And thou shalt anoint the altar of the burnt offering, and all his vessels, and sanctify the altar: and it shall be an altar most holy.
Parallel translations
- WEB You shall anoint the altar of burnt offering, with all its vessels, and sanctify the altar: and the altar will be most holy.
- BSB Anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils; consecrate the altar, and it shall be most holy.
- NKJV You shall anoint the altar of the burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar. The altar shall be most holy.
- NASB You shall also anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and consecrate the altar, and the altar shall be most holy.
- NLT Anoint the altar of burnt offering and its utensils to consecrate them. Then the altar will become absolutely holy.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Moses was to anoint the altar of burnt offering and its utensils, making the altar most holy. The place of sacrifice was specially consecrated.
Overview
The bronze altar received particular consecration, declared 'most holy,' because of its central role in atonement. Its heightened holiness underscored the gravity of dealing with sin before God. The altar's sanctity points to the supreme holiness of the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ, by which true and lasting atonement is accomplished.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Isa 61:1The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
- Luke 1:35And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
- Exod 29:36–37And thou shalt offer every day a bullock for a sin offering for atonement: and thou shalt cleanse the altar, when thou hast made an atonement for it, and thou shalt anoint it, to sanctify it.
- 2 Cor 5:21For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
- Heb 7:26For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;
- 1 Cor 1:30But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
- John 3:34For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.
- John 17:19And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
- Lev 8:11And he sprinkled thereof upon the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all his vessels, both the laver and his foot, to sanctify them.
- Isa 11:2And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;
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Christ at the center
The Passover lamb whose blood turns away death, the exodus through the sea, the manna, the rock, and the tabernacle where God dwells with his people all foreshadow Jesus — our Passover, our redemption, the bread from heaven, and God-with-us in the flesh.
How Exodus 40:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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