And thou shalt set the altar of the burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation.
Parallel translations
- WEB “You shall set the altar of burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting.
- BSB Place the altar of burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting.
- NKJV Then you shall set the altar of the burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting.
- NASB And you shall set the altar of burnt offering in front of the doorway of the tabernacle of the tent of meeting.
- NLT Place the altar of burnt offering in front of the Tabernacle entrance.
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 altar of burnt offering in front of the tabernacle entrance. The place of sacrifice stood at the threshold of approach.
Overview
The bronze altar was positioned first in the courtyard, directly before the entrance, so that no one could approach God's dwelling without passing the place of sacrifice. This taught that fellowship with a holy God requires atonement for sin. It foreshadows the cross of Christ, the one sacrifice through which sinners are reconciled and given access to God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Exod 40:29And he put the altar of burnt offering by the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation, and offered upon it the burnt offering and the meat offering; as the LORD commanded Moses.
- Exod 38:1–7And he made the altar of burnt offering of shittim wood: five cubits was the length thereof, and five cubits the breadth thereof; it was foursquare; and three cubits the height thereof.
- Exod 27:1–8And thou shalt make an altar of shittim wood, five cubits long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall be foursquare: and the height thereof shall be three cubits.
- Eph 1:6–7To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
- Heb 13:10We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.
- 1 Jn 4:9–10In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
- 1 Jn 2:2And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
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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 40:6 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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