Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, August 6th, 2025
the Week of Proper 13 / Ordinary 18
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Read the Bible

THE MESSAGE

Ezekiel 43:16

"The top of the altar, the hearth, is square, twenty-one by twenty-one feet. The upper ledge is also square, twenty-four and a half feet on each side, with a ten-and-a-half-inch lip and a twenty-one-inch-wide gutter all the way around. "The steps of the altar ascend from the east."

Bible Study Resources

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Temple;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Ariel;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Altar;   Hearth;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Fasting;   Moses;   Nations;   Priests and Levites;   Temple;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - The Brazen Altar;   Foursquare;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Temple;   Smith Bible Dictionary - A'riel;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Altar;   Ariel;   Hearth;   Temple;   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Ariel;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Numbers and Numerals;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The hearth is square, 21 feet long by 21 feet wide.
Hebrew Names Version
The altar hearth shall be twelve [cubits] long by twelve broad, square in the four sides of it.
King James Version
And the altar shall be twelve cubits long, twelve broad, square in the four squares thereof.
English Standard Version
The altar hearth shall be square, twelve cubits long by twelve broad.
New American Standard Bible
"Now the altar hearth shall be twelve cubits long by twelve wide, square in its four sides.
New Century Version
It is square, twenty-one feet long and twenty-one feet wide.
Amplified Bible
"Now the altar hearth shall be twelve cubits long by twelve wide, square in its four sides.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And the altar shalbe twelue cubites long, and twelue broade, and fouresquare in the foure corners thereof.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Now the altar hearth shall be twelve cubits long by twelve wide, square in its four sides.
Legacy Standard Bible
Now the altar hearth shall be twelve cubits long by twelve wide, square in its four sides.
Berean Standard Bible
The altar hearth shall be square at its four corners, twelve cubits long and twelve cubits wide.
Complete Jewish Bible
The hearth is a square twenty-one feet on each of its four sides.
Darby Translation
And the hearth of God was twelve [cubits] long, by twelve broad, square in the four sides thereof.
Easy-to-Read Version
The place for the fire on the altar was 12 cubits long by 12 cubits wide. It was perfectly square.
George Lamsa Translation
And the altar shall be twelve cubits long, twelve broad, square on its four sides.
Good News Translation
The top of the altar was a square, 20 feet on each side.
Lexham English Bible
And the altar hearth was twelve cubits in length and twelve cubits in width; it was squared on its four sides.
Literal Translation
And the altar hearth shall be twelve cubits long, and twelve wide, square in its four sides.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and it was xij cubites longe and xij cubites brode, vpon the foure corners:
American Standard Version
And the altar hearth shall be twelve cubits long by twelve broad, square in the four sides thereof.
Bible in Basic English
And the fireplace is twelve cubits long and twelve cubits wide, square on its four sides.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the hearth shall be twelve cubits long by twelve broad, square in the four sides thereof.
King James Version (1611)
And the altar shalbe twelue cubites long, twelue broad, square in the foure squares thereof.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And the aulter was twelue cubites long, and twelue cubites broade, square in the foure corners thereof.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the altar shall be of the length of twelve cubits, by twelve cubits in breadth, square upon its four sides.
English Revised Version
And the altar hearth shall be twelve cubits long by twelve broad, square in the four sides thereof.
World English Bible
The altar hearth shall be twelve [cubits] long by twelve broad, square in the four sides of it.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the auter of twelue cubitis in lengthe was foure cornerid with euene sidis, bi twelue cubitis of breede.
Update Bible Version
And the altar hearth shall be twelve [cubits] long by twelve broad, square in the four sides thereof.
Webster's Bible Translation
And the altar [shall be] twelve [cubits] long, twelve broad, square in the four squares of it.
New English Translation
Now the altar hearth is a perfect square, 21 feet long and 21 feet wide.
New King James Version
The altar hearth is twelve cubits long, twelve wide, square at its four corners;
New Living Translation
The top of the altar is square, measuring 21 feet by 21 feet.
New Life Bible
This top part of the altar will be twelve cubits long and twelve cubits wide, the same on each of the four sides.
New Revised Standard
The altar hearth shall be square, twelve cubits long by twelve wide.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And the hearth shall be twelve cubits in length, by twelve in breadth - -square in the four sides thereof.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the Ariel was twelve cubits long, and twelve cubits broad, foursquare, with equal sides.
Revised Standard Version
The altar hearth shall be square, twelve cubits long by twelve broad.
Young's Literal Translation
And the altar [is] twelve long by twelve broad, square in its four squares.

