Exodus27

Exodus 27 details the construction of the brazen altar for burnt offerings and the design of the tabernacle's outer court. The altar, made of shittim wood overlaid with brass, was foursquare with horns and specific brass vessels for its service. The court was enclosed by hangings of fine linen, supported by brass pillars with silver fittings, and featured a gate of richly colored linen. Finally, the chapter commands the Israelites to provide pure olive oil for the perpetual lamp tended by Aaron and his sons.
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Instructions for the Bronze Altar

1
And 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. ​
2
And thou shalt make the horns of it upon the four corners thereof: his horns shall be of the same: and thou shalt overlay it with brass. ​
3
And thou shalt make his pans to receive his ashes, and his shovels, and his basons, and his fleshhooks, and his firepans: all the vessels thereof thou shalt make of brass. ​
4
And thou shalt make for it a grate of network of brass; and upon the net shalt thou make four brasen rings in the four corners thereof.
5
And thou shalt put it under the compass of the altar beneath, that the net may be even to the midst of the altar.
6
And thou shalt make staves for the altar, staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with brass.
7
And the staves shall be put into the rings, and the staves shall be upon the two sides of the altar, to bear it.
8
Hollow with boards shalt thou make it: as it was shewed thee in the mount, so shall they make it. ​

Design of the Tabernacle Court

9
And thou shalt make the court of the tabernacle: for the south side southward there shall be hangings for the court of fine twined linen of an hundred cubits long for one side: ​
10
And the twenty pillars thereof and their twenty sockets shall be of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver.
11
And likewise for the north side in length there shall be hangings of an hundred cubits long, and his twenty pillars and their twenty sockets of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.
12
And for the breadth of the court on the west side shall be hangings of fifty cubits: their pillars ten, and their sockets ten.
13
And the breadth of the court on the east side eastward shall be fifty cubits.
14
The hangings of one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their sockets three.
15
And on the other side shall be hangings fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their sockets three.
16
And for the gate of the court shall be an hanging of twenty cubits, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework: and their pillars shall be four, and their sockets four. ​
17
All the pillars round about the court shall be filleted with silver; their hooks shall be of silver, and their sockets of brass.
18
The length of the court shall be an hundred cubits, and the breadth fifty every where, and the height five cubits of fine twined linen, and their sockets of brass. ​
19
All the vessels of the tabernacle in all the service thereof, and all the pins thereof, and all the pins of the court, shall be of brass. ​

Oil for the Perpetual Lamp

20
And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always. ​
21
In the tabernacle of the congregation without the vail, which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning before the LORD: it shall be a statute for ever unto their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel. ​

Study Notes for Exodus 27

Verse 1

This is the Altar of Burnt Offering, the central piece of furniture for the court. Its construction of shittim wood overlaid with bronze (brass) symbolizes the judgment and endurance required for atonement.

Verse 2

The horns were crucial for applying the blood of sin offerings and were sometimes grasped by those seeking sanctuary, symbolizing the protective and effective power of the altar (1 Kings 1:50).

Verse 3

All implements associated with the fire, ashes, and waste were made of brass, maintaining the consistent theme of judgment and separation established by the bronze altar.

Verse 8

The instruction that the altar must be constructed exactly 'as it was shewed thee in the mount' emphasizes the divine origin and required precision of the entire sacrificial system.

Verse 9

The surrounding court, defined by hangings of fine linen, established the boundary between the holy space and the common camp, regulating access to the presence of God.

Verse 16

The gate was the single entry point, marked by expensive, colored curtains (blue, purple, scarlet). This highlights that access to God's presence is limited and requires a specific, costly, and divinely ordained path.

Verse 18

The dimensions (100 cubits long, 50 cubits wide) made the court large enough to handle the daily sacrificial schedule, reinforcing the Tabernacle’s role as the center of Israel’s communal life.

Verse 19

The use of brass (bronze) for all the pins and vessels of the court reinforces the consistent theme of judgment and sacrifice associated with the outer area of the sanctuary.

Verse 20

The requirement for 'pure oil olive beaten' signifies the high quality and purity necessary for the service of the lampstand, which symbolized the light of God's presence and revelation.

Verse 21

This establishes the perpetual responsibility of Aaron and his sons to maintain the light (the Menorah) from evening to morning, symbolizing the enduring presence and continuous guidance of God among his people.

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