The Meaning of Exodus 24:4 Explained

Exodus 24:4

KJV: And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.

YLT: And Moses writeth all the words of Jehovah, and riseth early in the morning, and buildeth an altar under the hill, and twelve standing pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel;

Darby: And Moses wrote all the words of Jehovah, and rose up early in the morning, and built an altar under the mountain, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.

ASV: And Moses wrote all the words of Jehovah, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the mount, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Moses  wrote  all the words  of the LORD,  and rose up early  in the morning,  and builded  an altar  under the hill,  and twelve pillars,  according to the twelve  tribes  of Israel. 

What does Exodus 24:4 Mean?

Study Notes

builded
Cf. Exodus 33:7-11 . This arrangement for worship was temporarily called the "tabernacle."

Context Summary

Exodus 24:1-11 - The Covenant Made And Sealed By Blood
Moses remained in communion with God while receiving the laws of the preceding chapters. When they were concluded he descended to ratify with all solemnity the Covenant between Jehovah and Israel. If the altar represented God's side of the transaction, the twelve pillars stood for Israel. The young men filled the priestly office according to Exodus 13:2, and until the Levites were appointed. It must have been a solemn spectacle as the sprinkled blood sealed the covenant. But let us turn from that first covenant, sealed with the blood of beasts, to the New Covenant, by which all the Church of the Redeemed are bound to God, and which was sealed by the shedding of the precious blood of Christ. "This is my blood of the Covenant," said Jesus, when handing round the wine. See Hebrews 9:18-20, and Exodus 13:20. The Lord's Supper is a perpetual reminder of our obligations. [source]

Chapter Summary: Exodus 24

1  Moses is called up into the mountain
3  The people promise obedience
4  Moses builds an altar, and twelve pillars
6  He sprinkles the blood of the covenant
9  The glory of God appears
14  Aaron and Hur have the charge of the people
15  Moses goes into the mountain, where he continues forty days and forty nights

What do the individual words in Exodus 24:4 mean?

And wrote Moses - all the words of Yahweh and he rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain and two [and] ten pillars according to two [and] ten the tribes of Israel
וַיִּכְתֹּ֣ב מֹשֶׁ֗ה אֵ֚ת כָּל־ דִּבְרֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֣ם בַּבֹּ֔קֶר וַיִּ֥בֶן מִזְבֵּ֖חַ תַּ֣חַת הָהָ֑ר וּשְׁתֵּ֤ים עֶשְׂרֵה֙ מַצֵּבָ֔ה לִשְׁנֵ֥ים עָשָׂ֖ר שִׁבְטֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל

וַיִּכְתֹּ֣ב  And  wrote 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּתַב  
Sense: to write, record, enrol.
מֹשֶׁ֗ה  Moses 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹשֶׁה  
Sense: the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus.
אֵ֚ת  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
דִּבְרֵ֣י  the  words 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
יְהוָ֔ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וַיַּשְׁכֵּ֣ם  and  he  rose  early 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁכַם  
Sense: to rise or start early.
בַּבֹּ֔קֶר  in  the  morning 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֹּקֶר 
Sense: morning, break of day.
וַיִּ֥בֶן  and  built 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּנָה  
Sense: to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue.
מִזְבֵּ֖חַ  an  altar 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִזְבֵּחַ  
Sense: altar.
תַּ֣חַת  at 
Parse: Preposition
Root: מִתְחָה 
Sense: the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas.
הָהָ֑ר  the  foot  of  the  mountain 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
וּשְׁתֵּ֤ים  and  two 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, fd
Root: שְׁנַיִם  
Sense: two.
עֶשְׂרֵה֙  [and]  ten 
Parse: Number, feminine singular construct
Root: עָשָׂר 
Sense: ten, -teen (in combination with other numbers).
מַצֵּבָ֔ה  pillars 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: מַצֵּבָה  
Sense: pillar, mastaba, stump.
לִשְׁנֵ֥ים  according  to  two 
Parse: Preposition-l, Number, md
Root: שְׁנַיִם  
Sense: two.
עָשָׂ֖ר  [and]  ten 
Parse: Number, masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂר 
Sense: ten, -teen (in combination with other numbers).
שִׁבְטֵ֥י  the  tribes 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: שֵׁבֶט  
Sense: rod, staff, branch, offshoot, club, sceptre, tribe.
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.