Place the gold altar of incense in front of the ark of the Testimony, and hang the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle.
Parallel translations
- WEB You shall set the golden altar for incense before the ark of the testimony, and put the screen of the door to the tabernacle.
- KJV And thou shalt set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the testimony, and put the hanging of the door to the tabernacle.
- NKJV You shall also set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the Testimony, and put up the screen for the door of the tabernacle.
- NASB You shall also set the gold altar of incense in front of the ark of the testimony, and set up the curtain for the doorway to the tabernacle.
- NLT “Place the gold incense altar in front of the Ark of the Covenant. Then hang the curtain at the entrance of the Tabernacle.
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 set the golden incense altar before the ark and hang the entrance screen. The place of prayer and the doorway were to be arranged.
Overview
The incense altar stood just outside the veil, its fragrant smoke symbolizing prayer rising before God's presence within. The screen at the tabernacle door marked the boundary of the holy interior. Together they teach that approach to God is by His appointed way and accompanied by prayer, a ministry now fulfilled through Christ our Intercessor.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Heb 10:19–22Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus,
- Heb 9:24For Christ did not enter a man-made copy of the true sanctuary, but He entered heaven itself, now to appear on our behalf in the presence of God.
- John 14:6Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
- 1 Jn 2:1–2My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
- Exod 37:25–28He made the altar of incense out of acacia wood. It was square, a cubit long, a cubit wide, and two cubits high. Its horns were of one piece.
- Exod 40:26–28Moses placed the gold altar in the Tent of Meeting, in front of the veil,
- Exod 35:25–28Every skilled woman spun with her hands and brought what she had spun: blue, purple, or scarlet yarn, or fine linen.
- Exod 30:1–5“You are also to make an altar of acacia wood for the burning of incense.
- Exod 26:36–37For the entrance to the tent, you are to make a curtain embroidered with blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen.
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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 40:5 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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.