Exodus 30:2

Complete Jewish Bible

It is to be eighteen inches square and three feet high; its horns are to be of one piece with it.

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Its length shall be a cubit, and its breadth a cubit. It shall be square, and its height shall be two cubits. Its horns shall be of one piece with it.

King James Version
A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be: and two cubits shall be the height thereof: the horns thereof shall be of the same.

Lexham English Bible
a cubit its length and a cubit its width—it will be square—and two cubits its height, its horns of one piece with it.

New Century Version
Make it square—eighteen inches long and eighteen inches wide—and make it thirty-six inches high. The corners that stick out like horns must be one piece with the altar.

New English Translation
Its length is to be a foot and a half and its width a foot and a half; it will be square. Its height is to be three feet, with its horns of one piece with it.

Amplified Bible
"It shall be a cubit long and a cubit wide. It shall be square and it shall be two cubits high. Its horns of one piece with it.

New American Standard Bible
"Its length shall be a cubit, and its width a cubit; it shall be square, and its height shall be two cubits; its horns shall be of one piece with it.

Geneva Bible (1587)
The length therof a cubite and the breadth thereof a cubite (it shalbe foure square) and the height thereof two cubites: the hornes thereof shalbe of the same,

Legacy Standard Bible
Its length shall be a cubit, and its width a cubit; it shall be square. And its height shall be two cubits; its horns shall be of the same piece.

Contemporary English Version
Make it eighteen inches square and thirty-six inches high, and make each of its four corners stick up like the horn of a bull.

Darby Translation
a cubit the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof—square shall it be; and two cubits its height; of itself shall be its horns.

Easy-to-Read Version
You must make the altar square—1 cubit long and 1 cubit wide. It must be 2 cubits high. There will be horns at the four corners. These horns must be made as one piece with the altar.

English Standard Version
A cubit shall be its length, and a cubit its breadth. It shall be square, and two cubits shall be its height. Its horns shall be of one piece with it.

George Lamsa Translation
A cubit long, and a cubit wide; foursquare shall it be; and its height shall be two cubits; the horns thereof shall be of one piece of the same material.

Good News Translation
It is to be square, 18 inches long and 18 inches wide, and it is to be 36 inches high. Its projections at the four corners are to form one piece with it.

Christian Standard Bible®
It must be square, eighteen inches long and eighteen inches wide; it must be thirty-six inches high. Its horns must be of one piece with it.

Literal Translation
It shall be a cubit in length and a cubit in width; it shall be square. And its height shall be two cubits, its horns from itself.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
a cubyte longe & brode, eauen foure squared, and two cubytes hye with his hornes,

American Standard Version
A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be; and two cubits shall be the height thereof: the horns thereof shall be of one piece with it.

Bible in Basic English
The altar is to be square, a cubit long and a cubit wide, and two cubits high, and its horns are to be made of the same.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
A cubite long, and a cubite brode, eue foure square shall it be, and two cubites hye: the hornes therof shall proceede out of it.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be; and two cubits shall be the height thereof; the horns thereof shall be of one piece with it.

King James Version (1611)
A cubite shall bee the length thereof, and a cubite the breadth thereof, (foure square shall it bee) and two cubits shalbe the height thereof: the hornes thereof shalbe of the same.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And thou shalt make it a cubit in length, and a cubit in breadth: it shall be square; and the height of it shall be of two cubits, its horns shall be of the same piece.

English Revised Version
A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be: and two cubits shall be the height thereof: the horns thereof shall be of one piece with it.

Berean Standard Bible
It is to be square, a cubit long, a cubit wide, and two cubits high. Its horns must be of one piece.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and the auter schal haue a cubit of lengthe, and another cubit of brede, that is foure cornerid, and twei cubitis in heiythe; corneris schulen come forth of the auter.

Young's Literal Translation
a cubit its length, and a cubit its breadth, (it is square), and two cubits its height; its horns [are] of the same.

Update Bible Version
A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the width thereof; foursquare it shall be; and two cubits shall be the height thereof: the horns thereof shall be of one piece with it.

Webster's Bible Translation
A cubit [shall be] its length, and a cubit its breadth; foursquare shall it be; and two cubits [shall be] its hight: its horns [shall be] of the same.

World English Bible
Its length shall be a cubit, and its breadth a cubit. It shall be square, and its height shall be two cubits. Its horns shall be of one piece with it.

New King James Version
A cubit shall be its length and a cubit its width--it shall be square--and two cubits shall be its height. Its horns shall be of one piece with it.

New Living Translation
Make it 18 inches square and 36 inches high, with horns at the corners carved from the same piece of wood as the altar itself.

New Life Bible
It will be as long and as wide as a man's arm and as high as a man's waist. Its horns will be of one piece with it.

