Altar — Meaning in the Bible
A raised place for offering sacrifices or incense to God. Noah, Abraham and others built altars; the tabernacle and temple had an altar of burnt offering and an altar of incense.
What it means
After the flood Noah built an altar; Abraham built altars where God appeared to him. Elijah repaired the altar on Mount Carmel. Genesis 8:20Genesis 12:7–81 Kings 18:30–32
The tabernacle had a bronze altar for burnt offerings in the court and a gold altar of incense before the veil. Exodus 27:1–8Exodus 30:1–6Luke 1:11
Key passages
- Genesis 8:20 — Noah's altar.
- Genesis 22:9 — Abraham builds an altar on Moriah.
- Exodus 27:1–8 — The altar of burnt offering.
- 1 Kings 18:30–39 — Elijah's altar.
- Matthew 5:23–24 — Leave your gift at the altar.
Original language
מִזְבֵּחַ miz.be.ach
Hebrew · Strong’s H4196 · gloss: “altar”
The Hebrew word mizbeach, place of sacrifice. Genesis 8:20
A Strong’s number is a reference identifier, not a complete definition: what a word means in a passage depends on its context. Lexical data: STEPBible.org, based on work at Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
For children
An altar was like a table of stones where people gave offerings to God. Noah built an altar after the flood. Genesis 8:20
Study further
- Genesis 8:20–22 The first altar mentioned.
- 1 Kings 18:20–39 Fire on the altar.