And they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth thereon:
Parallel translations
- WEB “They shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth on it.
- 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 6:12–13And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out: and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings.
- 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.
- Exod 39:41The cloths of service to do service in the holy place, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and his sons’ garments, to minister in the priest’s office.
- Num 4:11–12And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue, and cover it with a covering of badgers’ skins, and shall put to the staves thereof:
- Num 4:6–9And shall put thereon the covering of badgers’ skins, and shall spread over it a cloth wholly of blue, and shall put in the staves thereof.
- Exod 39:1And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron; as the LORD 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.