Exodus 38:5 kjv
And he cast four rings for the four ends of the grate of brass, to be places for the staves.
Exodus 38:5 nkjv
He cast four rings for the four corners of the bronze grating, as holders for the poles.
Exodus 38:5 niv
They cast bronze rings to hold the poles for the four corners of the bronze grating.
Exodus 38:5 esv
He cast four rings on the four corners of the bronze grating as holders for the poles.
Exodus 38:5 nlt
He cast four rings and attached them to the corners of the bronze grating to hold the carrying poles.
Exodus 38 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 27:1 | "You shall make the altar of acacia wood... " | Divine instruction for the Bronze Altar |
| Exod 27:4 | "You shall make for it a grating of bronze network..." | Direct command for the grating design |
| Exod 25:9 | "According to all that I show you... make it so." | God's meticulous divine pattern for Tabernacle |
| Exod 30:18 | "You shall also make a bronze laver..." | Bronze used for holy implements, purification |
| Lev 1:9 | "...the priest shall burn all on the altar as a burnt offering..." | Sacrifices offered on the Altar |
| Lev 6:10 | "The priest shall put on his linen garment... to take away the ashes..." | Management of ash from altar, functionality |
| Num 16:38 | "...the censers of these men who have sinned at the cost of their lives..." | Bronze as a sign of judgment and holiness |
| Deut 33:25 | "Your bars will be iron and bronze..." | Bronze symbolizing strength and durability |
| 1 Kgs 8:64 | "...he offered the burnt offering... upon the bronze altar..." | Bronze altar in Solomon's Temple, continuity |
| 2 Chr 4:1 | "He also made a bronze altar, twenty cubits long..." | Solomon's altar description, larger scale |
| Isa 53:10 | "...he makes himself an offering for guilt..." | Foreshadowing of ultimate sacrifice |
| Ezek 43:13 | "These are the measurements of the altar by cubits..." | Altar in future Temple, divine precision |
| Zech 6:1 | "Then again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, four chariots..." | Mention of bronze in prophetic visions |
| John 1:29 | "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" | Christ as the ultimate sacrifice |
| Rom 3:25 | "...Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation..." | Christ's atoning work replaces sacrifices |
| 1 Cor 5:7 | "...Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed." | Christ as fulfillment of sacrificial system |
| 2 Cor 5:21 | "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin..." | Christ bearing sin, linking to altar's purpose |
| Eph 5:2 | "...Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering..." | Christ's sacrifice as acceptable offering |
| Phil 2:8 | "...even death on a cross." | Humility leading to ultimate sacrifice |
| Heb 8:5 | "They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things." | Earthly sanctuary reflecting heavenly reality |
| Heb 9:14 | "...Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself..." | Christ's perfect and eternal sacrifice |
| Heb 10:4 | "For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." | Old Covenant sacrifices are preparatory |
| 1 Pet 1:18-19 | "...redeemed... with the precious blood of Christ..." | Redemption through Christ's perfect blood |
| Rev 1:15 | "...and his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace..." | Bronze symbolizing divine judgment and purity |
| Rev 6:9 | "I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain..." | Altar as a place associated with martyrdom/sacrifice |
Exodus 38 verses
Exodus 38 5 Meaning
Exodus 38:5 describes a specific structural detail of the Altar of Burnt Offering within the Tabernacle. It states that a bronze grating, crafted as a network, was positioned under the altar's encircling rim and extended precisely halfway up its height. This intricate detail was crucial for the altar's function, likely facilitating optimal airflow for the sacrificial fire and efficient management of the ashes and residue, underscoring the divine order and practicality within worship.
Exodus 38 5 Context
Exodus 38:5 is found within the detailed account of the construction of the Tabernacle and its furnishings, meticulously following the divine instructions given to Moses on Mount Sinai (chapters 25-31). This particular verse describes a specific feature of the bronze Altar of Burnt Offering, which stood in the courtyard of the Tabernacle, symbolizing the place where sinful humanity could approach a holy God through atonement by blood sacrifice. The historical context reveals God establishing a portable sanctuary among His people Israel, demonstrating His immanent presence and providing the prescribed means for worship and forgiveness, in stark contrast to the ad-hoc, often gruesome, and idolatrous practices of the surrounding pagan nations. Every precise measurement, material, and component, including this bronze grating, underscored God's demand for order, holiness, and distinction in His worship.
