Verse (Click for Chapter) 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 ... Context The Altar of Sacrifice24You 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 WorkJump to Next Altar Build Cut Defile Dressed Hewn Instrument Lift Pollute Polluted Profane Profaned Sharp Stone Stones Tool Touch Unclean Use Waved Wield Wilt WorkExodus 20 1. The ten commandments are spoken by Jehovah18. 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 ifוְאִם־ (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 Links Exodus 20:25 NIVExodus 20:25 NLT Exodus 20:25 ESV Exodus 20:25 NASB Exodus 20:25 KJV Exodus 20:25 BibleApps.com Exodus 20:25 Biblia Paralela Exodus 20:25 Chinese Bible Exodus 20:25 French Bible Exodus 20:25 Catholic Bible OT Law: Exodus 20:25 If you make me an altar (Exo. 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