What does מִזְבֵּחַ (mizbeach) mean in the Bible?
מִזְבֵּחַ (mizbeach) is the common Hebrew noun for an altar. It is related to the verb H2076 זָבַח, to sacrifice or slaughter, but altar function depends on the passage.
Hebrew · H4196
מִזְבֵּחַ
An altar
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מִזְבֵּחַ H4196
Pronunciation mizbeach
What does מִזְבֵּחַ (mizbeach) mean in the Bible?
מִזְבֵּחַ (mizbeach) is the common Hebrew noun for an altar. It is related to the verb H2076 זָבַח, to sacrifice or slaughter, but altar function depends on the passage.
Reader summary
Full entry for מִזְבֵּחַ (H4196) · Open the biblical lexicon
Questions this entry answers
How does the BSB render H4196?
The BSB source-word alignment has 401 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include the altar (128), of the altar (53), an altar (38), on the altar (30), altar (28).
Where does מִזְבֵּחַ (mizbeach) appear in Scripture?
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Genesis 8:20. Its strongest book concentrations include Leviticus (87), Exodus (59), 2 Chronicles (39), 1 Kings (35).
What This Word Actually Means
מִזְבֵּחַ (mizbeach) is the common Hebrew noun for an altar. It is related to the verb H2076 זָבַח, to sacrifice or slaughter, but altar function depends on the passage. Scripture describes patriarchal altars, the bronze altar for offerings, the incense altar, restored or profaned altars, memorial settings, and illicit altars. The noun itself does not guarantee that an altar is authorized or that every altar has the same function.
Genesis 22:9 says that Abraham built an altar and placed Isaac on it before the Lord stopped him and a ram was offered instead. The narrative directly presents a substitute in place of Isaac and names the place through the Lord's provision. Hebrews 11:17-19 later emphasizes Abraham's faith that God could raise the dead. A connection with Christ's sacrifice can be made canonically, but the New Testament does not explicitly call Genesis 22 the most direct altar prophecy of the cross.
Exodus distinguishes an earth or uncut-stone altar in 20:24-26, the bronze altar of burnt offering in 27:1-8, and the incense altar in 30:1-10. Their different locations and uses must remain distinct. The uncut-stone command is a divine construction requirement; treating it as a complete doctrine against human achievement goes beyond what the verses explicitly say.
Isaiah 6:6 describes a seraph taking a coal from the altar to touch Isaiah's lips, after which guilt is removed and sin atoned for. The vision directly connects the altar coal with purification, but it does not explain which sacrifice supplied the coal or say that the fire would otherwise have destroyed Isaiah. Malachi 1 condemns priests who offer defiled food and unacceptable animals, grounding altar application in the covenant worship violations the oracle actually names.
Lexical sourcePassage contextCanonical parallelBook context
How the Bible Uses It
The local artifact counts about 403 H4196 occurrences. Altars appear in patriarchal worship, tabernacle and temple regulations, covenant contests, prophetic visions, reforms, and condemnations of idolatry. Authorization, location, material, and function come from each passage.
- Gen.8.20
Then Noah built an altar to the Lord.
Noah's altar follows deliverance from the flood, and burnt offerings are made from clean animals and birds. The surrounding narrative supplies thanksgiving, sacrifice, and covenant context.
- Gen.22.9
Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood.
Isaac is placed on the altar, the Lord stops Abraham, and a ram is offered instead. The passage directly supports provision and substitution while later canonical connections must be labeled as such.
- Exod.20.24
You are to make for Me an altar of earth.
The passage regulates material, offerings, divine name, blessing, uncut stones, and access. These requirements show worship under divine instruction without turning every detail into an independent theological symbol.
- Exod.27.1
You are to construct the altar of acacia wood.
The tabernacle instructions specify the bronze-covered altar used for offerings in the courtyard. It must remain distinct from the incense altar in Exodus 30.
- 1Kgs.18.30
He repaired the altar of the Lord that had been torn down.
Elijah repairs the Lord's altar with twelve stones before the offering is consumed. The sequence belongs to the Carmel contest and should not be made a universal formula that fire follows altar restoration.
- Isa.6.6
In his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar.
The coal touches Isaiah's lips and the seraph announces removed guilt and atoned sin. The vision establishes purification from the altar without detailing sacrificial mechanics beyond the scene.
- Mal.1.7
By presenting defiled food on My altar.
The oracle condemns priests for despising the Lord's table through unacceptable offerings. Application should follow the stated covenant worship failure rather than a generic claim that every worthy act must be materially costly.
