Moreover he made an altar of brass, twenty cubits the length thereof, and twenty cubits the breadth thereof, and ten cubits the height thereof.

2 CHRONICLES 4:1KJV
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2 Chronicles 4:1 (KJV)

What does 2 Chronicles 4:1 mean?

2 Chronicles 4:1 describes how Solomon made a large altar out of bronze for the temple, measuring twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and ten cubits high. This verse gives the exact size and material of the altar, highlighting its significance and scale in the temple’s worship.

The verse is part of the account where Solomon is building the temple in Jerusalem, a major event for the people of Israel. The altar described here was used for sacrifices and offerings, and its large size (about 30 feet by 30 feet by 15 feet) shows how important and central it was to the temple’s activities.

The Hebrew behind 2 Chronicles 4:1

  • The word for "altar" is מִזְבֵּחַ (mizbeach), which means a place of sacrifice. Its use here marks this as the main altar for burnt offerings in the temple, not a small or secondary altar.
  • The word for "brass" is נְחֹשֶׁת (nechoshet), often translated as "bronze" or "copper." This tells us the altar was made from a strong, valuable metal, suitable for the intense heat of sacrifices.
  • The repeated use of the word אַמָּה (ammah), meaning "cubit," gives precise measurements, showing the altar’s impressive size and the care taken in its construction.

Why 2 Chronicles 4:1 matters

  • This verse clears up any confusion about the altar’s size and material, showing it was much larger than earlier altars described in the Bible, such as the one in the tabernacle.
  • The focus on exact measurements and materials emphasizes the importance of following God’s instructions for worship, a theme running through the temple-building chapters.
  • Understanding the altar’s size and construction helps readers picture the scale and seriousness of worship in Solomon’s temple, connecting this verse to the larger story of Israel’s relationship with God.

Where else these words appear

“height” Hebrew H6967 · used in 43 verses

  • Genesis 6:15 And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.
  • 1 Kings 6:10 And then he built chambers against all the house, five cubits high: and they rested on the house with timber of cedar.
  • 2 Chronicles 6:13 For Solomon had made a brasen scaffold, of five cubits long, and five cubits broad, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court: and upon it he stood, and kneeled down upon his knees before all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven,

“breadth” Hebrew H7341 · used in 89 verses

  • Genesis 6:15 And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.
  • 1 Kings 6:20 And the oracle in the forepart was twenty cubits in length, and twenty cubits in breadth, and twenty cubits in the height thereof: and he overlaid it with pure gold; and so covered the altar which was of cedar.
  • Ezekiel 41:3 Then went he inward, and measured the post of the door, two cubits; and the door, six cubits; and the breadth of the door, seven cubits.

“length” Hebrew H753 · used in 90 verses

  • Genesis 6:15 And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.
  • 1 Kings 6:3 And the porch before the temple of the house, twenty cubits was the length thereof, according to the breadth of the house; and ten cubits was the breadth thereof before the house.
  • Ezekiel 40:36 The little chambers thereof, the posts thereof, and the arches thereof, and the windows to it round about: the length was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits.

“brass” Hebrew H5178 · used in 119 verses

  • Genesis 4:22 And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah.
  • Deuteronomy 8:9 A land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass.
  • 1 Chronicles 22:16 Of the gold, the silver, and the brass, and the iron, there is no number. Arise therefore, and be doing, and the LORD be with thee.