New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Exodus 27
1
"Build an altar out of acacia wood. It must be four feet six inches high and seven feet six inches square.
3
"Make all of its tools out of bronze. Make its pots to remove the ashes. Make its shovels, sprinkling bowls, meat forks, and pans for carrying ashes.
Reference
Parallel theme
1 Kings 7:45
4
"Make a bronze grate for the altar. Make a bronze ring for each of the four corners of the grate.
5
Put the grate halfway up the altar on the inside.
6
"Make poles out of acacia wood for the altar. Cover them with bronze.
7
Put the poles through the rings. They will be on two sides of the altar for carrying it.
8
"Make the altar out of boards. Make it hollow. You must make it just as I showed you on the mountain.
Reference
9
"Make a courtyard for the holy tent. The south side must be 150 feet long. It must have curtains that are made out of finely twisted linen.
10
The curtains must be hung on 20 posts and 20 bronze bases. The posts must have silver hooks and bands on them.
11
"The north side must also be 150 feet long. It must have curtains with 20 posts and 20 bronze bases. The posts must have silver hooks and bands on them.
12
"The west end of the courtyard must be 75 feet wide. It must have curtains with ten posts and ten bases.
13
"The east end of the courtyard, toward the sunrise, must also be 75 feet wide.
14
On one side of the entrance you must put curtains that are 22 feet six inches long. Hang them on three posts. Each post must have a base.
15
On the other side you must also put curtains that are 22 feet six inches long. Hang them on three posts. Each post must have a base.
16
"For the entrance to the courtyard, provide a curtain that is 30 feet long. Make it out of blue, purple and bright red yarn and finely twisted linen. Have someone who sews skillfully make it. Hang it on four posts. Each post must have a base.
Reference
Parallel theme
Exodus 26:36
17
"All of the posts that are around the courtyard must have silver bands and hooks. They must also have bronze bases.
18
The courtyard must be 150 feet long and 75 feet wide. It must have curtains that are made out of finely twisted linen. They must be seven feet six inches high. The posts must have bronze bases.
19
"Make all of the other articles used for any purpose in the holy tent out of bronze. That includes all of the tent stakes for the tent and the courtyard.
20
"Command the people of Israel to bring you clear oil that is made from pressed olives. Use it to keep the lamps burning and giving light.
Reference
21
"Aaron and his sons must keep the lamps burning in the Tent of Meeting. The lamps will be outside the curtain that is in front of the tablets of the covenant. The lamps must be kept burning in my sight from evening until morning. That is a law for the people of Israel that will last for all time to come.
Reference
Parallel theme
Numbers 19:21
Leviticus 3:17
2 Peter 1:19
John 5:35
References Lord
Exodus 30:8
Leviticus 16:34
2 Chronicles 13:11
Temple
Numbers 18:23
1 Samuel 3:3
Exodus 28:43
Chapter Summary
Exodus 27 contains instructions for the tabernacle. The previous chapters have described the Ark of the Covenant, the table, candlestick, curtains, and wooden framework. The instructions in this chapter will relate to the bronze altar, the court, and the oil for the lamps.
The first verse describes the altar of burnt offering. It is to be of acacia wood, five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high. Being square in shape the length and the width are equal. The altar is to be covered with brass, and the utensils of the altar are to be of brass as well. These include pans to receive the ashes, shovels, basins, tongs, and firepans.
Four horns are to be made and placed on the four corners of the altar. The horns are part of the altar, being attached to it, and are to be of brass. Rings and poles are to be provided on the altar so that it may be carried from one place to another when the Israelites are journeying.
The altar is to have a grate of network of brass on which the fire is to burn. On the four corners of the grate are to be four rings, so that poles may be inserted to carry it. The altar is to be hollow and of boards, according to the pattern that the Lord has shown Moses on the mountain.
This altar, which is to be constructed according to the pattern that the Lord has provided, will have an important location in Israel's worship. Sacrifices and burnt offerings are to take place on this altar. It is to be located in the court in front of the tabernacle. This means that it will be the first object encountered when approaching the tabernacle. The construction instructions indicate that it should provide for its own transportation as the Israelites journey from place to place.