Source Word Evidence
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders It the altar 128× Genesis 13:4, Genesis 22:9, Exodus 24:6, Exodus 27:1
of the altar 53× Exodus 27:5, Exodus 27:7, Exodus 29:12, Exodus 29:16
an altar 38× Genesis 8:20, Genesis 12:7, Genesis 12:8, Genesis 13:18
on the altar 30× Genesis 8:20, Exodus 29:13, Exodus 29:18, Exodus 29:25
altar 28× Exodus 38:30, Exodus 39:38, Exodus 39:39, Exodus 40:5
the altars 15× Numbers 3:31, 2 Kings 11:18, 2 Kings 23:12, 2 Kings 23:20
altars 13× Numbers 23:1, Numbers 23:4, Numbers 23:14, Numbers 23:29
and the altar 11× Exodus 29:44, Exodus 30:18, Exodus 40:7, Exodus 40:30
their altars 9× Exodus 34:13, Deuteronomy 7:5, Deuteronomy 12:3, Judges 2:2
for the altar 7× Exodus 27:6, Exodus 38:4, Exodus 38:30, Numbers 7:88
My altar 7× Exodus 20:26, Exodus 21:14, 1 Samuel 2:28, 1 Samuel 2:33
it on the altar 6× Leviticus 1:15, Leviticus 2:9, Leviticus 4:31, Leviticus 4:35
Your altar 5× Deuteronomy 33:10, 1 Kings 8:31, 2 Chronicles 6:22, Psalms 26:6
Your altars 5× 1 Kings 19:10, 1 Kings 19:14, Ezekiel 6:4, Ezekiel 6:5
. . . 3× Exodus 40:10, Numbers 7:10, Joshua 22:10
[it] 3× Leviticus 6:10, 1 Kings 13:4, 2 Kings 16:12
and altars 3× 2 Kings 18:22, 2 Chronicles 31:1, Isaiah 36:7
on each altar 3× Numbers 23:2, Numbers 23:14, Numbers 23:30
- 2× 1 Kings 13:5, 2 Kings 23:15
and altar 2× Numbers 3:26, Numbers 4:26
by the altar 2× 2 Kings 11:11, 2 Chronicles 23:10
his altar 2× Judges 6:31, Lamentations 2:7
O altar 2× 1 Kings 13:2
They smashed the altars 2× 2 Kings 11:18, 2 Chronicles 23:17
[Baal’s] altar 1× Judges 6:32
altar [there] 1× 1 Kings 3:4
an altar for ourselves 1× Joshua 22:26
an altar of 1× Deuteronomy 27:5
and for the altar 1× Joshua 9:27
and His altars 1× 2 Chronicles 32:12
and on each altar 1× Numbers 23:4
And the altar [was] 1× Ezekiel 40:47
and the altars 1× 2 Kings 23:12
fires on My altar 1× Malachi 1:10
from the altar 1× Leviticus 6:10
from the bronze altar 1× Numbers 4:13
in the 1× Judges 13:20
near Your altars 1× Psalms 84:3
of the [new] altar 1× 2 Kings 16:14
of their altars 1× Jeremiah 17:1
the [new] altar 1× 2 Kings 16:14
the altar [Witness] 1× Joshua 22:34
the altar’s 1× Exodus 38:3
their altars [will be] 1× Hosea 12:11
Then the altar 1× Exodus 29:37
There was an altar 1× Ezekiel 41:22
Show sample aligned rows
Genesis 8:20 מִזְבֵּ֖חַ to an altar Noun - masculine singular Genesis 8:20 בַּמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃ to on the altar Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular Genesis 12:7 מִזְבֵּ֔חַ to an altar Noun - masculine singular Genesis 12:8 מִזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ to an altar Noun - masculine singular Genesis 13:4 הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ to the altar Article | Noun - masculine singular Genesis 13:18 מִזְבֵּ֖חַ to an altar Noun - masculine singular Genesis 22:9 הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ to the altar Article | Noun - masculine singular Genesis 22:9 הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ to the altar Article | Noun - masculine singular Genesis 26:25 מִזְבֵּ֗חַ to an altar Noun - masculine singular Genesis 33:20 מִזְבֵּ֑חַ to an altar Noun - masculine singular
Usage map
A compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
First aligned row Genesis 8:20
Aligned rows 401
Books represented 25
Genesis 13 Exodus 59 Leviticus 87 Numbers 29 Deuteronomy 10 Joshua 15 Judges 12 1 Samuel 5 2 Samuel 3 1 Kings 35 2 Kings 28 1 Chronicles 10 2 Chronicles 39 Ezra 2 Nehemiah 1 Psalms 5 Isaiah 8 Jeremiah 4 Lamentations 1 Ezekiel 18 Hosea 6 Joel 2 Amos 4 Zechariah 2 Malachi 3
Source forms
הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ 34x ham·miz·bê·aḥ Exodus 27:1, Exodus 27:5, Exodus 27:7, Exodus 29:12
מִזְבַּ֣ח 28x miz·baḥ Exodus 20:24, Exodus 35:16, Exodus 38:30, Exodus 39:38
הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ 25x ham·miz·bê·aḥ Genesis 13:4, Genesis 22:9, Exodus 27:1, Exodus 29:36
הַמִּזְבֵּ֑חַ 23x ham·miz·bê·aḥ Exodus 29:38, Exodus 29:44, Exodus 40:7, Exodus 40:30
הַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ׃ 23x ham·miz·bê·aḥ Exodus 24:6, Exodus 27:5, Exodus 29:12, Exodus 38:30
הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ 20x ham·miz·bê·aḥ Exodus 28:43, Exodus 29:37, Exodus 30:20, Leviticus 1:5
מִזְבַּ֥ח 17x miz·baḥ Exodus 30:27, Exodus 30:28, Exodus 31:8, Exodus 31:9
הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חָה 13x ham·miz·bê·ḥāh Exodus 29:18, Leviticus 1:9, Leviticus 1:13, Leviticus 1:17
Parsing patterns
Article | Noun - masculine singular 156x Genesis 13:4, Genesis 22:9, Exodus 24:6, Exodus 27:1
