And thou shalt make an altar of shittim-wood— The altar for the common service of sacrifices is next described; which the use whereto it was appointed rendered necessary to be formed of baser and stronger materials than the ark and table before mentioned. Accordingly, though constructed of the same wood with them, it was to be overlaid with brass, and all the furniture about it was to be made of the same metal. It was to be four-square, five cubits long, and five broad, and three cubits high; i.e. about three yards square at the top, and about five feet in height, according to Bishop Cumberland's measure. There were to be four horns at the four corners of it, which were designed, it is supposed, for fastening the sacrifice to the altar before it was slain; an opinion, which the words of the Psalmist strongly confirm: Bind the sacrifice with cords unto the horns of the altar, Psalms 118:27. For the middle of it, a grate of net-work of brass was to be made; of the same square, I conceive, with the altar itself; which grate was to have four rings in the four corners of it, and which was to be inserted from below or the bottom, so as to fill up the whole compass of the altar, Exodus 38:5 and to be placed in the middle of it; that is, two feet and a half from the top; the rings being outward at the four corners, and used for the purpose of carrying it, Exodus 38:7 for, that there were no other rings to this altar than those which belonged to the net-work, is evident from ch. Exodus 38:5; Exodus 38:7. This net-work, according to my idea, filling up the whole compass of the altar, formed the bottom of that grate for the fire which the upper half of the altar contained. The 8th verse shews us, that the altar was, as we have described, hollow; and that it had nothing else in the middle but this grate of net-work, upon which the fire was made: and, understanding it in this form, the objections to its portableness, from the weight of brass, is removed; especially, if, with Calmet, we suppose it to have stood upon feet which reached half up to the grate of brass, with the four rings at each corner. Thus also, objections to its height are taken off, which, upon this plan, was very convenient. In short, we may easily conceive it as a large square stove, lined with thick brass, and with such a grate of brass for its bottom, as would be absolutely necessary for fire to burn in such a stove. This altar was to be furnished with pans (to receive the ashes falling through the grate of the altar, to which there was no other bottom,) and shovels; with basons to receive the blood of the sacrifices, Exodus 27:3 flesh-hooks for taking off the pieces of the sacrifice from the fire, (see 1 Samuel 2:13-14.) and fire-pans, i.e. censers, wherein the sacred incense was dissolved by the fire. The word is translated censer very properly, Leviticus 10:1; Leviticus 16:12 in which last place, particularly, the use of it just mentioned is specified. See also Numbers 16:17. This altar, says Witsius, by the consentient voice of all orthodox divines, denotes Christ; so far as he sanctifies and renders acceptable to God, his own oblation of himself for the sins of the whole world: to this the apostle is thought to allude, Hebrews 13:10. The horns, the place of refuge for the guilty, 1 Kings 1:50 denote his strength and all-sufficiency, who is the Horn of our salvation, 2 Samuel 22:3.Luke 1:69.
REFLECTIONS.—The brazen altar is here described, on which all the offerings of the children of Israel are to be offered, and there accepted as a sweet-smelling favour. It was the type of Christ, who is both altar and sacrifice; and who by one oblation of himself once offered, has obtained eternal redemption for us. Our sacrifices of prayer and praise are acceptable only as offered up through him, who is the true Altar which sanctifieth the gift. And to him the sinner, under the accusations of guilt and sin, must fly as the malefactor did to the horns of the altar, and then he shall be safe.