Hollow with boards shalt thou make it: as it was shewed thee in the mount, so shall they make it. Exodus 27:8 (KJV)
The book of Exodus records the Israelites’ departure from Egypt and the establishment of their covenant relationship with God at Mount Sinai. In this narrative God gives Moses detailed instructions for constructing the tabernacle, a portable sanctuary for worship and sacrifice.
The altar of burnt offering, described in Exodus 27, was a central element of the tabernacle’s outer court and was used for offering animal sacrifices as a means of atonement for sin. The verse commands that it be “hollow with boards” just as it was shown on the mount, underscoring the need to replicate the divine specifications exactly.
The specific wording of this verse does not appear elsewhere in the biblical text. The instructions for the altar are found in Exodus 27:1‑8 and describe an altar made of acacia wood, five cubits long, five cubits wide, and three cubits high, without reference to it being “hollow with boards.” The phrase “hollow with boards” more closely resembles language used for the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25:10) and for the tabernacle’s boardwork (Exodus 26:5‑6), which speak of wooden planks and hollowed-out structures.
Throughout Exodus, God emphasizes strict adherence to the designs shown to Moses on Mount Sinai. Whether concerning the tabernacle, its furnishings, or the altar, the Israelites were instructed to follow the divine specifications precisely, without alteration or improvisation.
The altar held deep symbolic significance in Israel’s worship. As the designated place for sacrificial rites, it represented the locus of sacrifice and atonement, where the people could approach God, seek forgiveness, and experience reconciliation with the divine.
