Ezekiel 43:13-27

The Altar

13 "These are the measurements of ¹the altar by cubits (the cubit being ²a cubit and a handbreadth):^[a] its base shall be one cubit high^[b] and one cubit broad, with a rim of one span^[c] around its edge. And this shall be the height of the altar:

14 from the base on the ground to the lower ledge, two cubits, with a breadth of one cubit; and from the smaller ledge to the larger ledge, four cubits, with a breadth of one cubit;

15 and the altar hearth, four cubits; and from the altar hearth projecting upward, ³four horns.

16 The altar hearth shall be ⁴square, twelve cubits long by twelve broad.

17 The ledge also shall be square, fourteen cubits long by fourteen broad, with a rim around it half a cubit broad, and its base one cubit all around. ⁵The steps of the altar shall face east."

18 And he said to me, ⁶"Son of man, thus says the Lord GOD: These are the ordinances for the altar: On the day when it is erected for offering burnt offerings upon it and ⁷for throwing blood against it,

19 you shall give to ⁸the Levitical priests ⁹of the family of Zadok, who draw near to me to minister to me, declares the Lord GOD, ¹⁰a bull from the herd for a sin offering.

20 And ¹¹you shall take some of its blood and put it on ¹²the four horns of the altar and on the four corners of the ledge and upon ¹³the rim all around. ¹⁴Thus you shall purify the altar and make atonement for it.

21 You shall also take the bull of the sin offering, and ¹⁵it shall be burned in the appointed place belonging to the temple, outside the sacred area.

22 And on the second day you shall offer a male goat without blemish for a sin offering; and the altar shall be purified, as it was purified with the bull.

23 When you have finished ¹⁶purifying it, you shall offer a bull from the herd without blemish and ¹⁷a ram from the flock without blemish.

24 You shall present them before the LORD, and the priests ¹⁸shall sprinkle salt on them and offer them up as a burnt offering to the LORD.

25 ¹⁹For seven days you shall provide daily a male goat for a sin offering; also, a bull from the herd and a ram from the flock, without blemish, shall be provided.

26 Seven days shall they make atonement for the altar and cleanse it, and so consecrate it.^[d]

27 And when they have completed these days, then ²⁰from the eighth day onward the priests shall offer on the altar your burnt offerings and your ²¹peace offerings, and ²²I will accept you, declares the Lord GOD."

Ezekiel 43:13-27 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EZEKIEL 43

The temple or house of God being measured, the worship of God in it is pointed out and observed in this and the following chapter; and which, though evangelical, is expressed in the language of the Old Testament. An account is given of the glory of the Lord returning to the house, and the way he did, and his taking possession of it, which the prophet was favoured with a view of, Eze 43:1-5, a promise is made of his continuance there, provided his people behaved as they should, Eze 43:6-9, an order is given to the prophet, to show them the form and fashion, the laws, orders, and ordinances of the house to them, to be observed by them, Eze 43:10-12, then follows the measuring of the altar of burnt offerings; which, though measured before in chapter forty, the dimensions are here given, Eze 43:13-17, and the chapter is concluded with directions about the consecration of it, Eze 43:18-27.

Cross References

• 1. [Ezekiel 40:47; Ezekiel 47:1]; See Exodus 27:1-8
• 2. Ezekiel 40:5; [Ezekiel 41:8]
• 3. See Exodus 27:2
• 4. [Ezekiel 40:47; Exodus 27:1]
• 5. [Exodus 20:26]
• 6. See Ezekiel 2:1
• 7. See Leviticus 1:5
• 8. Ezekiel 44:15; Deuteronomy 17:9; Deuteronomy 18:1; Deuteronomy 24:8; Deuteronomy 27:9
• 9. See Ezekiel 40:46
• 10. Ezekiel 45:18; Exodus 29:1, 10
• 11. Ezekiel 45:19; Exodus 29:12; Leviticus 8:15
• 12. [See ver. 15 above]
• 13. [ver. 13, 17]
• 14. Exodus 29:36; [Ezekiel 45:18]
• 15. Exodus 29:14
• 16. [See ver. 20 above]
• 17. [Exodus 29:1]
• 18. Leviticus 2:13
• 19. Exodus 29:35, 36; Leviticus 8:33, 35
• 20. Leviticus 9:1
• 21. See Leviticus 3:1
• 22. See Ezekiel 20:40

Footnotes

• [a]. A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters; a handbreadth was about 3 inches or 7.5 centimeters
• [b]. Or its gutter shall be one cubit deep
• [c]. A span was about 9 inches or 22 centimeters
• [d]. Hebrew fill its hand