Contextual Overview

13"These are the dimensions of the altar, using the long (twenty-one-inch) ruler. The gutter at its base is twenty-one inches deep and twenty-one inches wide, with a four-inch lip around its edge. "The height of the altar is three and a half feet from the base to the first ledge and twenty inches wide. From the first ledge to the second ledge it is seven feet high and twenty-one inches wide. The altar hearth is another seven feet high. Four horns stick upward from the hearth twenty-one inches high. "The top of the altar, the hearth, is square, twenty-one by twenty-one feet. The upper ledge is also square, twenty-four and a half feet on each side, with a ten-and-a-half-inch lip and a twenty-one-inch-wide gutter all the way around. "The steps of the altar ascend from the east." Then the man said to me, "Son of man, God , the Master, says: ‘These are the ordinances for conduct at the altar when it is built, for sacrificing burnt offerings and sprinkling blood on it. "‘For a sin offering, give a bull to the priests, the Levitical priests who are from the family of Zadok who come into my presence to serve me. Take some of its blood and smear it on the four horns of the altar that project from the four corners of the top ledge and all around the lip. That's to purify the altar and make it fit for the sacrifice. Then take the bull for the sin offerings and burn it in the place set aside for this in the courtyard outside the Sanctuary. "‘On the second day, offer a male goat without blemish for a sin offering. Purify the altar the same as you purified it for the bull. Then, when you have purified it, offer a bull without blemish and a ram without blemish from the flock. Present them before God . Sprinkle salt on them and offer them as a burnt offering to God . "‘For seven days, prepare a goat for a sin offering daily, and also a bull and a ram from the flock, animals without blemish. For seven days the priests are to get the altar ready for its work, purifying it. This is how you dedicate it. "‘After these seven days of dedication, from the eighth day on, the priests will present your burnt offerings and your peace offerings. And I'll accept you with pleasure, with delight! Decree of God , the Master.'" 15The Meaning of the Temple The man brought me to the east gate. Oh! The bright Glory of the God of Israel rivered out of the east sounding like the roar of floodwaters, and the earth itself glowed with the bright Glory. It looked just like what I had seen when he came to destroy the city, exactly like what I had seen earlier at the Kebar River. And again I fell, face to the ground. The bright Glory of God poured into the Temple through the east gate. The Spirit put me on my feet and led me to the inside courtyard and—oh! the bright Glory of God filled the Temple! I heard someone speaking to me from inside the Temple while the man stood beside me. He said, "Son of man, this is the place for my throne, the place I'll plant my feet. This is the place where I'll live with the Israelites forever. Neither the people of Israel nor their kings will ever again drag my holy name through the mud with their whoring and the no-god idols their kings set up at all the wayside shrines. When they set up their worship shrines right alongside mine with only a thin wall between them, they dragged my holy name through the mud with their obscene and vile worship. Is it any wonder that I destroyed them in anger? So let them get rid of their whoring ways and the stinking no-god idols introduced by their kings and I'll move in and live with them forever. "Son of man, tell the people of Israel all about the Temple so they'll be dismayed by their wayward lives. Get them to go over the layout. That will bring them up short. Show them the whole plan of the Temple, its ins and outs, the proportions, the regulations, and the laws. Draw a picture so they can see the design and meaning and live by its design and intent. "This is the law of the Temple: As it radiates from the top of the mountain, everything around it becomes holy ground. Yes, this is law, the meaning, of the Temple. "These are the dimensions of the altar, using the long (twenty-one-inch) ruler. The gutter at its base is twenty-one inches deep and twenty-one inches wide, with a four-inch lip around its edge. "The height of the altar is three and a half feet from the base to the first ledge and twenty inches wide. From the first ledge to the second ledge it is seven feet high and twenty-one inches wide. The altar hearth is another seven feet high. Four horns stick upward from the hearth twenty-one inches high. 16"The top of the altar, the hearth, is square, twenty-one by twenty-one feet. The upper ledge is also square, twenty-four and a half feet on each side, with a ten-and-a-half-inch lip and a twenty-one-inch-wide gutter all the way around. "The steps of the altar ascend from the east." 18 Then the man said to me, "Son of man, God , the Master, says: ‘These are the ordinances for conduct at the altar when it is built, for sacrificing burnt offerings and sprinkling blood on it. 19"‘For a sin offering, give a bull to the priests, the Levitical priests who are from the family of Zadok who come into my presence to serve me. Take some of its blood and smear it on the four horns of the altar that project from the four corners of the top ledge and all around the lip. That's to purify the altar and make it fit for the sacrifice. Then take the bull for the sin offerings and burn it in the place set aside for this in the courtyard outside the Sanctuary. 22"‘On the second day, offer a male goat without blemish for a sin offering. Purify the altar the same as you purified it for the bull. Then, when you have purified it, offer a bull without blemish and a ram without blemish from the flock. Present them before God . Sprinkle salt on them and offer them as a burnt offering to God . 25"‘For seven days, prepare a goat for a sin offering daily, and also a bull and a ram from the flock, animals without blemish. For seven days the priests are to get the altar ready for its work, purifying it. This is how you dedicate it. 27 "‘After these seven days of dedication, from the eighth day on, the priests will present your burnt offerings and your peace offerings. And I'll accept you with pleasure, with delight! Decree of God , the Master.'"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

