ExodusChapter 27

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Make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits wide. The altar shall be square, and three cubits high.

Make horns for it on its four corners; the horns shall be of one piece with it, and overlay it with bronze.

Make its pots for removing the ashes, and its shovels, its basins, its forks, and its firepans. Make all its utensils of bronze.

Make a grating for it of bronze network, and on the network make four bronze rings at its four corners.

Set it under the ledge of the altar, so that the network reaches halfway up the altar.

Make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze.

The poles are to be inserted into the rings, so that they are along the two sides of the altar when it is carried.

Make the altar hollow, of boards. They shall make it just as you were shown on the mountain.

Make the courtyard of the tabernacle. On the south side the courtyard shall have curtains of finely twisted linen, a hundred cubits long on that side,

with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases. The hooks of the posts and their bands shall be of silver.

Likewise along the north side there shall be curtains a hundred cubits long, with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases; the hooks of the posts and their bands shall be of silver.

For the width of the courtyard on the west side there shall be curtains fifty cubits long, with ten posts and ten bases.

The width of the courtyard on the east side shall be fifty cubits.

On one side of the entrance there shall be curtains fifteen cubits long, with three posts and three bases,

and on the other side curtains fifteen cubits long, with three posts and three bases.

For the gate of the courtyard there shall be a screen twenty cubits long, of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen, the work of an embroiderer, with four posts and four bases.

All the posts around the courtyard shall have silver bands, silver hooks, and bronze bases.

The courtyard shall be a hundred cubits long and fifty cubits wide throughout, with curtains of finely twisted linen five cubits high, and bronze bases.

All the equipment used in the service of the tabernacle, and all its pegs and all the pegs of the courtyard, shall be of bronze.

You shall command the Israelites to bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, so that the lamp may be kept burning continually.

In the tent of meeting, outside the veil that is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it before the LORD from evening until morning. This shall be a lasting statute for their generations, binding on the Israelites.

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Summary2

Chapter 27

Main Theme: Instructions for the construction of the altar of burnt offering, the courtyard of the tabernacle, and the arrangement for the lamp oil.

Content: The chapter first describes the altar of burnt offering made of acacia wood overlaid with bronze, featuring horns at its corners and carrying poles. It then gives detailed measurements for the courtyard: 100 cubits long and 50 cubits wide, surrounded by hangings of finely twisted linen on pillars with bronze bases and silver bands. The entrance gate is to have a colorful screen. Finally, the Israelites are commanded to bring pure, pressed olive oil for the lamp, which Aaron and his sons must keep burning from evening until morning—an everlasting ordinance.

Key Words/Images:

Altar of Burnt Offering: A square altar (5x5x3 cubits) made of acacia wood overlaid with bronze, serving as the center for sacrifices.
Courtyard: The holy, enclosed area around the tabernacle where the people could approach God.
Bronze: The primary material for the altar and the courtyard bases, symbolizing judgment and endurance.
Pure Oil (שֶׁמֶן זַיִת זָךְ): Pressed olive oil for the perpetual light, a symbol of God's enduring presence.
Everlasting Ordinance (חֻקַּת עוֹלָם): The lamp service as a lasting obligation through all generations.

Historical context

Historical and Cultural Context for Exodus 27

Events and Customs

The chapter describes the construction of the altar of burnt offering and the courtyard of the tabernacle. The altar of burnt offering (מִזְבֵּחַ, mizbeach) with horns on its four corners was a widespread form throughout the ancient Near East. The altar horns served several functions: they provided handholds during sacrifices, blood was applied to them in special rituals, and they functioned as places of refuge for those seeking asylum (1 Kings 1:50). The altar was made of acacia wood (עֲצֵי שִׁטִּים, atsej shittim) overlaid with bronze—a practical solution that combined lightness for transport with durability against heat.

The instructions for the continual lamp (נֵר תָּמִיד, ner tamid) in verses 20–21 form the basis of a practice still observed in Jewish synagogues. The oil was to be pure, pressed olive oil of the highest quality. Aaron and his sons were to tend the lamp from evening until morning (מֵעֶרֶב עַד־בֹּקֶר)—a perpetual statute (חֻקַּת עוֹלָם) for future generations.

Key Terms

נְחֹשֶׁת (nechoshet) – traditionally translated as "copper" or "bronze." In this period, it most likely refers to bronze, an alloy of copper and tin that was the dominant metal for tools and weapons in the Bronze Age. Bronze was used for outdoor objects (the altar, the courtyard pillars), while gold was reserved for the inner holy area.

חָצֵר (chatser) – "courtyard" – describes the enclosed area surrounding the tabernacle. The dimensions (100 by 50 cubits) created a rectangular sacred space that separated the holy from the common. The courtyard was accessible to Israelites bringing offerings, while the tabernacle itself was reserved for the priests.

שֵׁשׁ מָשְׁזָר (shesh moshzar) – "fine twisted linen" – refers to high-quality linen that was spun and twisted for extra strength and beauty. Such linen was a luxury item in antiquity and is associated with Egyptian textile craftsmanship.

Chapter-Specific Findings

Archaeological excavations have uncovered altars with horns from the Iron Age, including at Beersheba, confirming that the four-horned altar form was widespread in Israelite practice. The Beersheba altar, reconstructed from dressed stones found reused in a wall, displays four distinct horns and confirms the biblical description.

People1

Aaron1

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Key words7

Altar — A structure for offerings and worship of God, built according to his instructions in Exodus 27.
Bronze — A metal made of copper and tin, used to make details and equipment for the altar and courtyard.
Courtyard — An enclosed area around the tabernacle where people could come to worship God and bring offerings.
Pillars — Supporting structures that held up the entrance to the courtyard and the hangings that surrounded it.
Hangings — Textiles, often made of fine linen or other fabric, used to create a barrier around the courtyard.
Olive oil — Oil pressed from olive fruits, used to keep the lamp in the tabernacle burning continuously.
Lamp — A container for oil with a wick, designed to provide light inside the tabernacle.