and the altar hearth, four cubits; and from the altar hearth projecting upward, four horns.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse subtly uses two Hebrew terms, both translated as "altar," which carry deeper meanings of "mount of God" and "lion of God" or "hearth of God." This dual naming highlights the altar's significance not just as a structure, but as a place where God's power is revealed and sacrifices are consumed, connecting it to divine strength and judgment. The mention of four horns, echoing the Mosaic altars, emphasizes their role in providing refuge and signifying God's safeguarding presence.
and the altar hearth, four cubits; and from the altar hearth projecting upward, four horns.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Ezekiel is meticulously describing a magnificent, divinely appointed altar within a restored temple, emphasizing its sacred dimensions and features. This detailed vision follows God's departure and return to the temple, signifying His renewed presence and the establishment of His law. The altar's structure, including its height and the prominent horns at its corners, harks back to Old Testament sacrificial practices, pointing toward the ultimate sacrifice of Christ.
Ezekiel uses two fascinating Hebrew words for the altar: Harel and Ariel. What deeper meaning do these names hold about God's presence in worship?
The verse calls the altar "Harel" (often translated "mount of God") and "Ariel" (often translated "hearth of God" or "lion of God").
A Place of Divine Ascent
"Harel" speaks to the altar as a sacred elevation, a place where worship rises to God. It's a physical reminder that our prayers and sacrifices are meant to ascend.
The Consuming Hearth
"Ariel" is particularly striking. It can refer to a "hearth" where God's fire burns, signifying His consuming presence that accepts sacrifice. It might also carry the imagery of a "lion of God," suggesting fierce power, judgment, or perhaps protection associated with God's dwelling place. This duality shows God's holiness is both attractive and powerful.
This isn't just a structure; it's a dynamic space where God's powerful, purifying presence is at work.
Protruding from the altar are four prominent 'horns.' What ancient symbolism do these powerful appendages represent?
The four horns on the altar are not just decorative; they carry significant symbolic weight, connecting this vision to the history of Israel's worship.
Echoes of the Past
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These horns are reminiscent of the horns on the bronze altar in the Tabernacle and Solomon's Temple (Exodus 27:2; 1 Kings 1:50-53). They were places where sacrificial blood was applied, signifying purification and atonement.
Power and Refuge
In the ancient world, horns were symbols of strength, power, and authority. They were also associated with refuge. Those who grasped the horns of the altar were seeking sanctuary, believing the sacredness of the place would protect them (1 Kings 1:50-53). In this future vision, they point to God's enduring strength and the ultimate refuge found in His presence and atoning sacrifice.
The horns underscore that worship involves God's powerful intervention and offer a place of ultimate safety.
Understand the original words
har'el · Hebrew Noun
The top section of the altar where sacrifices were consumed by fire, representing the place of divine consumption and acceptance of the offering.
qeren · Hebrew Noun
Projections at the four corners of the altar; they symbolize the power of the sacrifice and are points of refuge or places where blood is applied for atonement.
Ezekiel's detailed description of the altar's dimensions and horns in this vision comes after the utter devastation of the First Temple. It's a divine blueprint for a future, restored worship, emphasizing God's enduring presence and the holiness of His appointed place, even after profound national and spiritual catastrophe.
c. 967 BC
Solomon's Temple Completed
The magnificent First Temple in Jerusalem, built by King Solomon, stood as the central place of worship and sacrifice for the Israelites.
597 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon conquered Jerusalem, exiling King Jehoiachin and a significant portion of the population, including many religious leaders like Ezekiel.
586 BC
Destruction of Jerusalem and the First Temple
Babylonian forces completely destroyed Jerusalem and the First Temple, marking a devastating spiritual and national crisis for the exiled Judeans.
c. 593 BC
Ezekiel's Commission
Ezekiel received his prophetic call in exile, tasked with delivering God's message of judgment and future restoration to the exiles.
c. 573 BC— this verse
Vision of the New Temple
Ezekiel received extensive visionary blueprints for a future temple and city, symbolizing God's renewed presence and covenant relationship with His people.
c. 538 BC
Return from Exile Begins
Following Cyrus the Great's decree, some Judeans returned to Jerusalem to begin rebuilding the Temple, though on a much humbler scale than Ezekiel's vision.
This passage describes the bronze altar for burnt offerings in the tabernacle, detailing its height and the four horns at its corners, directly paralleling the description in Ezekiel.
Leviticus 4:7This Levitical law explicitly instructs priests to put blood on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, highlighting the functional and symbolic importance of these horns in the sacrificial system.
Psalm 118:27This verse uses imagery of binding a sacrifice to the horns of the altar, reinforcing the idea that the horns were integral to the act of atonement and worship described in Ezekiel.
Isaiah 29:1This passage refers to Jerusalem as 'Ariel,' the 'lion of God,' a term echoed in Ezekiel's description of the altar, suggesting a deeper symbolic connection between the city, the altar, and God's presence.
barnesEzekiel 43:15: "So the altar shall be four cubits; and from the altar and upward shall be four horns."
The altar ... the altar - See the margin. The two words may denote, the first a square block (N) placed upon the upper settle, the second a slab (O), the thickness of which is not given, from which rose four horns Exodus 27:2 ; and to which it seems probable that the victims of sacrifice were at times bound. Psalm 118:27 . Why the names Harel and Ariel were used must be conjectural. Mount of G…
clarkeEzekiel 43:15: "So the altar shall be four cubits; and from the altar and upward shall be four horns."
So the altar - ההראל haharel, "the mount of God." And from the altar - ומהאראיל umihaariel, "and from the lion of God." Perhaps the first was a name given to the altar when elevated to the honor of God, and on which the victims were offered to him, and the second, the lion of God, may mean the hearth, which might have been thus called, because it devoured and consumed the burnt-offerings, as…
The verse subtly uses two Hebrew terms, both translated as "altar," which carry deeper meanings of "mount of God" and "lion of God" or "hearth of God." This dual naming highlights the altar's significance not just as a structure, but as a place where God's power is revealed and sacrifices are consumed, connecting it to divine strength and judgment. The mention of four horns, echoing the Mosaic altars, emphasizes their role in providing refuge and signifying God's safeguarding presence.
Ezekiel is meticulously describing a magnificent, divinely appointed altar within a restored temple, emphasizing its sacred dimensions and features. This detailed vision follows God's departure and return to the temple, signifying His renewed presence and the establishment of His law. The altar's structure, including its height and the prominent horns at its corners, harks back to Old Testament sacrificial practices, pointing toward the ultimate sacrifice of Christ.
Ezekiel is meticulously describing a magnificent, divinely appointed altar within a restored temple, emphasizing its sacred dimensions and features. This detailed vision follows God's departure and return to the temple, signifying His renewed presence and the establishment of His law. The altar's structure, including its height and the prominent horns at its corners, harks back to Old Testament sacrificial practices, pointing toward the ultimate sacrifice of Christ.
"and the altar hearth, four cubits; and from the altar hearth projecting upward, four horns." — The verse subtly uses two Hebrew terms, both translated as "altar," which carry deeper meanings of "mount of God" and "lion of God" or "hearth of God." This dual naming highlights the altar's signifi…
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Last reviewed October 2026