Exodus 27 2

Exodus 27:2 kjv

And thou shalt make the horns of it upon the four corners thereof: his horns shall be of the same: and thou shalt overlay it with brass.

Exodus 27:2 nkjv

You shall make its horns on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it. And you shall overlay it with bronze.

Exodus 27:2 niv

Make a horn at each of the four corners, so that the horns and the altar are of one piece, and overlay the altar with bronze.

Exodus 27:2 esv

And you shall make horns for it on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it, and you shall overlay it with bronze.

Exodus 27:2 nlt

Make horns for each of its four corners so that the horns and altar are all one piece. Overlay the altar with bronze.

Exodus 27 verses

Exodus 27 2 Meaning

Exodus 27:2 details the construction of the altar of burnt offering, specifically focusing on its four horn-like projections. These "horns" were to be an integral part of the altar, fashioned from the same acacia wood and then completely covered with bronze. This specification emphasizes their critical role in the sacrificial system and points to their significance in matters of atonement and refuge within God's sanctuary.

Exodus 27 2 Context

Exodus chapter 27 is part of a larger section (chapters 25-31) where God gives Moses precise instructions for the construction of the Tabernacle and its associated articles, the priests' vestments, and their consecration. These instructions are a divine blueprint, detailing every aspect of the sanctuary where God would dwell among His people. Immediately preceding Exodus 27, the text described the Ark of the Covenant, the Table of Showbread, the Menorah, and the Tabernacle's dwelling. Chapter 27 then moves to the courtyard, beginning with the Altar of Burnt Offering, highlighting its prominence as the first object encountered by one approaching God. The details of the horns (Ex 27:2) are integral to understanding this altar's purpose and its future liturgical use, especially in relation to sin and sacrifice.

Exodus 27 2 Word analysis

• And thou shalt make: Hebrew "וְעָשִׂ֖יתָ" (wə‘āśîṯā). Implying a direct divine command and specific instruction for construction. This is not optional or a matter of human design.
• the horns (of it): Hebrew "קַרְנֹתָֽיו" (qarnōṯāyw) from "קֶרֶן" (qeren). Not actual animal horns, but projections or protuberances, like battlements or corners of an altar. In biblical imagery, "horn" often symbolizes strength, power, dominion, authority, or salvation (e.g., Ps 18:2, 1 Sam 2:10). On an altar, they were the place for applying sacrificial blood, representing the effective reach and power of atonement.
• upon the four corners thereof: Hebrew "עַל־אַרְבַּ֥ע פִּנֹּתָ֖יו" (‘al-’arba‘ pinnōṯāyw). "Four corners" signifies completeness, totality, or universality. It implies the sacrifice's reach in all directions, to all who seek atonement.
• his horns shall be of the same: Hebrew "מִמֶּ֙נּוּ֙ יִהְי֣וּ קַרְנֹתָ֔יו" (mimmennû yihyû qarnōṯāw). This means the horns were not separate attachments but carved from the same acacia wood as the main body of the altar. This speaks to the integrity and unity of the altar's design, implying the horns' function is intrinsic to the altar's purpose, not merely ornamental.
• and thou shalt overlay them with brass: Hebrew "וְצִפִּיתָ֥ אֹתָ֖ם נְחֹֽשֶׁת׃" (wəṣippîṯā ’ōṯām nəḥōšeṯ). "Brass" here is typically understood as bronze (Hebrew "נְחֹשֶׁת," nĕchošeth), an alloy of copper and tin. Bronze in the Bible is often associated with judgment, divine wrath, strength, endurance, and testing. The altar, being where fire consumes sacrifices, is a place of judgment on sin. Overlaying it with bronze signifies its ability to withstand intense heat and the fires of divine justice, foreshadowing Christ's endurance of divine judgment for sin.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "the horns of it upon the four corners thereof": These horns were key structural elements, strategically placed to encompass the altar's entirety. Their position reinforces the comprehensive reach and all-encompassing nature of the atonement offered there.
• "his horns shall be of the same, and thou shalt overlay them with brass": The command for the horns to be "of the same" material (acacia wood) indicates their essential unity with the altar itself—they are not separable additions but integral components. Their bronze overlay underscores their enduring nature and capacity to withstand the intensity of God's fiery judgment against sin, embodying both durability and divine wrath.

Exodus 27 2 Bonus section

• Anointing: The horns of the altar were among the specific items commanded to be anointed with oil during the consecration ceremony (Ex 29:12; Lev 8:15). This anointing sanctified them, setting them apart for their sacred purpose and imbuing them with holiness for their crucial role in atonement.
• Refuge Limitations: While clinging to the altar's horns offered temporary refuge for those accused, it was not an absolute sanctuary. Capital criminals were not exempt from justice even if they clung to the horns, as seen in the case of Joab (1 Kgs 2:28-34). This established a boundary: the altar provided refuge within the confines of God's justice and law, not an escape from deserved punishment. This hints at the need for a truly blameless, perfect sacrifice to provide complete and unassailable refuge.
• Shadow and Substance: As part of the Tabernacle's furnishings, the altar and its horns serve as a type or shadow (Heb 8:5) of spiritual realities found in Christ. The enduring strength and judgment symbolized by the bronze, combined with the blood-applied horns, beautifully prefigure Jesus' enduring the full wrath of God on the cross as the perfect sin offering, offering eternal power and salvation (horns as power) to all who come to Him for refuge.

Exodus 27 2 Commentary

Exodus 27:2 provides specific construction details for the four horns of the altar of burnt offering, revealing deep theological significance. These horns were integral to the altar, sculpted from the same acacia wood and then entirely covered in bronze. The material, bronze, carries a powerful biblical symbolism of divine judgment, endurance, and strength, indicating that the altar—and by extension, its horns—was a place where sin met divine wrath.

Functionally, the horns were not merely decorative; they were consecrated points on the altar where sacrificial blood was applied (e.g., Lev 4). This ritual act signifies the transfer of atonement from the sacrifice to the sacred object, making the altar the very place where propitiation for sin occurred. The horns thus became focal points for divine mercy offered through the shedding of blood. Moreover, in historical narratives (e.g., 1 Kgs 1, 2), grasping the horns of the altar became a desperate act of seeking sanctuary, although not always guaranteed, it highlighted the altar's association with a form of refuge. Spiritually, the horns signify power and salvation. They speak to the enduring power of the atoning work performed upon the altar, whose reach (implied by the "four corners") extends universally. This detailed instruction points toward Christ, the ultimate sacrifice, whose finished work on the cross endured the fullness of divine judgment (like the bronze) and whose blood offers eternal atonement and true refuge for all.