New Revised Standard
It shall be one cubit long, and one cubit wide; it shall be square, and shall be two cubits high; its horns shall be of one piece with it.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
a cubit, the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof four square, shall it be, - and two cubits, the height thereof, of the same, shall be the horns thereof,

Douay-Rheims Bible
It shall be a cubit in length, and another in breadth, that is, four square, and two in height. Horns shall go out of the same.

Revised Standard Version
A cubit shall be its length, and a cubit its breadth; it shall be square, and two cubits shall be its height; its horns shall be of one piece with it.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Its length shall be a cubit, and its width a cubit, it shall be square, and its height shall be two cubits; its horns shall be of one piece with it.

Contextual Overview

¹ (vii) "You are to make an altar on which to burn incense; make it of acacia-wood. ² It is to be eighteen inches square and three feet high; its horns are to be of one piece with it. ³ Overlay it with pure gold — its top, all around its sides, and its horns; and put around it a molding of gold. ⁴ Make two gold rings for it under its molding at the two corners on both sides; this is where the carrying-poles will go. ⁵ Make the poles of acacia-wood, and overlay them with gold. ⁶ "Place it in front of the curtain by the ark for the testimony, in front of the ark-cover that is over the testimony, where I will meet with you. ⁷ Aharon will burn fragrant incense on it as a pleasing aroma every morning; he is to burn it when he prepares the lamps. ⁸ (Maftir) Aharon is also to burn it when he lights the lamps at dusk; this is the regular burning of incense before Adonai through all your generations. ⁹ You are not to offer unauthorized incense on it, or a burnt offering or a grain offering; and you are not to pour a drink offering on it. ¹⁰ Aharon is to make atonement on its horns once a year — with the blood of the sin offering of atonement he is to make atonement for it once a year through all your generations; it is especially holy to Adonai ." Haftarah Tetzaveh: Yechezk'el (Ezekiel) 43:10–27 B'rit Hadashah suggested reading for Parashah Tetzaveh: Philippians 4:10–20 Adonai said to Moshe, "When you take a census of the people of Isra'el and register them, each, upon registration, is to pay a ransom for his life to Adonai , to avoid any breakout of plague among them during the time of the census. Everyone subject to the census is to pay as an offering to Adonai half a shekel [one-fifth of an ounce of silver]— by the standard of the sanctuary shekel (a shekel equals twenty gerahs). Everyone over twenty years of age who is subject to the census is to give this offering to Adonai — the rich is not to give more or the poor less than the half-shekel when giving Adonai 's offering to atone for your lives. You are to take the atonement money from the people of Isra'el and use it for the service in the tent of meeting, so that it will be a reminder of the people of Isra'el before Adonai to atone for your lives." Adonai said to Moshe, "You are to make a basin of bronze, with a base of bronze, for washing. Place it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it. Aharon and his sons will wash their hands and feet there when they enter the tent of meeting — they are to wash with water, so that they won't die. Also when they approach the altar to minister by burning an offering for Adonai , they are to wash their hands and feet, so that they won't die. This is to be a perpetual law for them through all their generations." Adonai said to Moshe, "Take the best spices — 500 shekels of myrrh [12 1/2 pounds], half this amount (250 shekels) of aromatic cinnamon [6 1/4 pounds], 250 shekels of aromatic cane, 500 shekels of cassia (use the sanctuary standard), and one gallon of olive oil — and make them into a holy anointing oil; blend it and perfume it as would an expert perfume-maker; it will be a holy anointing oil. Use it to anoint the tent of meeting, the ark for the testimony, the table and all its utensils, the menorah and all its utensils, the incense altar, the altar for burnt offerings and all its utensils, and the basin with its base. You are to consecrate them — they will be especially holy, and whatever touches them will be holy. Then you are to anoint Aharon and his sons — you are to consecrate them to serve me in the office of cohen. "Tell the people of Isra'el, ‘This is to be a holy anointing oil for me through all your generations. It is not to be used for anointing a person's body; and you are not to make any like it, with the same composition of ingredients — it is holy, and you are to treat it as holy. Whoever makes any like it or uses it on any unauthorized person is to be cut off from his people.'" Adonai said to Moshe, "Take aromatic plant substances — balsam resin, sweet onycha root and bitter galbanum gum — these spices along with frankincense, all in equal quantities; and make incense, blended and perfumed as would an expert perfume-maker, salted, pure and holy. You are to grind up some of it very finely and put it in front of the testimony in the tent of meeting where I will meet with you; you are to regard it as especially holy. You are not to make for your own use any incense like it, with the same composition of ingredients — you are to treat it as holy, for Adonai . Whoever makes up any like it to use as perfume is to be cut off from his people."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

the horns: Exodus 27:2

Reciprocal: Exodus 29:12 - the horns

Cross-References

Genesis 16:2
so Sarai said to Avram, "Here now, Adonai has kept me from having children; so go in and sleep with my slave-girl. Maybe I'll be able to have children through her." Avram listened to what Sarai said.

