Exodus 27:6 kjv
And thou shalt make staves for the altar, staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with brass.
Exodus 27:6 nkjv
And you shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze.
Exodus 27:6 niv
Make poles of acacia wood for the altar and overlay them with bronze.
Exodus 27:6 esv
And you shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze.
Exodus 27:6 nlt
For carrying the altar, make poles from acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze.
Exodus 27 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 25:13-15 | You shall make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold... | Poles for the Ark of the Covenant |
| Exod 30:4-5 | And two gold rings below its molding; you shall make them on its two sides for poles...poles of acacia wood, overlaid with gold. | Poles for the Altar of Incense |
| Exod 37:4 | He made poles of acacia wood...for the ark... | Repetition of pole material for the Ark |
| Num 4:5-15 | When the camp moves...Kohathites shall come to carry them... | Levites specifically carrying holy items by poles |
| Num 7:9 | But to the sons of Kohath he gave none, because the service of the holy things belonging to them was that they should carry them upon their shoulders. | Exemption of holy items from carts, emphasizing pole-carrying |
| Deut 10:3 | So I made an ark of acacia wood... | Ark made of shittim wood before second tablets |
| 1 Kgs 8:8 | And the poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen... | Ark's poles remained in Solomon's Temple |
| Isa 41:19 | I will put in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia... | God's promise to provide good trees, including acacia, in wilderness |
| Exod 25:5 | Acacia wood for the ark and poles, and the table and its poles... | General material specification for Tabernacle furniture |
| Exod 26:15 | And for the tabernacle you shall make upright frames of acacia wood. | Shittim wood for the Tabernacle structure |
| Exod 35:7 | And goats' hair, and ram skins dyed red, and badger skins, and acacia wood; | Acacia wood as a material offering |
| Exod 37:1, 10, 25 | Bezalel made the ark...the table...the altar of incense of acacia wood. | Specific Tabernacle items made of shittim wood |
| Exod 27:1-8 | You shall make the altar of acacia wood... | Overall design of the bronze altar, immediate context |
| Exod 29:36-44 | You shall purify the altar by making atonement for it... | Altar as the place of sacrifice and atonement |
| Lev 17:11 | For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar... | Altar central to blood atonement for life |
| Psa 132:8 | Arise, O Lord, and go to your resting place, you and the ark of your might. | God's dynamic, moving presence symbolized by the Ark's journeys |
| Matt 8:20 | But Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." | Christ's own "portable" or nomadic earthly ministry |
| Acts 7:44 | Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, just as he who spoke to Moses directed him to make it... | Recalls the tabernacle's mobile nature in the wilderness |
| John 4:21-24 | Jesus said...the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father...worship in spirit and truth. | Shift from fixed altars/locations to spiritual worship |
| Heb 13:10 | We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. | Christian altar is Christ's sacrifice, accessible to all believers |
| 1 Pet 2:5 | You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house...to offer spiritual sacrifices. | Believers as a portable, spiritual temple and priests |
| Rev 21:3 | Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them... | God's ultimate dwelling not tied to a building but with His people |
Exodus 27 verses
Exodus 27 6 Meaning
Exodus 27:6 describes the specific instruction to craft carrying poles, or staves, for the altar of burnt offering, specifying that these poles must be made from shittim wood. This seemingly minor detail underscores the altar's essential design for mobility, signifying God's intention for His sacred dwelling and worship practices to move with His people throughout their wilderness journey.
Exodus 27 6 Context
Exodus 27 details the divine blueprints for the construction of the altar of burnt offering and the courtyard of the Tabernacle. The altar, located immediately at the entrance to the holy tent, was the primary place where offerings were made to atone for sin. Verses 1-8 meticulously describe its dimensions, materials (acacia wood overlaid with bronze), and various components like the horns, grates, pans, and staves. Historically, during Israel's forty years in the wilderness, they were a nomadic people, frequently relocating. The mobility of the Tabernacle and its sacred furnishings, facilitated by items like these staves, was paramount. This design starkly contrasted with fixed, often localized, altars found in contemporary pagan religions, emphasizing God's unique desire to be present and accessible wherever His people journeyed.
Exodus 27 6 Word analysis
- And thou shalt make (וְעָשִׂ֖יתָ - ve'asita): A direct divine command, emphasizing God's sovereign initiative and Israel's obedience in constructing His dwelling place. It's an imperative verb, signifying specific instruction.
- staves (בַּדִּ֔ים - baddim): Refers to poles or bars specifically designed for carrying. The plural form highlights the necessity of multiple poles for stability and transport, illustrating the weight and significance of the altar itself. Their purpose indicates portability.
- for the altar (לַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ - lam-mizbeaḥ): Specifies the intended object for these staves. The mizbeaḥ (altar) was the central point for sacrifice and reconciliation with God in the Tabernacle worship.
- staves (בַּדִּ֗ים - baddim): The repetition of "staves" in the Hebrew text (lit. "staves, staves of shittim wood") serves as an emphasis, underscoring both their existence and their crucial nature for the altar's function as a movable object.
- of shittim wood (עֲצֵ֥י שִׁטִּֽים - atzey shittim): "Wood of shittim." Shittim, or acacia, refers to a species of tree (like Acacia nilotica or Acacia seyal) prevalent in the arid regions where Israel wandered. This wood is renowned for its exceptional durability, hardness, and resistance to decay, termites, and insects. Its use signifies God's provision of suitable materials from the available environment and metaphorically implies the endurance required for items central to worship, enduring the rigors of travel and time. Spiritually, wood, being from the earth, can represent humanity, upon which the divine purpose is enacted.
Exodus 27 6 Bonus section
The choice of shittim (acacia) wood is not merely practical; it signifies God's meticulous care in designing every aspect of the Tabernacle with materials suitable for purpose and context. Unlike the ark and table which were overlaid with gold (representing divinity and glory), this bronze altar's staves are specified only as shittim wood, consistent with the bronze overlay of the altar itself, which symbolizes judgment and atonement. The design ensured that the altar, though foundational to Israel's access to God through sacrifice, could never be immovably established, echoing the principle that God's presence is mobile and adapts to His people's journey, setting the stage for the personal and global reach of His salvation in Christ.
Exodus 27 6 Commentary
Exodus 27:6, while seemingly a logistical detail, provides profound theological insights. The provision for staves of shittim wood for the altar of burnt offering highlights the Tabernacle's fundamental purpose: it was not a static temple but a portable sanctuary designed for a moving people. This reflects God's desire to dwell dynamically with His people on their journey, rather than being confined to a fixed location. The durability of shittim wood ensured that this vital means of atonement could endure constant relocation through the harsh wilderness. This mobility prefigures the universal and non-geographic nature of New Testament worship, where the "altar" is Christ's sacrifice, accessible everywhere by faith, unconfined to physical structures or locations (Heb 13:10). It reminds believers that true worship and God's presence are found in His ongoing pilgrimage with His people.