The instructions for the court that surround the tabernacle follow the description of the bronze altar. The walls of the court are to be made of fine twined linen, the south side being one hundred cubits in length and including twenty pillars and twenty brass sockets. The same is true of the north side.
The west side of the court is fifty cubits in width, with ten pillars and ten sockets. The east side is also fifty cubits in width and includes the entrance to the court. The entrance curtain is to be twenty cubits wide and of blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine twined linen. It is to have needlework and will be hung from four pillars that include four sockets.
The court is to be surrounded by curtains of fine linen and includes pillars with brass sockets. The hooks and clasps of the pillars are to be of silver, as are the tops of the pillars. The measurements of the court, which are given in detail, will define the area that the Israelites are to enclose with the curtains.
The court encloses the tabernacle and the altar of burnt offering. The tabernacle, in turn, is enclosed within the court. The court also surrounds the altar that is to be placed in the court in front of the tabernacle.
The closing verses of the chapter describe the oil for the lamps. God instructs Moses to tell the children of Israel to bring him oil of beaten olives that is to be kept in continual burning before the Lord. Aaron and his sons are to keep the lamps alight so that they burn from evening until morning before the Lord.
The oil for the lamps is continually burned before the Lord. The lamps are the subject of another chapter in Exodus. There God has instructed Moses to make a golden candlestick that is to provide light in the Holy Place and to have its lamps tended by Aaron and his sons. The continual burning indicates that Aaron and his sons are to keep the lamps alight at all times. This requires oil to be provided by the people, and the lamps are to be arranged so that they may burn continually from evening until morning.
Exodus 27 prepares Israel's worship in the wilderness by providing practical instructions regarding the location of the sacrifices, the boundaries of the area enclosed by the curtains, the entrance to the tabernacle, and the continual burning of the lamps.
The bronze altar is the location of the sacrifices that are to be brought before the Lord. This altar is large: it is five cubits long and five cubits wide. It is to be of acacia wood overlaid with brass. The brass utensils include pans to receive the ashes, shovels, basins, tongs, and firepans. The altar is to be of sufficient size and strength to permit its use as sacrifices are continual offerings to the Lord. Its poles make it transportable as the Israelites journey from place to place.
The court creates an enclosed area where the altar and the tabernacle are placed. The curtains and pillars that define this area delineate the boundaries beyond which no Israelite is to cross. The entrance to the tabernacle opens on the east side of the court. When someone approaches the tabernacle to offer sacrifices they will first enter through the court. When they arrive at the tabernacle the altar will be before them.
The oil for the lamps is to be continually burned before the Lord. The lamps that are to be placed on the golden candlestick are a continual offering. They burn from evening until morning. The oil for these lamps is to be obtained from the people, just as the sacrifices that are to be made in the tabernacle are obtained from them.
The instructions for the tabernacle that have been provided by God to Moses show how much He cares for Israel's worship. The tabernacle is to be portable so that it may be carried with the people as they journey through the wilderness. The sacrifices are to be continual offerings, indicating that the Lord will be worshipped continually.
Exodus 27 continues the preparation for Israel's worship by providing the instructions related to the bronze altar, the court, and the continual burning of the lamps. Exodus 26 ended with the description of the inner framework of the tabernacle. Exodus 27 continues with the instructions for the brazen altar. The instructions for the court follow, and then the directions for the continual burning of the lamps.
The closing verse of this chapter is a simple statement. It indicates that oil is to be provided for the continual burning of the lamps before the Lord. The people will be the source of this oil, and the priests will be responsible for its proper use. The lamps are to burn from evening until morning so that light is provided continuously. These instructions prepare the people of Israel for the worship that will take place when the tabernacle is completed and placed in position.
The first verse describes the altar of burnt offering. It is to be of acacia wood, five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high. Being square in shape the length and the width are equal. The altar is to be covered with brass, and the utensils of the altar are to be of brass as well. These include pans to receive the ashes, shovels, basins, tongs, and firepans.
Four horns are to be made and placed on the four corners of the altar. The horns are part of the altar, being attached to it, and are to be of brass. Rings and poles are to be provided on the altar so that it may be carried from one place to another when the Israelites are journeying.