twelve cubits: Exodus 27:1, 2 Chronicles 4:1, Ezra 3:3

square: Exodus 38:1, Exodus 38:2

Reciprocal: Isaiah 29:1 - woe Ezekiel 43:14 - the lower settle Ezekiel 43:20 - and on the four

Cross-References

Genesis 15:2
Abram said, " God , Master, what use are your gifts as long as I'm childless and Eliezer of Damascus is going to inherit everything?" Abram continued, "See, you've given me no children, and now a mere house servant is going to get it all."
Genesis 21:8
The baby grew and was weaned. Abraham threw a big party on the day Isaac was weaned.
Genesis 26:30
Isaac laid out a feast and they ate and drank together. Early in the morning they exchanged oaths. Then Isaac said good-bye and they parted as friends.
Genesis 31:54
Jacob learned that Laban's sons were talking behind his back: "Jacob has used our father's wealth to make himself rich at our father's expense." At the same time, Jacob noticed that Laban had changed toward him. He wasn't treating him the same. That's when God said to Jacob, "Go back home where you were born. I'll go with you." So Jacob sent word for Rachel and Leah to meet him out in the field where his flocks were. He said, "I notice that your father has changed toward me; he doesn't treat me the same as before. But the God of my father hasn't changed; he's still with me. You know how hard I've worked for your father. Still, your father has cheated me over and over, changing my wages time and again. But God never let him really hurt me. If he said, ‘Your wages will consist of speckled animals' the whole flock would start having speckled lambs and kids. And if he said, ‘From now on your wages will be streaked animals' the whole flock would have streaked ones. Over and over God used your father's livestock to reward me. "Once, while the flocks were mating, I had a dream and saw the billy goats, all of them streaked, speckled, and mottled, mounting their mates. In the dream an angel of God called out to me, ‘Jacob!' "I said, ‘Yes?' "He said, ‘Watch closely. Notice that all the goats in the flock that are mating are streaked, speckled, and mottled. I know what Laban's been doing to you. I'm the God of Bethel where you consecrated a pillar and made a vow to me. Now be on your way, get out of this place, go home to your birthplace.'" Rachel and Leah said, "Has he treated us any better? Aren't we treated worse than outsiders? All he wanted was the money he got from selling us, and he's spent all that. Any wealth that God has seen fit to return to us from our father is justly ours and our children's. Go ahead. Do what God told you." Jacob did it. He put his children and his wives on camels and gathered all his livestock and everything he had gotten, everything acquired in Paddan Aram, to go back home to his father Isaac in the land of Canaan. Laban was off shearing sheep. Rachel stole her father's household gods. And Jacob had concealed his plans so well that Laban the Aramean had no idea what was going on—he was totally in the dark. Jacob got away with everything he had and was soon across the Euphrates headed for the hill country of Gilead. Three days later, Laban got the news: "Jacob's run off." Laban rounded up his relatives and chased after him. Seven days later they caught up with him in the hill country of Gilead. That night God came to Laban the Aramean in a dream and said, "Be careful what you do to Jacob, whether good or bad." When Laban reached him, Jacob's tents were pitched in the Gilead mountains; Laban pitched his tents there, too. "What do you mean," said Laban, "by keeping me in the dark and sneaking off, hauling my daughters off like prisoners of war? Why did you run off like a thief in the night? Why didn't you tell me? Why, I would have sent you off with a great celebration—music, timbrels, flutes! But you wouldn't permit me so much as a kiss for my daughters and grandchildren. It was a stupid thing for you to do. If I had a mind to, I could destroy you right now, but the God of your father spoke to me last night, ‘Be careful what you do to Jacob, whether good or bad.' I understand. You left because you were homesick. But why did you steal my household gods?" Jacob answered Laban, "I was afraid. I thought you would take your daughters away from me by brute force. But as far as your gods are concerned, if you find that anybody here has them, that person dies. With all of us watching, look around. If you find anything here that belongs to you, take it." Jacob didn't know that Rachel had stolen the gods. Laban went through Jacob's tent, Leah's tent, and the tents of the two maids but didn't find them. He went from Leah's tent to Rachel's. But Rachel had taken the household gods, put them