Exodus 27:3

Exo 27:3 And thou shalt make his pans to receive his ashes, and his shovels, and his basons, and his fleshhooks, and his firepans: all the vessels thereof thou shalt make [of] brass.

Ver. 3. His shovels, and his basons.] These several instruments figured the ministry of the word, say some; the sundry callings that Christ hath in his Church, say others, for her edification.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Or, fire pans.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

shovels--fire shovels for scraping together any of the scattered ashes.

basons--for receiving the blood of the sacrifice to be sprinkled on the people.

fleshhooks--curved, three-pronged forks (Sa1 2:13-14).

fire-pans--A large sort of vessel, wherein the sacred fire which came down from heaven (Lev 9:24) was kept burning, while they cleaned the altar and the grate from the coals and ashes, and while the altar was carried from one place to another in the wilderness [PATRICK, SPENCER, LE CLERC].

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 3. Thou shalt make his pans] סירתיו sirothaiv, a sort or large brazen dishes, which stood under the altar to receive the ashes that fell through the grating.

His shovels] יעיו yaaiv. Some render this besoms; but as these were brazen instruments, it is more natural to suppose that some kind of fire-shovels are intended, or scuttles, which were used to carry off the ashes that fell through the grating into the large pan or siroth.

His basins] מזרקתיו mizrekothaiv, from זרק zarak, to sprinkle or disperse; bowls or basins to receive the blood of the sacrifices, in order that it might be sprinkled on the people before the altar, c.

His flesh-hooks] מזלגתיו mizlegothaiu. That this word is rightly translated flesh-hooks is fully evident from 1Sa 2:13, where the same word is used in such a connection as demonstrates its meaning: And the priest's custom with the people was, that when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in the seething, with a FLESH-HOOK (מזלג mazleg) of three teeth (prongs) in his hand, and he struck it into the pan, c. all that the FLESH-HOOK (מזלג mazleg) brought up, the priest took for himself. It was probably a kind of trident, or fork with three prongs, and these bent to a right angle at the middle, as the ideal meaning of the Hebrew seems to imply crookedness or curvature in general.

His fire-pans] מחתתיו machtothaiu. Bishop Patrick and others suppose that "this was a larger sort of vessel, wherein, probably, the sacred fire which came down from heaven (Le 9:24) was kept burning, whilst they cleansed the altar and the grate from the coals and the ashes and while the altar was carried from one place to another, as it often was in the wilderness.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(3) His pans to receive his ashes.—Scuttles, in which the ashes were placed for removal from the sanctuary, are intended. The word translated “to receive his ashes” is a rare one, and implies a mixture with the ashes of unburnt fat.

His shovels.—A right rendering. The “shovels” would be used in clearing away the ashes from off the altar.

His basons.—Basins were needed to receive the blood of the victims (Exo_24:6), which was cast from basins upon the foot of the altar.

His fleshhooks.—Implements with three prongs, used for arranging the pieces of the victim upon the altar. The priests’ servants sometimes applied them to a different purpose (1Sa_2:13).

His firepans.—The word here used is elsewhere translated either “snuffdishes,” or “censers.” Probably vessels employed in carrying embers from the brazen altar to the altar of incense (Lev_16:12) are intended.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

3. The vessels of the altar, for use in connexion with the sacrifices.

its pots … and its shovels] cf., in the Temple, 1Ki_7:45, 2Ki_25:14.

its ashes] lit. its fat, i.e. the fat, which, when a sacrifice was burnt, ran down and mixed with the ashes: cf. Num_4:13, Lev_1:16; Lev_4:12; Lev_6:10 f. Not used of ordinary ashes. The shovels would be for collecting and sweeping away (cf. the same root, Isa_28:17) the ashes.

basons] lit. tossing-vessels,—large bowls, used for tossing the blood in a volume against the sides of the altar: see on Exo_24:6, and Exo_29:16. Cf. Zec_9:15; Zec_14:20 (‘bowls’).

fleshhooks] Exo_38:3, Num_4:14, 1Ch_28:17, 2Ch_4:16†.

firepans] 1Ki_7:50. Cf. the note on ‘snuffdishes,’ Exo_25:38.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And thou shall make his pans to receive his ashes,.... Not to receive them in as they fell, but to gather them up in, and carry them away; and this was done every morning about cockcrowing, not much sooner nor later (c):

and his shovels; to throw up the ashes together to be put into the pans; Jarchi describes this vessel to be like the cover of a brass pot, with a handle to it; the same we call a fire shovel:

and his basins: to receive the blood of the sacrifice, and out of which it was sprinkled, as the word signifies, and may be rendered sprinkling basins:

and his flesh hooks; not such as were used to take flesh out of the pot, Sa1 2:13 for there could be no use for such at the altar of burnt offering; but were, as Jarchi says, like hooks recurved, with which they struck into the flesh, and turned it upon the coals to hasten the burning of it; and with which very probably they kept the fire and the parts of the sacrifices in good order, until they were consumed:

and his fire pans; which were a kind of censers in which coals of fire were taken off from the altar of burnt offering, and carried to the altar of incense, as Jarchi and Ben Gersom observe, see Lev 16:12 but as censers did not belong to the altar of burnt offering, but to the altar of incense, Fortunatus Scacchus (d) is of opinion, that these were a larger sort of vessels, wherein the fire which came down from heaven was kept burning while the altar and grate were cleansed from the coals and ashes, and when the altar was had from place to place:

all the vessels thereof thou shalt make of brass; as being fittest for the use of this altar.