The altar is to have a grate of network of brass on which the fire is to burn. On the four corners of the grate are to be four rings, so that poles may be inserted to carry it. The altar is to be hollow and of boards, according to the pattern that the Lord has shown Moses on the mountain.
This altar, which is to be constructed according to the pattern that the Lord has provided, will have an important location in Israel's worship. Sacrifices and burnt offerings are to take place on this altar. It is to be located in the court in front of the tabernacle. This means that it will be the first object encountered when approaching the tabernacle. The construction instructions indicate that it should provide for its own transportation as the Israelites journey from place to place.
The instructions for the court that surround the tabernacle follow the description of the bronze altar. The walls of the court are to be made of fine twined linen, the south side being one hundred cubits in length and including twenty pillars and twenty brass sockets. The same is true of the north side.
The west side of the court is fifty cubits in width, with ten pillars and ten sockets. The east side is also fifty cubits in width and includes the entrance to the court. The entrance curtain is to be twenty cubits wide and of blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine twined linen. It is to have needlework and will be hung from four pillars that include four sockets.
The court is to be surrounded by curtains of fine linen and includes pillars with brass sockets. The hooks and clasps of the pillars are to be of silver, as are the tops of the pillars. The measurements of the court, which are given in detail, will define the area that the Israelites are to enclose with the curtains.
The court encloses the tabernacle and the altar of burnt offering. The tabernacle, in turn, is enclosed within the court. The court also surrounds the altar that is to be placed in the court in front of the tabernacle.
The closing verses of the chapter describe the oil for the lamps. God instructs Moses to tell the children of Israel to bring him oil of beaten olives that is to be kept in continual burning before the Lord. Aaron and his sons are to keep the lamps alight so that they burn from evening until morning before the Lord.
The oil for the lamps is continually burned before the Lord. The lamps are the subject of another chapter in Exodus. There God has instructed Moses to make a golden candlestick that is to provide light in the Holy Place and to have its lamps tended by Aaron and his sons. The continual burning indicates that Aaron and his sons are to keep the lamps alight at all times. This requires oil to be provided by the people, and the lamps are to be arranged so that they may burn continually from evening until morning.
Exodus 27 prepares Israel's worship in the wilderness by providing practical instructions regarding the location of the sacrifices, the boundaries of the area enclosed by the curtains, the entrance to the tabernacle, and the continual burning of the lamps.
The bronze altar is the location of the sacrifices that are to be brought before the Lord. This altar is large: it is five cubits long and five cubits wide. It is to be of acacia wood overlaid with brass. The brass utensils include pans to receive the ashes, shovels, basins, tongs, and firepans. The altar is to be of sufficient size and strength to permit its use as sacrifices are continual offerings to the Lord. Its poles make it transportable as the Israelites journey from place to place.
The court creates an enclosed area where the altar and the tabernacle are placed. The curtains and pillars that define this area delineate the boundaries beyond which no Israelite is to cross. The entrance to the tabernacle opens on the east side of the court. When someone approaches the tabernacle to offer sacrifices they will first enter through the court. When they arrive at the tabernacle the altar will be before them.
The oil for the lamps is to be continually burned before the Lord. The lamps that are to be placed on the golden candlestick are a continual offering. They burn from evening until morning. The oil for these lamps is to be obtained from the people, just as the sacrifices that are to be made in the tabernacle are obtained from them.
The instructions for the tabernacle that have been provided by God to Moses show how much He cares for Israel's worship. The tabernacle is to be portable so that it may be carried with the people as they journey through the wilderness. The sacrifices are to be continual offerings, indicating that the Lord will be worshipped continually.
Exodus 27 continues the preparation for Israel's worship by providing the instructions related to the bronze altar, the court, and the continual burning of the lamps. Exodus 26 ended with the description of the inner framework of the tabernacle. Exodus 27 continues with the instructions for the brazen altar. The instructions for the court follow, and then the directions for the continual burning of the lamps.
The closing verse of this chapter is a simple statement. It indicates that oil is to be provided for the continual burning of the lamps before the Lord. The people will be the source of this oil, and the priests will be responsible for its proper use. The lamps are to burn from evening until morning so that light is provided continuously. These instructions prepare the people of Israel for the worship that will take place when the tabernacle is completed and placed in position.