Exodus 30:3

Complete Jewish Bible

Overlay it with pure gold — its top, all around its sides, and its horns; and put around it a molding of gold.

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
You shall overlay it with pure gold, the top of it, the sides of it around it, and its horns; and you shall make a gold molding around it.

King James Version
And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about.

Lexham English Bible
And you will overlay it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around and its horns, and you will make for it a gold molding all around.

New Century Version
Cover its top, its sides, and its corners with pure gold, and put a gold strip all around the altar.

New English Translation
You are to overlay it with pure gold—its top, its four walls, and its horns—and make a surrounding border of gold for it.

Amplified Bible
"You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around, and its horns; and you shall make a gold molding all around it.

New American Standard Bible
"You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around, and its horns; and you shall make a gold molding all around for it.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And thou shalt ouerlay it with fine golde, both the toppe therof and the sides thereof round about, and his hornes: also thou shalt make vnto it a crowne of gold round about.

Legacy Standard Bible
You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around, and its horns; and you shall make a gold molding all around for it.

Contemporary English Version
Cover it with pure gold and put a gold edging around it.

Darby Translation
And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make upon it a border of gold round about.

Easy-to-Read Version
Cover the top, the horns, and all four sides of the altar with pure gold. Then put gold trim all around the altar.

English Standard Version
You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and around its sides and its horns. And you shall make a molding of gold around it.

George Lamsa Translation
And you shall overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and you shall make for it a crown of gold round about.

Good News Translation
Cover its top, all four sides, and its projections with pure gold, and put a gold border around it.

Christian Standard Bible®
Overlay its top, all around its sides, and its horns with pure gold; make a gold molding all around it.

Literal Translation
And you shall overlay it with pure gold, its top, and its walls all around, and its horns. And you shall make a wreath of gold for it all around.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
& shalt ouerlaye it with pure golde, the rofe & the walles of it rounde aboute, and the hornes therof, & a crowne of golde shalt thou make rounde aboute it,

American Standard Version
And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about.

Bible in Basic English
It is to be plated with the best gold, the top of it and the sides and the horns, with an edging of gold all round it.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And thou shalt ouerlaye it with fine gold, both the ruffe & the walles round about, and his hornes also: and shalt make vnto it a crowne of gold round about.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about.

King James Version (1611)
And thou shalt ouerlay it with pure gold, the top therof, and the sides thereof round about, and the hornes thereof: and thou shalt make vnto it a crowne of gold round about.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And thou shalt gild its grate with pure gold, and its sides round about, and its horns; and thou shalt make for it a wreathen border of gold round-about.

English Revised Version
And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about.

Berean Standard Bible
Overlay with pure gold the top and all the sides and horns, and make a molding of gold all around it.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And thou schalt clothe it with clennest gold, as wel the gridil therof, as the wallis and corneris bi cumpas therof; and thou schalt make to the auter a litil goldun coroun,

Young's Literal Translation
`And thou hast overlaid it with pure gold, its top, and its sides round about, and its horns; and thou hast made to it a crown of gold round about;

Update Bible Version
And you shall overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and you shall make to it a crown of gold round about.

Webster's Bible Translation
And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, its top, and its sides round about, and its horns; and thou shalt make to it a crown of gold round about.

World English Bible
You shall overlay it with pure gold, the top of it, the sides of it around it, and its horns; and you shall make a gold molding around it.

New King James Version
And you shall overlay its top, its sides all around, and its horns with pure gold; and you shall make for it a molding of gold all around.

New Living Translation
Overlay the top, sides, and horns of the altar with pure gold, and run a gold molding around the entire altar.

New Life Bible
Cover its top, all its sides and its horns with pure gold. And make a piece of gold to go around it.

New Revised Standard
You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top, and its sides all around and its horns; and you shall make for it a molding of gold all around.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof,-and thou shalt make to it a border of gold round about.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And thou shalt overlay it with the purest gold, as well the grate thereof, as the walls round about, and the horns. And thou shalt make to it a crown of gold round about,

Revised Standard Version
And you shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and its sides round about and its horns; and you shall make for it a molding of gold round about.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around, and its horns; and you shall make a gold molding all around for 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

overlay it: Exodus 25:11, Exodus 25:24

top: Heb. roof

sides: Heb. walls

Reciprocal: Exodus 25:25 - a golden crown to the border Exodus 37:2 - General 1 Kings 6:22 - also Ezekiel 43:17 - and the border

Cross-References

Genesis 30:2
This made Ya‘akov angry at Rachel; he answered, "Am I in God's place? He's the one who is denying you children."

Genesis 30:3
She said, "Here is my maid Bilhah. Go, sleep with her, and let her give birth to a child that will be laid on my knees, so that through her I too can build a family."

Genesis 30:9
When Le'ah saw that she had stopped having children, she took Zilpah her slave-girl and gave her to Ya‘akov as his wife.

Genesis 50:23
(Maftir) Yosef lived to see Efrayim's great-grandchildren, and the children of M'nasheh's son Makhir were born on Yosef's knees.

Ruth 4:11
All the people at the gate and the leaders said, "We are witnesses. May Adonai make the woman who has come into your house like Rachel and like Le'ah, who between them built up the house of Isra'el. Do worthy deeds in Efrat; become renowned in Beit-Lechem.

Job 3:12
Then I would be lying still and in peace, I would have slept and been at rest,

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold,.... Hence this altar is sometimes called the golden altar, Numbers 4:11 this may figure the deity of Christ, whose head is as the most fine gold, and is in the divine nature, in the form of God, and is the brightness of his glory, and possessed of the same perfections; or rather the glorification of his human nature in heaven, where he is highly exalted, and the preciousness of his intercession, which is always powerful and prevalent, and the duration of it:

the top thereof, and the sides thereof, round about, and the horns thereof: all and each of them were covered with gold; this altar had a top, when the altar of burnt offering had none, but its hollow place was filled up with earth at every encampment; so Jarchi observes: this was not a grate, as the Vulgate Latin version renders it, for here were neither blood nor ashes to be let through; but it was a flat covering like the roof of a house, as the word signifies, on which was set a golden dish, with live coals and incense burning on them; and which, when burnt, was carried away: and the sides are the four sides of the frame, it being a square, or the two sides and two ends of it; and the horns, the four horns at each corner, all were covered with plates of gold; so that this altar was a richer and more excellent one than that of burnt offering; and may signify the superior excellency of Christ's state of exaltation to that of his humiliation: in the latter, which the altar of burnt offering respected, he was made of no reputation, and became obedient to the death of the cross, yea, was made sin, and a curse for his people; but in the former, which the altar of incense respected, he was raised from the dead, and had glory given him; he was raised for the justification of his people, and was himself justified in the Spirit, ascended on high, was received into glory, sat down at the right hand of God, making continual intercession for his saints:

and thou shall make unto it a crown of gold round about; which was partly to keep from slipping what was put upon it, but chiefly for ornament; and plainly points at the exaltation of Christ in our nature in heaven, as our interceding high priest, where he is a priest upon his throne; and is crowned with glory and honour.

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.