(c) Misn. Yoma, c. 1. sect. 8. & Maimon, in ib. (d) Sacr. Elaeochrism. Myrothec. l. 2. c. 73. p. 676, 677.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Pans, &c. The Septuagint have, "a crown or border, for the altar, and its covering, and its cups, and flesh-hooks, and fire-place, or pan." Hebrew also has five terms; which Calmet renders: 1. a small kettle to receive the ashes under the grate; 2. fire-shovels; 3. bowls to receive blood (mozrokoth, which term the Vulgate does not perhaps notice); 4. flesh-hooks; 5. chafing-dishes. The Protestant version has also the basins or broad cups, phialas, of the Septuagint (Haydock)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Basons, to receive the blood of the sacrifices, which they were to sprinkle.

Flesh-hooks, wherewith they took flesh out of the pot in which it was seethed, as 1Sa 2:14. But this seems not proper here, because the flesh was never boiled upon the altar, but in other places appointed for that use. And the Hebrew word is general, and may signify either tongs or fire-forks.

Firepans, in which they carried live coals from this altar to that of incense, as occasion required.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

3. Pans… shovels… basins… fleshhooks… firepans — These several vessels were all requisite in the service of the altar, for taking up and removing ashes, receiving the blood of victims, adjusting the pieces of flesh, and carrying coals of fire.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

His pans to receive his ashes. Literally, "to cleanse it from fati.e. , to receive what remained after burning the victims, which would be ashes mixed with a good deal of fat. His shovels. Those would be used in removing the ashes from the altar, and depositing them in the pans. His basins. Vessels for receiving the blood of the victims and from which it was poured on the altar. Compare Exo_24:6. His flesh hooks. So the Septuagint, and our translators again in 1Sa_2:13. They would seem by the latter passage to have been three-pronged forks, the proper use of which was, no doubt, to arrange the various pieces, into which the victim was cut, upon the altar. His fire-pans. The word used is generally translated "censers" (Lev_10:1; Lev_16:12; Num_4:14; Num_16:6, Num_16:17, etc.) but sometimes "snuff-dishes". (Exo_25:38 Exo_37:23) It here perhaps designates the vessels used for carrying burning embers from the altar of burnt-offering, to the altar of incense on certain occasions. (Lev_16:12) Etymologically, it means simply "a receptacle." All the vessels thereof thou shalt make of brass. Rather, "of bronze." Bronze was the usual material of utensils and implements in Egypt (Birch, Guide to British Museum, pp. 13-21; 28, 29; 35-41; etc.). Copper was scarcely used without the alloy of tin which converts it into bronze; and brass was wholly unknown. A trace of iron is sometimes found in Egyptian bronze

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

General Information:

Yahweh continues to tell Moses what the people must do.

basins

bowls

firepans

These were pans that held hot coals from the altar.

utensils

These were any instrument, vessel, or tool that served a useful purpose.

You must make a grate for the altar, a network of bronze

"You must make a bronze grate for the altar"

grate

a frame of crossed bars for holding wood when burning

translationWords

altar

bronze

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

סירתיו — a kind of pot.

לדשנו means TO REMOVE ITS ASHES in them. That is exactly as Onkelos translated it: למספי קטמה, to remove the ashes into them. For although in its primary sense דַּשֵּׁן would mean to cover with ashes, it has also the meaning of removing the ashes, for there are in the Hebrew language certain expressions with the peculiarity that the same word changes in meaning so as to be used to denote both “construction” and “destruction,” (having a positive and a negative meaning). Examples are: (Psalms 80:10) “and didst cause it to take deep root (ותשרש)”; (Job 5:3) “I have seen the foolish taking root (משריש),” whilst we have its opposite (negative) meaning in, (Job 31:12) “and thou wouldst root out (תשרש) all my increase.” Similar to it is, (Isaiah 17:6) “in the utmost fruitful branches (בסעיפיה),” and its opposite, (Isaiah 10:33) “The Lord of hosts shall מסעף”, i. e. shall lop off the branches thereof. Similar to it is also (Jeremiah 50:17) “And this last person עִצְּמוֹ” — “has broken his bones” although the primary meaning of עצם is to be strongboned. Similar to it is, (1 Kings 21:13) “and stoned him with stones (ויסקלהו)” i. e. heaped up stones above him, and its opposite is, (Isaiah 62:10) “סקלו the stones” — i. e. remove its stones; and so, too, (Isaiah 5:2) “And he fenced it and gathered out the stones thereof (ויסקלהו).” Thus here, also, לדשנו means to remove its ashes. In 0. F. à discendrer.

ויעיו AND ITS SHOVELS — as the Targum renders it, מגרפות, shovels by which the ashes were removed. They had the form of the lid of a pot, of thin metal, but having a handle. In old French vedil.

ומזרקתיו AND ITS BOWLS, in which to receive the blood of the sacrifices.

ומזלגתיו AND ITS FLESHHOOKS — These had the form of bent hooks; they stuck them forcibly into the flesh so that they penetrated it, and with them they turned the flesh over upon the coals of the fire-place in order that it might become the more quickly consumed. In old French these are called crochets and in the language of our Sages צנוריות (Yoma 12a).

ומחתתיו AND ITS FIRE-PANS — These had a cavity to hold things so that the coals might be taken in them from the altar in order to carry them on to the inner altar for the incense. And because of their use for raking the coals into them (חתיה) they were called מחתות. This word is of the same root and meaning as the verb in, (Isaiah 30:14) “לחתות fire from the fire-place,” which has the meaning of drawing fire from its place. Similar is, (Proverbs 6:27) “Can a man rake (היחתה) fire into his bosom?”

לכל כליו means ALL THE VESSELS THEREOF [THOU SHALT MAKE OF COPPER] (i. e. it does not mean: “thou shalt make things of copper, for (i. e. to serve as) all its vessels” but the ל is redundant; cf. Rashi on Exodus 14:28).

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.