Old Testament · Law

Exodus 27

The Altar and Courtyard

Bronze altar, oil for the lamp. The way into God's presence begins with sacrifice and ends with light.

King James Version BSB KJV

1And thou shalt make an altar of shittim wood, five cubits long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall be foursquare: and the height thereof shall be three cubits.

2And thou shalt make the horns of it upon the four corners thereof: his horns shall be of the same: and thou shalt overlay it with brass.

3And thou shalt make his pans to receive his ashes, and his shovels, and his basons, and his fleshhooks, and his firepans: all the vessels thereof thou shalt make of brass.

4And thou shalt make for it a grate of network of brass; and upon the net shalt thou make four brasen rings in the four corners thereof.

5And thou shalt put it under the compass of the altar beneath, that the net may be even to the midst of the altar.

6And thou shalt make staves for the altar, staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with brass.

7And the staves shall be put into the rings, and the staves shall be upon the two sides of the altar, to bear it.

8Hollow with boards shalt thou make it: as it was shewed thee in the mount, so shall they make it.

9And thou shalt make the court of the tabernacle: for the south side southward there shall be hangings for the court of fine twined linen of an hundred cubits long for one side:

10And the twenty pillars thereof and their twenty sockets shall be of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver.

11And likewise for the north side in length there shall be hangings of an hundred cubits long, and his twenty pillars and their twenty sockets of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.

12And for the breadth of the court on the west side shall be hangings of fifty cubits: their pillars ten, and their sockets ten.

13And the breadth of the court on the east side eastward shall be fifty cubits.

14The hangings of one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their sockets three.

15And on the other side shall be hangings fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their sockets three.

16And for the gate of the court shall be an hanging of twenty cubits, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework: and their pillars shall be four, and their sockets four.

17All the pillars round about the court shall be filleted with silver; their hooks shall be of silver, and their sockets of brass.

18The length of the court shall be an hundred cubits, and the breadth fifty every where, and the height five cubits of fine twined linen, and their sockets of brass.

19All the vessels of the tabernacle in all the service thereof, and all the pins thereof, and all the pins of the court, shall be of brass.

20And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always.

21In the tabernacle of the congregation without the vail, which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning before the LORD: it shall be a statute for ever unto their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel.

Understand This

Exodus 27, explained

What Exodus 27 is saying

Specifications are given for the bronze altar of burnt offering (acacia wood overlaid with bronze, with horns at each corner), the courtyard enclosure of fine linen curtains with bronze pillars and silver hooks, and the provision of pure olive oil for the lampstand to burn continually. Aaron and his sons are charged with maintaining the eternal flame.

The background behind it

The bronze altar's placement at the courtyard entrance means it is the first thing encountered—sacrifice precedes all access to God's presence. The courtyard dimensions (100 by 50 cubits) create a sacred precinct accessible to all Israelites, while the inner structures restrict access to the priesthood.

Themes running underneath

The altar at the entrance establishes that atonement is the prerequisite for approaching God. The perpetual lamp symbolizes God's continuous presence and Israel's continuous worship obligation. The graduated access (courtyard for all, Holy Place for priests, Most Holy for the high priest alone) maps a theology of mediation.

Why it still matters

The placement of the altar teaches that genuine encounter with God begins with honest reckoning—acknowledging the need for atonement before presuming intimacy. The perpetual flame speaks of an unbroken relationship that requires ongoing faithfulness.

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Scripture text: King James Version — public domain.