inside a camel cushion, and was sitting on them. When Laban had gone through the tent, searching high and low without finding a thing, Rachel said to her father, "Don't think I'm being disrespectful, my master, that I can't stand before you, but I'm having my period." So even though he turned the place upside down in his search, he didn't find the household gods. Now it was Jacob's turn to get angry. He lit into Laban: "So what's my crime, what wrong have I done you that you badger me like this? You've ransacked the place. Have you turned up a single thing that's yours? Let's see it—display the evidence. Our two families can be the jury and decide between us. "In the twenty years I've worked for you, ewes and she-goats never miscarried. I never feasted on the rams from your flock. I never brought you a torn carcass killed by wild animals but that I paid for it out of my own pocket—actually, you made me pay whether it was my fault or not. I was out in all kinds of weather, from torrid heat to freezing cold, putting in many a sleepless night. For twenty years I've done this: I slaved away fourteen years for your two daughters and another six years for your flock and you changed my wages ten times. If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not stuck with me, you would have sent me off penniless. But God saw the fix I was in and how hard I had worked and last night rendered his verdict." Laban defended himself: "The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, the flock is my flock—everything you see is mine. But what can I do about my daughters or for the children they've had? So let's settle things between us, make a covenant—God will be the witness between us." Jacob took a stone and set it upright as a pillar. Jacob called his family around, "Get stones!" They gathered stones and heaped them up and then ate there beside the pile of stones. Laban named it in Aramaic, Yegar-sahadutha (Witness Monument); Jacob echoed the naming in Hebrew, Galeed (Witness Monument). Laban said, "This monument of stones will be a witness, beginning now, between you and me." (That's why it is called Galeed—Witness Monument.) It is also called Mizpah (Watchtower) because Laban said, " God keep watch between you and me when we are out of each other's sight. If you mistreat my daughters or take other wives when there's no one around to see you, God will see you and stand witness between us." Laban continued to Jacob, "This monument of stones and this stone pillar that I have set up is a witness, a witness that I won't cross this line to hurt you and you won't cross this line to hurt me. The God of Abraham and the God of Nahor (the God of their ancestor) will keep things straight between us." Jacob promised, swearing by the Fear, the God of his father Isaac. Then Jacob offered a sacrifice on the mountain and worshiped, calling in all his family members to the meal. They ate and slept that night on the mountain. Laban got up early the next morning, kissed his grandchildren and his daughters, blessed them, and then set off for home.
Genesis 43:19
So they went up to Joseph's house steward and talked to him in the doorway. They said, "Listen, master. We came down here one other time to buy food. On our way home, the first night out we opened our bags and found our money at the mouth of the bag—the exact amount we'd paid. We've brought it all back and have plenty more to buy more food with. We have no idea who put the money in our bags."
Genesis 44:1
Joseph ordered his house steward: "Fill the men's bags with food—all they can carry—and replace each one's money at the top of the bag. Then put my chalice, my silver chalice, in the top of the bag of the youngest, along with the money for his food." He did as Joseph ordered.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the altar shall be twelve cubits long, twelve broad,.... The length of it, from east to west, was twelve cubits; and the breadth, from north to south, was the same; so that it was a proper foursquare, as follows: Christ the altar, or the doctrine of his sacrifice and satisfaction for the sins of men, is the doctrine of the twelve apostles of Christ, and embraced by the twelve times twelve, the 144,000 that belong unto him:

square in the four squares thereof; as the altar in the tabernacle, and Solomon's temple, were, Exodus 27:1, denoting the largeness of Christ's sacrifice, the perfection of it, and its stability and permanency, to take away the sin, of his people.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

altar - Ariel was to be an exact square on all sides. Compare Exodus 27:1; Revelation 21:16.


 
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