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

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

2He 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.

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

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

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

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

7Then 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] constructedוַיַּ֛עַשׂH6213Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object markerthe altarמִזְבַּ֥חH4196Noun - masculine singular constructof burnt offeringהָעֹלָ֖הH5930Article | Noun - feminine singularfrom acaciaשִׁטִּ֑יםH7848Noun - feminine pluralwoodעֲצֵ֣יH6086Noun - masculine plural constructIt was squareרָב֔וּעַH7251Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singularfiveחָמֵשׁ֩H2568Number - feminine singularcubitsאַמּ֨וֹתH520Noun - feminine plurallongאָרְכּ֜וֹH753Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singularfiveוְחָֽמֵשׁ־H2568Conjunctive waw | Number - feminine singularcubitsאַמּ֤וֹתH520Noun - feminine pluralwideרָחְבּוֹ֙H7341Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singularand threeוְשָׁלֹ֥שׁH7969Conjunctive waw | Number - feminine singularcubitsאַמּ֖וֹתH520Noun - feminine pluralhighקֹמָתֽוֹ׃H6967Noun - 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 madeוַיַּ֣עַשׂH6213Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singulara hornקַרְנֹתָ֗יוH7161Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine singularat each ofעַ֚לH5921Prepositionits fourאַרְבַּ֣עH702Number - feminine singular constructcornersפִּנֹּתָ֔יוH6438Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine singularso that the horns [and altar]קַרְנֹתָ֑יוH7161Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine singularwereהָי֣וּH1961Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common pluralof one pieceמִמֶּ֖נּוּH4480Preposition | third person masculine singularand he overlaidוַיְצַ֥ףH6823Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular-אֹת֖וֹH853Direct object marker | third person masculine singular[the altar] with bronzeנְחֹֽשֶׁת׃H5178Noun - feminine singular
Verse 3

Original words

He madeוַיַּ֜עַשׂH6213Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular-אֶֽת־H853Direct object markerallכָּל־H3605Noun - masculine singular constructthe altar’sהַמִּזְבֵּ֗חַH4196Article | Noun - masculine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object markerutensilsכְּלֵ֣יH3627Noun - masculine plural constructof bronzeנְחֹֽשֶׁת׃H5178Noun - feminine singularits potsהַסִּירֹ֤תH5518Article | Noun - common plural-וְאֶת־H853Conjunctive waw | Direct object markershovelsהַיָּעִים֙H3257Article | Noun - masculine plural-וְאֶת־H853Conjunctive waw | Direct object markersprinkling bowlsהַמִּזְרָקֹ֔תH4219Article | Noun - masculine plural-אֶת־H853Direct object markermeat forksהַמִּזְלָגֹ֖תH4207Article | Noun - feminine plural-וְאֶת־H853Conjunctive waw | Direct object markerand firepansהַמַּחְתֹּ֑תH4289Article | Noun - feminine plural-עָשָׂ֥הH6213Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular-כָּל־H3605Noun - masculine singular construct-כֵּלָ֖יוH3627Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 4

Original words

He madeוַיַּ֤עַשׂH6213Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singulara grateמִכְבָּ֔רH4345Noun - masculine singularof bronzeנְחֹ֑שֶׁתH5178Noun - feminine singularmeshרֶ֣שֶׁתH7568Noun - feminine singular constructfor the altarלַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙H4196Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular. . .מַעֲשֵׂ֖הH4639Noun - masculine singular constructunderתַּ֧חַתH8478Prepositionits ledgeכַּרְכֻּבּ֛וֹH3749Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singularhalfwayחֶצְיֽוֹ׃H2677Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singularup from the bottomמִלְּמַ֖טָּהH4295Preposition-m, Preposition-l | Adverb. . .עַד־H5704Preposition
Verse 5

Original words

At the fourאַרְבַּ֧עH702Number - feminine singular constructcornersהַקְּצָוֺ֖תH7117Article | Noun - feminine pluralof the bronzeהַנְּחֹ֑שֶׁתH5178Article | Noun - feminine singulargrateלְמִכְבַּ֣רH4345Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular constructhe castוַיִּצֹ֞קH3332Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularfourבְּאַרְבַּ֥עH702Preposition-b | Number - feminine singular constructringsטַבָּעֹ֛תH2885Noun - feminine pluralas holdersבָּתִּ֖יםH1004Noun - masculine pluralfor the polesלַבַּדִּֽים׃H905Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Verse 6

Original words

And he madeוַיַּ֥עַשׂH6213Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object markerthe polesהַבַּדִּ֖יםH905Article | Noun - masculine pluralof acaciaשִׁטִּ֑יםH7848Noun - feminine pluralwoodעֲצֵ֣יH6086Noun - masculine plural constructand overlaidוַיְצַ֥ףH6823Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularthemאֹתָ֖םH853Direct object marker | third person masculine pluralwith bronzeנְחֹֽשֶׁת׃H5178Noun - feminine singular
Verse 7

Original words

Then he insertedוַיָּבֵ֨אH935Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular-אֶת־H853Direct object markerthe polesהַבַּדִּ֜יםH905Article | Noun - masculine pluralinto the ringsבַּטַּבָּעֹ֗תH2885Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine pluralonעַ֚לH5921Prepositionthe sidesצַלְעֹ֣תH6763Noun - feminine plural constructof the altarהַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַH4196Article | Noun - masculine singularfor carryingלָשֵׂ֥אתH5375Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructitאֹת֖וֹH853Direct object marker | third person masculine singularHe madeעָשָׂ֥הH6213Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular[the altar]אֹתֽוֹ׃סH853Direct object marker | third person masculine singularwith boardsלֻחֹ֖תH3871Noun - masculine pluralso that it was hollowנְב֥וּבH5014Verb - 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.