Exodus Chapter 27 in Simple English

Read Exodus Chapter 27

1You shall make an altar of shittim wood. It shall be five cubits long and five cubits wide. The altar shall be square, and three cubits high.

2You shall make horns for it on its four corners. The horns shall be of one piece with the altar, and you shall cover it with brass.

3You shall make pans for taking away its ashes, and shovels, and basins, and forks for the meat, and pans for the fire. You shall make all its vessels of brass.

4You shall make a grating for it, a net of brass. On the net you shall make four brass rings at its four corners.

5You shall put it under the rim of the altar, low down, so that the net reaches halfway up the altar.

6You shall make poles for the altar, poles of shittim wood, and cover them with brass.

7The poles shall be put into the rings, and the poles shall be on the two sides of the altar, to carry it.

8You shall make the altar hollow, out of boards. As it was shown to you on the mountain, so they shall make it.

9You shall make the court of the tabernacle. On the south side, facing south, there shall be hangings for the court of fine twisted linen, a hundred cubits long for that one side.

10Its twenty pillars and their twenty sockets shall be of brass. The hooks of the pillars and their bands shall be of silver.

11In the same way, for the north side there shall be hangings a hundred cubits long, with twenty pillars and their twenty sockets of brass. The hooks of the pillars and their bands shall be of silver.

12For the width of the court on the west side there shall be hangings of fifty cubits, with ten pillars and ten sockets.

13The width of the court on the east side, facing east, shall be fifty cubits.

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

15On the other side there shall be hangings of fifteen cubits, with three pillars and three sockets.

16For the gate of the court there shall be a curtain of twenty cubits, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twisted linen, worked with needlework. It shall have four pillars and four sockets.

17All the pillars around the court shall have bands of silver. Their hooks shall be of silver, and their sockets of brass.

18The length of the court shall be a hundred cubits, and the width fifty everywhere, and the height five cubits, of fine twisted linen, with sockets of brass.

19All the vessels of the tabernacle used in all its service, and all its pegs, and all the pegs of the court, shall be of brass.

20You shall command the children of Israel to bring you pure olive oil, crushed for the light, to keep the lamp burning always.

21In the tabernacle of the congregation, outside the veil that is in front of the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall keep it in order from evening to morning before the LORD. It shall be a law for ever through their generations, on behalf of the children of Israel.

Explanation

Exodus 27

In short

God gives Moses detailed instructions for building the altar where sacrifices will be burned, the courtyard that surrounds the tabernacle, and an arrangement for keeping the lamp burning continually. These physical structures and practices will be central to Israel's worship.

Context

This chapter continues the instructions God gave Moses on Mount Sinai for building the tabernacle and its furnishings. Earlier chapters covered the ark and the table inside the tent. Now God specifies what goes in front of it: the altar in the courtyard, the fenced area around the tabernacle, and the maintenance of the lampstand. Moses will relay all these instructions to the Israelites so they can build it.

What the text says

Verses 1-8 describe the altar itself. It is made of acacia wood, five cubits square and three cubits high, with a horn at each corner. It has various bronze tools for managing ashes and fire, a bronze grate inside, and wooden poles overlaid with bronze so it can be carried.

Verses 9-18 detail the courtyard fence. The south and north sides each have hundred-cubit linen hangings held up by twenty brass pillars. The west and east sides are fifty cubits each. At the east entrance, which is twenty cubits wide, there is a decorated gate of blue, purple, scarlet and linen. All pillars are fitted with silver hooks and rings, and all sockets are brass.

Verses 19-21 add two final requirements. All metal tools and pegs for the tabernacle and court must be bronze. Aaron and his sons must tend a lamp continuously from evening to morning, burning pure beaten olive oil. This is to be a lasting rule for the Israelites.

Takeaways

The tabernacle worship required detailed physical structures built to God's exact specifications.
Maintaining the light before God was a permanent priestly duty shared among Aaron's sons.
Brass, silver, and fine linen were the materials that set apart this sacred space from ordinary use.

Exodus 27 - Simple English