וְעָשִׂ֥יתָ אֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ עֲצֵ֣י שִׁטִּ֑ים חָמֵשׁ֩ אַמּ֨וֹת אֹ֜רֶךְ וְחָמֵ֧שׁ אַמּ֣וֹת רֹ֗חַב רָב֤וּעַ יִהְיֶה֙ הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ וְשָׁלֹ֥שׁ אַמּ֖וֹת קֹמָתֽוֹ׃

You shall make the altar, where most offerings will be brought, of acacia wood, five cubits’ length and five cubits’ width; the altar shall be square. And three cubits shall be its height. The height of the altar was lower than that of an average person and disproportionate to its large area. Some Sages argue that the three cubits stated here do not refer to the entire height of the altar but only to the upper part of it, from the ledge on which the priests would walk to its top.

וְעָשִׂ֣יתָ קַרְנֹתָ֗יו עַ֚ל אַרְבַּ֣ע פִּנֹּתָ֔יו מִמֶּ֖נּוּ תִּהְיֶ֣יןָ קַרְנֹתָ֑יו וְצִפִּיתָ֥ אֹת֖וֹ נְחֹֽשֶׁת׃

You shall make its horns on its four corners. According to the tradition of the Sages, the horns of the altar were straight, square blocks. Its horns shall be from it, the altar. The horns were not made from separate material joined to the altar, but from the same wood as the altar itself. And you shall plate it, the entire altar, with bronze.

וְעָשִׂ֤יתָ סִּֽירֹתָיו֙ לְדַשְּׁנ֔וֹ וְיָעָיו֙ וּמִזְרְקֹתָ֔יו וּמִזְלְגֹתָ֖יו וּמַחְתֹּתָ֑יו לְכָל־כֵּלָ֖יו תַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה נְחֹֽשֶׁת׃

You shall make its pots to clear its ashes, the soot and waste left from the offerings, and its shovels, for sweeping away the ashes, and its basins, for collecting the blood of offerings and sprinkling it upon the altar, and its large forks, used for placing pieces of meat upon the altar and turning them over, and its pans, for raking the coals and moving them around. All its vessels you shall make of bronze.

וְעָשִׂ֤יתָ לּוֹ֙ מִכְבָּ֔ר מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה רֶ֣שֶׁת נְחֹ֑שֶׁת וְעָשִׂ֣יתָ עַל־הָרֶ֗שֶׁת אַרְבַּע֙ טַבְּעֹ֣ת נְחֹ֔שֶׁת עַ֖ל אַרְבַּ֥ע קְצוֹתָֽיו׃

You shall make for it a grate, a work of bronze mesh, laid over the bronze plating on the altar. And you shall make on the mesh four bronze rings on its, the altar’s, four corners, to insert the poles for carrying it.

וְנָתַתָּ֣ה אֹתָ֗הּ תַּ֛חַת כַּרְכֹּ֥ב הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ מִלְּמָ֑טָּה וְהָיְתָ֣ה הָרֶ֔שֶׁת עַ֖ד חֲצִ֥י הַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃

You shall place it, this grate, under the surrounding ledge of the altar from below. The ledge was a protrusion that surrounded the outer wall of the altar. And the mesh shall be up to the middle of the altar. The upper edge of the grate should reach the ledge, which will be in the upper portion of the altar, and it should extend down to half the height of the altar.

וְעָשִׂ֤יתָ בַדִּים֙ לַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ בַּדֵּ֖י עֲצֵ֣י שִׁטִּ֑ים וְצִפִּיתָ֥ אֹתָ֖ם נְחֹֽשֶׁת׃

You shall make staves for the altar, staves of acacia wood, and you shall plate them with bronze.

וְהוּבָ֥א אֶת־בַּדָּ֖יו בַּטַּבָּעֹ֑ת וְהָי֣וּ הַבַּדִּ֗ים עַל־שְׁתֵּ֛י צַלְעֹ֥ת הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ בִּשְׂאֵ֥ת אֹתֽוֹ׃

Its staves shall be inserted into the rings which are on the grate, at the edges of the altar, and the staves shall be on the two sides of the altar when carrying it from place to place.

נְב֥וּב לֻחֹ֖ת תַּעֲשֶׂ֣ה אֹת֑וֹ כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר הֶרְאָ֥ה אֹתְךָ֛ בָּהָ֖ר כֵּ֥ן יַעֲשֽׂוּ׃ (ס)

You shall make it, the altar, hollow, out of planks, with no bottom part closing it, of wooden boards covered with bronze. When the altar was put in its place, it was filled with earth and was therefore called “an altar of earth” (see 20:21). When the Israelites traveled, the altar was emptied of its earth, and they carried only the framework by its staves. As He showed you on the mountain so shall they, the children of Israel, make it.