricately designed] with blue [violet, obtained from a specific type of mussel], purple [royal color, from a specific type of shellfish], and scarlet [deep red, crimson, from the coccus ilicis insect] yarn, and finely spun [twined, twisted] linen. It shall have four [a simple counting number] posts [pillars, columns] and four [complete, entire] bases [sockets, foundations, pedestals]. word study 17 All [every single one] the posts [pillars, columns] around [surrounding, encompassing] the courtyard [court, open space] shall have [be equipped with] silver [precious metal, wealth] bands [fillets, decorative strips], silver [valuable, costly] hooks [pegs, fasteners], and bronze [copper, base metal] bases [sockets, foundations]. word study 18 The entire courtyard [open space, outer area] shall be a hundred [one hundred, a multitude] cubits [measurement of a forearm] long and fifty [a multitude of fifty] cubits wide, with curtains [hangings, dividers] of finely spun linen [fine twined, luxurious fabric] five cubits high, and with bronze [copper, a base metal] bases [sockets, foundations]. word study 19 All [every, the entirety of] the utensils [articles, tools, vessels] of the tabernacle [dwelling place, sanctuary] for every use [service, work], including all its tent pegs [nails, pins] and the tent pegs [nails, pins] of the courtyard [open space, court], shall be made of bronze [brass, copper]. word study 20 And you [as a leader, to command] are to command [to give orders, appoint] the Israelites [sons of Jacob, God’s chosen people] to bring you [towards you, for your use] pure [clean, undefiled, without mixture] oil [olive oil, ointment] of pressed [beaten, pounded] olives [olive tree or berry, source of light] for the light [happiness, spiritual illumination], to keep [cause to burn, maintain] the lamps [devices holding a flame, guidance] burning [shining, giving light] continually [constantly, without interruption, as a daily sacrifice]. word study 21 In the Tent [tabernacle, sacred dwelling] of Meeting [appointed time, sacred season], outside [beyond, outside of] the veil [curtain, screen] that is in front of the Testimony [witness, God’s laws], Aaron [the first high priest] and his sons [descendants, spiritual leaders] are to tend [arrange, keep in order] the lamps [light sources] before [in the presence of, facing] the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] from evening [sunset, end of day] until [as far as, up to] morning [dawn, new beginnings]. This is to be a permanent [lasting, eternal] statute [ordinance, divine law] for the Israelites [God’s chosen people, descendants of Jacob] for the generations [periods of time, groups of people] to come [in the future, yet to be born]. word study