Focused Passage

Exodus 38:1-7

The Altar, Basin, Courtyard, and Inventory of Tabernacle Materials

The chapter moves from the construction of the bronze altar of burnt offering, to the making of its utensils, grating, rings, and poles, to the making of the bronze basin from the mirrors of the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting, to the construction of the courtyard curtains, posts, bases, hooks, bands, and entrance curtain, and finally to the inventory of gold, silver, and bronze used in the tabernacle work under the supervision of Ithamar, Bezalel, and Oholiab.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

1 Bezalel constructed the altar of burnt offering from acacia wood. It was square, five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high.

2 He made a horn at each of its four corners, so that the horns and altar were of one piece, and he overlaid the altar with bronze.

3 He made all the altar’s utensils of bronze—its pots, shovels, sprinkling bowls, meat forks, and firepans.

4 He made a grate of bronze mesh for the altar under its ledge, halfway up from the bottom.

5 At the four corners of the bronze grate he cast four rings as holders for the poles.

6 And he made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze.

7 Then he inserted the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar for carrying it. He made the altar with boards so that it was hollow.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Original words

[Bezalel] constructed וַיַּ֛עַשׂ H6213 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker the altar מִזְבַּ֥ח H4196 Noun - masculine singular construct of burnt offering הָעֹלָ֖ה H5930 Article | Noun - feminine singular from acacia שִׁטִּ֑ים H7848 Noun - feminine plural wood עֲצֵ֣י H6086 Noun - masculine plural construct It was square רָב֔וּעַ H7251 Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular five חָמֵשׁ֩ H2568 Number - feminine singular cubits אַמּ֨וֹת H520 Noun - feminine plural long אָרְכּ֜וֹ H753 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular five וְחָֽמֵשׁ־ H2568 Conjunctive waw | Number - feminine singular cubits אַמּ֤וֹת H520 Noun - feminine plural wide רָחְבּוֹ֙ H7341 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular and three וְשָׁלֹ֥שׁ H7969 Conjunctive waw | Number - feminine singular cubits אַמּ֖וֹת H520 Noun - feminine plural high קֹמָתֽוֹ׃ H6967 Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singular

BSB notes

  • Literally He constructed
  • The altar was approximately 7.5 feet in length and width, and 4.5 feet high (2.3 meters in length and width, and 1.4 meters high).
Verse 2

Original words

He made וַיַּ֣עַשׂ H6213 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular a horn קַרְנֹתָ֗יו H7161 Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine singular at each of עַ֚ל H5921 Preposition its four אַרְבַּ֣ע H702 Number - feminine singular construct corners פִּנֹּתָ֔יו H6438 Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine singular so that the horns [and altar] קַרְנֹתָ֑יו H7161 Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine singular were הָי֣וּ H1961 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural of one piece מִמֶּ֖נּוּ H4480 Preposition | third person masculine singular and he overlaid וַיְצַ֥ף H6823 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular - אֹת֖וֹ H853 Direct object marker | third person masculine singular [the altar] with bronze נְחֹֽשֶׁת׃ H5178 Noun - feminine singular
Verse 3

Original words

He made וַיַּ֜עַשׂ H6213 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular - אֶֽת־ H853 Direct object marker all כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct the altar’s הַמִּזְבֵּ֗חַ H4196 Article | Noun - masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker utensils כְּלֵ֣י H3627 Noun - masculine plural construct of bronze נְחֹֽשֶׁת׃ H5178 Noun - feminine singular its pots הַסִּירֹ֤ת H5518 Article | Noun - common plural - וְאֶת־ H853 Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker shovels הַיָּעִים֙ H3257 Article | Noun - masculine plural - וְאֶת־ H853 Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker sprinkling bowls הַמִּזְרָקֹ֔ת H4219 Article | Noun - masculine plural - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker meat forks הַמִּזְלָגֹ֖ת H4207 Article | Noun - feminine plural - וְאֶת־ H853 Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker and firepans הַמַּחְתֹּ֑ת H4289 Article | Noun - feminine plural - עָשָׂ֥ה H6213 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular - כָּל־ H3605 Noun - masculine singular construct - כֵּלָ֖יו H3627 Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 4

Original words

He made וַיַּ֤עַשׂ H6213 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular a grate מִכְבָּ֔ר H4345 Noun - masculine singular of bronze נְחֹ֑שֶׁת H5178 Noun - feminine singular mesh רֶ֣שֶׁת H7568 Noun - feminine singular construct for the altar לַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ H4196 Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular . . . מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה H4639 Noun - masculine singular construct under תַּ֧חַת H8478 Preposition its ledge כַּרְכֻּבּ֛וֹ H3749 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular halfway חֶצְיֽוֹ׃ H2677 Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular up from the bottom מִלְּמַ֖טָּה H4295 Preposition-m, Preposition-l | Adverb . . . עַד־ H5704 Preposition
Verse 5

Original words

At the four אַרְבַּ֧ע H702 Number - feminine singular construct corners הַקְּצָוֺ֖ת H7117 Article | Noun - feminine plural of the bronze הַנְּחֹ֑שֶׁת H5178 Article | Noun - feminine singular grate לְמִכְבַּ֣ר H4345 Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct he cast וַיִּצֹ֞ק H3332 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular four בְּאַרְבַּ֥ע H702 Preposition-b | Number - feminine singular construct rings טַבָּעֹ֛ת H2885 Noun - feminine plural as holders בָּתִּ֖ים H1004 Noun - masculine plural for the poles לַבַּדִּֽים׃ H905 Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Verse 6

Original words

And he made וַיַּ֥עַשׂ H6213 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker the poles הַבַּדִּ֖ים H905 Article | Noun - masculine plural of acacia שִׁטִּ֑ים H7848 Noun - feminine plural wood עֲצֵ֣י H6086 Noun - masculine plural construct and overlaid וַיְצַ֥ף H6823 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular them אֹתָ֖ם H853 Direct object marker | third person masculine plural with bronze נְחֹֽשֶׁת׃ H5178 Noun - feminine singular
Verse 7

Original words

Then he inserted וַיָּבֵ֨א H935 Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular - אֶת־ H853 Direct object marker the poles הַבַּדִּ֜ים H905 Article | Noun - masculine plural into the rings בַּטַּבָּעֹ֗ת H2885 Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine plural on עַ֚ל H5921 Preposition the sides צַלְעֹ֣ת H6763 Noun - feminine plural construct of the altar הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ H4196 Article | Noun - masculine singular for carrying לָשֵׂ֥את H5375 Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct it אֹת֖וֹ H853 Direct object marker | third person masculine singular He made עָשָׂ֥ה H6213 Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular [the altar] אֹתֽוֹ׃ס H853 Direct object marker | third person masculine singular with boards לֻחֹ֖ת H3871 Noun - masculine plural so that it was hollow נְב֥וּב H5014 Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular construct

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.