Exodus 20:24 - Printer Friendly

ESV: An altar of earth you shall make for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you.

NIV: " ‘Make an altar of earth for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats and your cattle. Wherever I cause my name to be honored, I will come to you and bless you.

NASB: You shall make an altar of earth for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen; in every place where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you.

CSB: "Make an earthen altar for me, and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, your flocks and herds. I will come to you and bless you in every place where I cause my name to be remembered.

NLT: Build for me an altar made of earth, and offer your sacrifices to me — your burnt offerings and peace offerings, your sheep and goats, and your cattle. Build my altar wherever I cause my name to be remembered, and I will come to you and bless you.

KJV: An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee.

NKJV: An altar of earth you shall make for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I record My name I will come to you, and I will bless you.

Many of God's laws in the Mosaic covenant (Exodus 19:5–6; 2 Chronicles 5:10) created clear separation between Israel and surrounding nations. Beyond forbidding idols (Exodus 20:3–6, 23), God also rejects overcomplicated altars. Israel instead is to use altars "of earth." In a sense, this means dirt, or soil, but in context it mostly refers to natural stones (Exodus 20:25). Unlike complex, massive pagan altars, Israel was to use only simple, natural components. Just as they are not to make "gods" with their hands, they are not to shape the stones of the altar with their hands.

Further, the people are not to make altars accessed by stairs or steps (Exodus 20:26). The purpose is modesty; climbing a staircase risked exposing what was under a priest's robe. It also prevented making altars unnecessarily large and impressive. Old covenant laws about worship emphasized order and humility (Exodus 25:9; Deuteronomy 11:13).

God will give instructions for Israel to build a relatively simple altar for use specifically in the tabernacle (Exodus 27:1–8). Until then, altars needed to be properly arranged.

Exodus 20:22–26 records more details about God's covenant laws. The ones listed here reiterate the prohibition of idolatry and give instructions on how to create a proper altar. The Lord commands that His altars be made of earth or un-worked stones. They must be placed so they can be approached without using stairs. These requirements echo other laws emphasizing God's status as a holy Creator.

At Mount Sinai, God begins declaring the laws of His covenant with Israel. The first of these are the Ten Commandments. These establish core principles intended to guide the Lord's chosen people (Deuteronomy 7:6). Further details will come in other chapters and books. This chapter ends with specifics about altars and idols. The following chapters will address various social and civil issues (Exodus 21—23)

Centuries after being enslaved in Egypt (Exodus 1), Israel has been freed (Exodus 12). God leads the people across the Red Sea (Exodus 14) and into the wilderness of Sinai (Exodus 17—19). Here, He will give them laws which distinguish them from other nations. The first of these are the renowned Ten Commandments. The Lord will continue to provide details and statutes (Exodus 21—23) before confirming the covenant (Exodus 24) and establishing regulations for the tabernacle and priests (Exodus 25—31).

The book of Exodus establishes God's covenant relationship with the full-fledged nation of Israel. The descendants of Abraham prosper after settling in Egypt, only to be enslaved by a fearful, hateful Egyptian Pharaoh. God appoints Moses to lead the people out of this bondage. Moses serves as God's spokesman, as the Lord brings plagues and judgments on Egypt, leading to the release of Israel.