Exodus 20:25
New International Version
If you make an altar of stones for me, do not build it with dressed stones, for you will defile it if you use a tool on it.

New Living Translation
If you use stones to build my altar, use only natural, uncut stones. Do not shape the stones with a tool, for that would make the altar unfit for holy use.

English Standard Version
If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stones, for if you wield your tool on it you profane it.

Berean Standard Bible
Now if you make an altar of stones for Me, you must not build it with stones shaped by tools; for if you use a chisel on it, you will defile it.

King James Bible
And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.

New King James Version
And if you make Me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stone; for if you use your tool on it, you have profaned it.

New American Standard Bible
And if you make an altar of stone for Me, you shall not build it of cut stones, for if you wield your chisel on it, you will profane it.

NASB 1995
‘If you make an altar of stone for Me, you shall not build it of cut stones, for if you wield your tool on it, you will profane it.

NASB 1977
‘And if you make an altar of stone for Me, you shall not build it of cut stones, for if you wield your tool on it, you will profane it.

Legacy Standard Bible
And if you make an altar of stone for Me, you shall not build it of cut stones, for if you wield your tool on it, you will profane it.

Amplified Bible
If you make an altar of stone for Me, you shall not build it of cut stones, for if you use a chisel on it, you will profane it.

Christian Standard Bible
If you make a stone altar for me, do not build it out of cut stones. If you use your chisel on it, you will defile it.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
If you make a stone altar for Me, you must not build it out of cut stones. If you use your chisel on it, you will defile it.

American Standard Version
And if thou make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stones; for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And if you make to me an altar of stone, you shall not build it with cut stone because you have lifted up iron upon it and you have polluted it.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And if thou wilt make to me an altar of stones, thou shalt not build them hewn stones; for thou hast lifted up thy tool upon them, and they are defiled.

Contemporary English Version
If you ever build an altar for me out of stones, do not use any tools to chisel the stones, because that would make the altar unfit for use in worship.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And if thou make an altar of stone unto me, thou shalt not build it of hewn stones: for if thou lift up a tool upon it, it shall be defiled.

English Revised Version
And if thou make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stones: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
If you build an altar for me made out of stones, never make it with cut stone blocks. If you use a chisel on it, you will make it unacceptable to me.

Good News Translation
If you make an altar of stone for me, do not build it out of cut stones, because when you use a chisel on stones, you make them unfit for my use.

International Standard Version
If you make an altar of stone for me, you must not build it of cut stones, because if you strike it with your chisel, you will profane it.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And if thou make Me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stones; for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast profaned it.

Literal Standard Version
And if you make an altar of stones for Me, you do not build them of hewn work; when you have waved your tool over it, then you defile it;

Majority Standard Bible
Now if you make an altar of stones for Me, you must not build it with stones shaped by tools; for if you use a chisel on it, you will defile it.

New American Bible
But if you make an altar of stone for me, do not build it of cut stone, for by putting a chisel to it you profane it.

NET Bible
If you make me an altar of stone, you must not build it of stones shaped with tools, for if you use your tool on it you have defiled it.

New Revised Standard Version
But if you make for me an altar of stone, do not build it of hewn stones; for if you use a chisel upon it you profane it.

New Heart English Bible
If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of cut stones; for if you lift up your tool on it, you have polluted it.

Webster's Bible Translation
And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou shalt lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.

World English Bible
If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of cut stones; for if you lift up your tool on it, you have polluted it.

Young's Literal Translation
'And if an altar of stones thou dost make to Me, thou dost not build them of hewn work; when thy tool thou hast waved over it, then thou dost pollute it;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Altar of Sacrifice
24You are to make for Me an altar of earth, and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and peace offerings, your sheep and goats and cattle. In every place where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you. 25Now if you make an altar of stones for Me, you must not build it with stones shaped by tools; for if you use a chisel on it, you will defile it. 26And you must not go up to My altar on steps, lest your nakedness be exposed on it.’…

Cross References
Exodus 20:24
You are to make for Me an altar of earth, and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and peace offerings, your sheep and goats and cattle. In every place where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you.

Deuteronomy 27:5
Moreover, you are to build there an altar to the LORD your God, an altar of stones. You must not use any iron tool on them.

Deuteronomy 27:6
You shall build the altar of the LORD your God with uncut stones and offer upon it burnt offerings to the LORD your God.

