The top of the altar is square, measuring 21 feet by 21 feet.
Parallel translations
- WEB The altar hearth shall be twelve cubits long by twelve wide, square in its four sides.
- KJV And the altar shall be twelve cubits long, twelve broad, square in the four squares thereof.
- BSB The altar hearth shall be square at its four corners, twelve cubits long and twelve cubits wide.
- NKJV The altar hearth is twelve cubits long, twelve wide, square at its four corners;
- NASB Now the altar hearth shall be twelve cubits long by twelve wide, square in its four sides.
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
The altar hearth is a perfect square, twelve cubits on each side.
Overview
The square shape signifies symmetry, order, and completeness in worship. Twelve may evoke the twelve tribes of Israel, suggesting the altar serves the whole covenant people. Ordered worship reflects the character of a holy and faithful God who provides atonement for all His people.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- Exod 27:1“You shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits long, and five cubits wide; the altar shall be square: and its height shall be three cubits.
- Exod 38:1–2He made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood. It was square. Its length was five cubits, its width was five cubits, and its height was three cubits.
- Ezra 3:3In spite of their fear because of the peoples of the surrounding lands, they set the altar on its base; and they offered burnt offerings on it to Yahweh, even burnt offerings morning and evening.
- 2 Chr 4:1Then he made an altar of brass, twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and ten cubits high.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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How Ezekiel 43:16 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.