Exodus 20:25

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.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — God addresses Moses and the Israelites at Sinai, issuing worship regulations immediately after the Ten Commandments.

The words — The Hebrew term גָּזִית (ga.Zit) means "hewn" or "cut stone," specifying the exact masonry work prohibited for altar construction.

The thread — This prohibition against iron tools on stone altars reappears in Deuteronomy 27:5 and is recorded as fulfilled in Joshua 8:31.

Why it lands — The text commands builders to leave altar stones unworked to prevent ritual defilement, requiring the worshiper to accept the sacred site without human alteration.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְאִם־ve./'im-and/ if מִזְבַּ֤חmiz.Bachan altar of אֲבָנִים֙'a.va.Nimstones תַּֽעֲשֶׂה־ta.'a.seh-you will makeלִּ֔יL/ifor <the>/ meלֹֽא־lo'-not תִבְנֶ֥הtiv.Nehyou must build אֶתְהֶ֖ן'et./Hen<obj.>/ them גָּזִ֑יתga.Zithewn [stone]כִּ֧יkifor חַרְבְּךָ֛char.be./Khatool/ your הֵנַ֥פְתָּhe.Naf.tayou have wielded עָלֶ֖יהָ'a.Lei./haon/ it וַתְּחַֽלְלֶֽהָ׃va./te.Cha.Le./haand/ you have profaned/ it

King James Version

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.

Cross-references

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.
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.