Genesis 20:18
For Adonai had made every woman in Avimelekh's household infertile on account of Sarah Avraham's wife.

Genesis 25:21
Yitz'chak prayed to Adonai on behalf of his wife, because she was childless. Adonai heeded his prayer, and Rivkah became pregnant.

Genesis 29:31
Adonai saw that Le'ah was unloved, so he made her fertile, while Rachel remained childless.

Genesis 30:5
Bilhah conceived and bore Ya‘akov a son.

Genesis 30:6
Rachel said, "God has judged in my favor; indeed he has heard me and given me a son." Therefore she called him Dan [he judged].

Genesis 30:13
and Le'ah said, "How happy I am! Women will say I am happy!" and called him Asher [happy].

Genesis 30:14
(iv) During the wheat harvest season Re'uven went and found mandrakes in the field and brought them to his mother Le'ah. Rachel said to Le'ah, "Please give me some of your son's mandrakes [so that I can be fertile]."

Genesis 31:36
Then Ya‘akov became angry and started arguing with Lavan. "What have I done wrong?" he demanded. "What is my offense, that you have come after me in hot pursuit?

Genesis 50:19
But Yosef said to them, "Don't be afraid! Am I in the place of God?

Gill's Notes on the Bible

A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, four square shall it be,.... It was one Jewish square cubit, which is in surface, according to Bishop Cumberland, three English square feet, and about forty seven square inches; which may denote the solidity, perfection, and extensiveness of Christ's priesthood, it being unchangeable, firm, and lasting; and which passes not from one to another, and the which makes something perfect, which the law and priesthood of Aaron could not, even perfects for ever them that are sanctified; and is very extensive; the virtue of it reaches to all the elect of God, from the beginning of the world to the end of it; not his sacrifice only, but his intercession, which is principally respected; that is made for all the people of God, in all places, and in all ages, and for all things for them, both for this life, and that which is to come:

and two cubits shall be the height thereof; so that it was as high again as it was long and broad: Christ, our interceding high priest, is made higher than the heavens:

the horns thereof shall be of the same; of the same wood the altar itself was made: these were a sort of spires that rose up at the four corners of the altar; and the Targum of Jonathan paraphrases the words,

"and of it its horns shall be erect;''

which were chiefly for decoration and ornament; and may denote the honour and glory of Christ, as well as his power and ability to save, to the uttermost, all that come to God by him, or lay hold upon him, since he ever lives to make intercession.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Exodus 37:25-28; Exodus 40:26-27. The altar of incense was to be a casing of boards of shittim wood Exodus 25:5, Exodus 25:18 inches square and three feet in height (taking the cubit as 18 inches), entirely covered with plates of gold. Four “horns” were to project upward at the corners like those of the altar of burnt-offering Exodus 27:2. A crown or moulding of gold was to run round the top. On each of two opposite sides there was to be a gold ring through which the staves were to be put when it was moved from place to place.

Exodus 30:4

By the two corners thereof - Not corners. See the margin. The sense appears to be: And two gold rings shalt thou make for it under its moulding; on its two sides shalt thou make them (i. e. one ring on each side).

Exodus 30:6

The place for the altar of incense was outside the veil, opposite to the ark of the covenant and between the candlestick on the south side and the showbread table on the north Exodus 40:22-24. It appears to have been regarded as having a more intimate connection with the holy of holies than the other things in the holy place; and the mention of the mercy-seat in this verse, if we associate with it the significance of incense as figuring the prayers of the Lord’s people Psalms 141:2; Revelation 5:8; Revelation 8:3-4, seems to furnish additional pound for an inference that the incense altar took precedence of the table of showbread and the candlestick.

Exodus 30:7

The lamps - See Exodus 25:37.

Exodus 30:7-8

The offering of the incense accompanied that of the morning and evening sacrifice. The two forms of offering symbolized the spirit of man reaching after communion with Yahweh, both in act and utterance. See Psalms 141:2.

Exodus 30:9

By this regulation, the symbolism of the altar of incense was kept free from ambiguity. atonement was made by means of the victim on the brazen altar in the court ontside; the prayers of the reconciled worshippers had their type within the tabernacle.

Exodus 30:10

See the marginal references.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Exodus 30:2. Four-square — That is, on the upper or under surface, as it showed four equal sides; but it was twice as high as it was broad, being twenty-one inches broad, and three feet six inches high. It was called, not only the altar of incense, but also the golden altar, Numbers 4:11. For the crown, horns, staves, &c., see on the altar of burnt-offering, chap. xxvii. Exodus 27:1; Exodus 27:1, &c.