Noun - masculine singular construct 69x Exodus 20:24, Exodus 20:25, Exodus 30:27, Exodus 30:28
Noun - masculine singular 45x Genesis 8:20, Genesis 12:7, Genesis 12:8, Genesis 13:18
Article | Noun - masculine singular | third person feminine singular 32x Exodus 29:13, Exodus 29:18, Exodus 29:25, Leviticus 1:9
Noun - masculine plural 14x Numbers 23:1, Numbers 23:14, Numbers 23:29, 2 Kings 21:3
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singular 13x Exodus 27:6, Exodus 38:4, Numbers 16:38, Numbers 16:39
Article | Noun - masculine plural 11x Numbers 23:4, 2 Kings 11:18, 2 Kings 23:12, 2 Kings 23:20
Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural 10x Exodus 34:13, Deuteronomy 7:5, Deuteronomy 12:3, Judges 2:2
Using This Word Well
Be careful not to...
- Apply altar passages from their covenant and worship settings rather than using altar as a generic synonym for costly commitment.
- Keep Christian worship response distinct from atoning sacrifice accomplished by Christ.
Avoid claiming...
- Do not claim that Genesis 22 is explicitly identified by the New Testament as the clearest altar prophecy of the cross.
- Do not claim that the altar coal in Isaiah 6 is explained as coming from one named sacrifice.
- Do not claim that physical church altars reproduce the sacrificial function of H4196.
Evidence Summary
Hebrew word. an altar
Source Gloss
an altar
Extended definition Source: Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon + Brown-Driver-Briggs
an altar BDB: altar Usage: altar.
Grammatical Forms
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected Scripture Witness
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Old Testament Witnesses
altar
Showing 1 selected witness from 403 lexical occurrence verses.
Word Origins
מִזְבֵּחַ is built from this root:
Why This Word Matters
Unauthorized worship centers. Hosea 8:8-14
Part of These Phrases
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
For the Preacher and Teacher
Mizbeach helps teachers trace divinely regulated worship without treating every altar as identical or every detail as a hidden symbol. Genesis records altars before the Mosaic system; Exodus distinguishes the earth or stone altar, the bronze offering altar, and the incense altar; Kings can describe a damaged altar restored in a covenant contest; Isaiah uses an altar coal in a purification vision; and Malachi exposes contempt through unacceptable offerings.
Genesis 22 supplies a genuine substitution scene when a ram is offered instead of Isaac. Hebrews 11 explicitly develops Abraham's resurrection confidence, while broader cross connections require careful canonical synthesis. Hebrews 13:10 says that Christians have an altar, but interpreters debate the precise referent, so the source should not simply declare that the cross is the one lexical fulfillment of H4196.
The altar theme reaches Christ through the New Testament's explicit sacrifice, priesthood, and access arguments, not through the noun alone.
Anchor passage
Gen.22.9
Doctrinal connections
- Genesis 22:9-14: altar, provided ram, and substitution for Isaac
- Exodus 20:24-26: regulated altar construction and offerings
- Exodus 27 and 30: distinct offering and incense altars
- 1 Kings 18:30: the Lord's altar repaired in the Carmel contest
- Isaiah 6:6-7: altar coal, cleansed lips, removed guilt, and atoned sin
- Malachi 1:7-10: unacceptable offerings and contempt for the Lord's table
- Hebrews 9-10 and 13: later sacrifice, priesthood, access, and altar argument
Mizbeach is related to zabach, the sacrifice or slaughter verb, and commonly names the place where offerings are made. The noun does not erase distinctions between the bronze altar and incense altar, nor does it mark every altar as legitimate. Context must identify the altar's owner, function, and authorization.
From Old to New Testament
Hebrews develops Christ's once-for-all sacrifice and priesthood by comparing them with tabernacle and sacrificial arrangements. Hebrews 11 reads Genesis 22 through Abraham's confidence in resurrection, and Hebrews 13:10 states that believers have an altar. These passages warrant strong canonical connections, but the precise altar referent in Hebrews 13 is debated and Romans 12:1 does not describe believers standing on a new physical altar.
Sources
MorphGNT Strong's Dictionary XML — CC0 1.0 Public Domain
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (morphhb/OSHB) — CC BY 4.0
Open Scriptures Hebrew Lexicon — CC BY 4.0
Berean Standard Bible (BSB) source-word alignment - CC0 Public Domain