Joshua 8:31
just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses: "an altar of uncut stones on which no iron tool has been used." And on it they offered burnt offerings to the LORD, and they sacrificed peace offerings.

1 Kings 6:7
The temple was constructed using finished stones cut at the quarry, so that no hammer or chisel or any other iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built.

Ezekiel 40:42
There were also four tables of dressed stone for the burnt offering, each a cubit and a half long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit high. On these were placed the utensils used to slaughter the burnt offerings and the other sacrifices.


Treasury of Scripture

And if you will make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stone: for if you lift up your tool on it, you have polluted it.

and

Deuteronomy 27:5,6
And there shalt thou build an altar unto the LORD thy God, an altar of stones: thou shalt not lift up any iron tool upon them…

Joshua 8:31
As Moses the servant of the LORD commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses, an altar of whole stones, over which no man hath lift up any iron: and they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings.

build it of hewn stone.

Jump to Previous
Altar Build Cut Defile Dressed Hewn Instrument Lift Pollute Polluted Profane Profaned Sharp Stone Stones Tool Touch Unclean Use Waved Wield Wilt Work
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Altar Build Cut Defile Dressed Hewn Instrument Lift Pollute Polluted Profane Profaned Sharp Stone Stones Tool Touch Unclean Use Waved Wield Wilt Work
Exodus 20
1. The ten commandments are spoken by Jehovah
18. The people are afraid, but Moses comforts them
21. Idolatry is forbidden
23. Of what sort the altar should be














(25) If thou wilt make me an altar of stone.--Among civilised nations altars were almost always of stone, which superseded earth, as more durable. God does not absolutely prohibit the employment of stone altars by the Israelites, who are found to use them upon certain occasions (Joshua 8:31; 1Kings 18:32). He is content to forbid the shaping of the stones by an implement, that so they may not give rise to idolatry. (See Note on Exodus 20:24.)

Thou hast polluted it.--Nature is God's handiwork, and, therefore, pure and holy. Man, by contact with it, imparts to it of his impurity. The altar, whereby sin was to be expiated, required to be free from all taint of human corruption. For the construction of the altar afterwards sanctioned, see the comment on Exodus 27:1.

Verse 25. - And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone - i.e., if, notwithstanding my preference expressed for an altar of earth, thou wilt insist on making me one of stone, as more permanent, and so more honourable, then I require that the stones shall be rough stones shaped by nature, not stones chiselled into shape by the art of man. For if thou lift up thy tool upon it thou hast polluted it. It is conjectured with reason that we have here an old traditional idea, which God thought fit under the existing circumstances to sanction. The real object was that altars should not be elaborately carved with objects that might superinduce idolatry. The widely prevalent notion, that nature is sacred, and that all man's interference with nature is a defilement, was made use of economically, to produce the desired result. No tool being allowed to be used, no forms of living creatures could be engraved, and so no idolatry of them could grow up.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
Now if
וְאִם־ (wə·’im-)
Conjunctive waw | Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

you make
תַּֽעֲשֶׂה־ (ta·‘ă·śeh-)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

an altar
מִזְבַּ֤ח (miz·baḥ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4196: An altar

of stones
אֲבָנִים֙ (’ă·ḇā·nîm)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 68: A stone

for Me,
לִּ֔י (lî)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's Hebrew

you must not
לֹֽא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

build
תִבְנֶ֥ה (ṯiḇ·neh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 1129: To build

it
אֶתְהֶ֖ן (’eṯ·hen)
Direct object marker | third person feminine plural
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

with stones shaped by tools;
גָּזִ֑ית (gā·zîṯ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 1496: Something cut, dressed stone

for if
כִּ֧י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

you use
הֵנַ֥פְתָּ (hê·nap̄·tā)
Verb - Hifil - Perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5130: To move to and fro, wave, sprinkle

a chisel
חַרְבְּךָ֛ (ḥar·bə·ḵā)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 2719: Drought, a cutting instrument, as a, knife, sword

on it,
עָלֶ֖יהָ (‘ā·le·hā)
Preposition | third person feminine singular
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

you will defile it.
וַתְּחַֽלְלֶֽהָ׃ (wat·tə·ḥal·le·hā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - second person masculine singular | third person feminine singular
Strong's 2490: To bore, to wound, to dissolve, to profane, to break, to begin, to play


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OT Law: Exodus 20:25 If you make me an altar (Exo. Ex)
Exodus 20:24
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