“They shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth on it.
Parallel translations
- KJV And they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth thereon:
- BSB Then they shall remove the ashes from the bronze altar, spread a purple cloth over it,
- NKJV Also they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth over it.
- NASB Then they shall clean away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth over it.
- NLT “They must remove the ashes from the altar for sacrifices and cover the altar with a purple cloth.
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 ashes were removed from the bronze altar and a purple cloth spread over it. The altar of sacrifice was cleansed and reverently prepared for transport.
Overview
This is the great bronze altar of burnt offering where sacrifices for sin were made. Clearing the ashes and covering it preserved its sanctity during the march. As the place where atonement was made, the altar foreshadows the cross of Christ, where the once-for-all sacrifice for sin was offered (Hebrews 10:10-12).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Lev 6:12–13The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it, it shall not go out; and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning: and he shall lay the burnt offering in order upon it, and shall burn on it the fat of the peace offerings.
- Exod 27:1–8“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 39:41the finely worked garments for ministering in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest’s office.
- Num 4:11–12“On the golden altar they shall spread a blue cloth, and cover it with a covering of sealskin, and shall put in its poles.
- Num 4:6–9and shall put a covering of sealskin on it, and shall spread over it a cloth all of blue, and shall put in its poles.
- Exod 39:1Of the blue, purple, and scarlet, they made finely worked garments, for ministering in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron; as Yahweh commanded Moses.
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Christ at the center
In the wilderness Christ is the water from the rock, the bronze serpent lifted up that the dying might look and live (John 3:14), and the star and scepter that Balaam saw rising out of Jacob.
How Numbers 4:13 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.