Exodus 38 5 Word analysis
- A grating (מִכְבָּר, mikbar): This Hebrew term denotes a perforated plate or a net-like structure. Its use here indicates a design specifically engineered for airflow and drainage, essential for the efficient burning of sacrifices on the altar and managing the ash and fat beneath. This functional precision speaks to God's attention to even the most minute practical details of sacred service.
- of bronze network (מַעֲשֵׂ֤ה רֶ֙שֶׁת֙ נְחֹ֔שׁ, ma'aseh reshet nekhosh):
- Network (רֶשֶׁת, reshet): Literally meaning "net," this emphasizes the woven or interlaced pattern of the bronze, not a solid sheet. This design enhances the functionality for aeration and demonstrates skilled craftsmanship according to divine specifications.
- Bronze (נְחֹשׁ, nekhosh): Also translated as copper. Bronze was a robust and heat-resistant metal, highly practical for the Altar of Burnt Offering, which endured constant fire. Symbolically, bronze in the Old Testament often signifies strength, durability, and notably, judgment or the endurance of divine wrath. The altar, being the place of judgment for sin through sacrifice, appropriately utilizes this material.
- under (תַּ֛חַת, takhat): This preposition indicates precise placement. The grating was not inside or above, but specifically underneath the rim, ensuring it played a structural and functional role in the lower part of the altar, perhaps acting as a support for the sacrificial materials while allowing burning embers to fall through.
- the rim (כַּרְכֻּבּ֥וֹ, karkubbo): This term refers to an encircling border, ledge, or "compass." It implies a defined boundary or support from which the grating was suspended or against which it rested. This detail contributes to the structural integrity and functionality of the altar, ensuring the sacrifices were contained and consumed efficiently.
- reaching halfway up it (עַ֖ד חֶצְיָֽהּ, ad khetsyah): This precise measurement highlights the exactness required in the Tabernacle's construction. The grating extended from beneath the rim to precisely half the altar's total height (or half the distance from the bottom up to the top, depending on interpretation of 'it'). This specificity points to a divine design where every dimension had purpose, potentially for optimized ventilation, support of the firepan or grate where sacrifices were placed, and efficient collection of offerings' remnants. It underscores the absence of human improvisation in sacred worship.
- Words-Group Analysis: The entire phrase describes a piece of highly specific, divinely mandated construction. The "bronze network" is not just for support, but indicates a system for processing sacrifice that is both sturdy (bronze) and designed for fire (network/airflow). This rigorous attention to functional detail, down to "halfway up," symbolizes the comprehensive nature of God's holy requirements and the perfection demanded in all aspects of His service, where even practical design elements carried spiritual weight.
Exodus 38 5 Bonus section
The concept of the "grating" might have also allowed for priests to stoke the fire from below or manage its intensity, contributing to the ritual cleanliness and efficiency of the daily offerings. This intricate engineering reflects the biblical principle that even practical necessities in worship must adhere to divine standards. Furthermore, the constant fire on this bronze altar (Lev 6:13) indicated God's continual presence and acceptance of the atoning sacrifice, sustained by this internal design. This contrasts sharply with pagan altars which were often simpler stone structures lacking such specific, divinely mandated functional engineering. The "halfway up" detail might also relate to the concept of elevation, keeping certain elements of the sacrificial process above ground level while ensuring sufficient air from beneath.
Exodus 38 5 Commentary
Exodus 38:5 provides a seemingly minor detail of the Tabernacle's Bronze Altar, yet it encapsulates profound theological significance. The meticulously designed "bronze grating network" was essential for the practical functioning of the altar, enabling sacrifices to be completely consumed by fire. This precise divine instruction underscores God's demand for absolute perfection and order in approaching Him; nothing was left to human improvisation. The use of bronze, a metal associated with enduring judgment, aptly points to the altar's role as the place where sin met divine wrath through substitutionary sacrifice. Every element of the Tabernacle, including this grating, foreshadowed Christ. The thoroughness implied by the grating’s function of processing the sacrifice fully speaks to the complete and perfect nature of Christ’s single, all-sufficient sacrifice on the cross for the atonement of sins, consuming God's judgment once and for all.