seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Exodus 57:1 “Build an altar of acacia wood, three cubits[a] high; it is to be square, five cubits long and five cubits wide.(b) 2 Make a horn at each of the four corners, so that the horns and the altar are of one piece, and overlay the altar with bronze. 3 Make all its utensils of bronze—its pots to remove the ashes, and its shovels, sprinkling bowls, meat forks and firepans. 4 Make a grating for it, a bronze network, and make a bronze ring at each of the four corners of the network. 5 Put it under the ledge of the altar so that it is halfway up the altar. 6 Make poles of acacia wood for the altar and overlay them with bronze. 7 The poles are to be inserted into the rings so they will be on two sides of the altar when it is carried. 8 Make the altar hollow, out of boards. It is to be made just as you were shown on the mountain.
a. Exodus 27:1 That is, about 4 1/2 feet or about 1.4 meters
b. Exodus 27:1 That is, about 7 1/2 feet or about 2.3 meters long and wide
This is a huge firepit.... right?
This is the easy English commentary.
The priests used the altar as the place to burn the people’s gifts for God. That was part of the way in which they worshipped God. They killed a perfect animal or bird. Then they gave it to God as a present. Leviticus 1 describes the right way to give such presents. The priest had to burn the whole animal.
The horns stuck out from each corner of the altar. The priest took some blood from the animal when he killed it. Then he put blood on those horns. Also, a person could come to that *altar to ask God for protection. The person would hold the horns because he did not want to die. We read about Adonijah who lived many years later (1 Kings 1:50). He held onto the horns of the altar when he was afraid of King Solomon. He thought that Solomon would kill him. Another time captain Joab also tried to save himself. So he held onto those horns (1 Kings 2:28).
The priests had tools like spades so that they could lift things. And they carried things on those spades. Bowls would contain the blood of the animal. The priest would scatter blood from the bowl. They would scatter the blood on the altar and on its horns. The forks would pick up the priests’ share of the meat (1 Samuel 2:13-14). The workers arranged the bronze bars like a net. They fixed that net under the altar, which was like a hollow box. They attached the net half the way up the box. Perhaps the priests used it to help the fire to burn. Or perhaps they used it for the body of the animal that they burned.
The priests carried the altar with the poles. They fixed the poles into the rings on either side.
The horns stuck out from each corner of the altar. The priest took some blood from the animal when he killed it. Then he put blood on those horns. Also, a person could come to that *altar to ask God for protection. The person would hold the horns because he did not want to die. We read about Adonijah who lived many years later (1 Kings 1:50). He held onto the horns of the altar when he was afraid of King Solomon. He thought that Solomon would kill him. Another time captain Joab also tried to save himself. So he held onto those horns (1 Kings 2:28).
The priests had tools like spades so that they could lift things. And they carried things on those spades. Bowls would contain the blood of the animal. The priest would scatter blood from the bowl. They would scatter the blood on the altar and on its horns. The forks would pick up the priests’ share of the meat (1 Samuel 2:13-14). The workers arranged the bronze bars like a net. They fixed that net under the altar, which was like a hollow box. They attached the net half the way up the box. Perhaps the priests used it to help the fire to burn. Or perhaps they used it for the body of the animal that they burned.
The priests carried the altar with the poles. They fixed the poles into the rings on either side.
