King James Version

Exodus 20:25

And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.

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Hebrew

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וְאִםveimand oh thatאִםconjunction, conjunction — “and oh that”H518used very widely as demonstrative, lo!; interrogative, whether?; or conditional, if, although; also Oh that!, when; hence, as a negative, not(and, can-, doubtless, if, that) (not), [phrase] but, either, [phrase] except, [phrase] more(-over if, than), neither, nevertheless, nor, oh that, or, [phrase] save (only, -ing), seeing, since, sith, [phrase] surely (no more, none, not), t…מִזְבַּ֤חmizbachaltarמִזְבֵּחַnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “altar”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH4196an altaraltar.אֲבָנִים֙avanimstoneאֶבֶןnoun, common, feminine, plural, absolute — “stone”, the ordinary formH68a stone[phrase] carbuncle, [phrase] mason, [phrase] plummet, (chalk-, hail-, head-, sling-) stone(-ny), (divers) weight(-s).תַּֽעֲשֶׂהtaasehdoעָשָׂהverb, qal, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “do”, an unfinished actionH6213to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest applicationaccomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, [idiom] certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, [phrase] displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, f…לִּ֔יlitoלִּ֔יpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “to”toלֹֽאlono , -r,לֹאparticle, negative — “no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…תִבְנֶ֥הtivnehbuildבָּנָהverb, qal, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “build”, an unfinished actionH1129to build (literally and figuratively)(begin to) build(-er), obtain children, make, repair, set (up), [idiom] surely.אֶתְהֶ֖ןethenobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, plural — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).גָּזִ֑יתgazithewedגָּזִיתnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “hewed”, the ordinary formH1496something cut, i.e. dressed stonehewed, hewn stone, wrought.כִּ֧יkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…חַרְבְּךָ֛charbekhaknifeחֶרֶבnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “knife”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH2719drought; also a cutting instrument (from its destructive effect), as a knife, sword, or other sharp implementaxe, dagger, knife, mattock, sword, tool.הֵנַ֥פְתָּhenaftalift upנוּףverb, hiphil, perfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “lift up”, a completed actionH5130to quiver (i.e. vibrate up and down, or rock to and fro); used in a great variety of applications (including sprinkling, beckoning, rubbing, bastinadoing, sawing, waving, etc.)lift up, move, offer, perfume, send, shake, sift, strike, wave.עָלֶ֖יהָaleyhaaboveעַלpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…וַתְּחַֽלְלֶֽהָvatchallehaand beginחָלַלconjunction, verb, piel, sequential imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “and begin”, the next action in the storyH2490properly, to bore, i.e. (by implication) to wound, to dissolve; figuratively, to profane (a person, place or thing), to break (one's word), to begin (as if by an 'opening wedge'); to play (the flute)begin ([idiom] men began), defile, [idiom] break, defile, [idiom] eat (as common things), [idiom] first, [idiom] gather the grape thereof, [idiom] take inheritance, pipe, player on instruments, pollute, (cast as) profane (self), prostitute…

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

(20-22) And if thou make Me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stones; for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast profaned it.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And if thou make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stones; for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.

Young’s Literal Translation

'And if an altar of stones thou dost make to Me, thou dost not build them of hewn work; when thy tool thou hast waved over it, then thou dost pollute it;

World English Bible

If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of cut stones; for if you lift up your tool on it, you have polluted it.

Darby Translation

And if thou make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone; for if thou lift up thy sharp tool upon it, thou hast profaned it.

Douay-Rheims

And if thou make an altar of stone unto me, thou shalt not build it of hewn stones: for if thou lift up a tool upon it, it shall be defiled.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

(20-22) And if thou make Me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stones; for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast profaned it.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And if thou wilt make to me an altar of stones, thou shalt not build them hewn stones ; for thou hast lifted up thy tool upon them, and they are defiled.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Ἐὰν δὲ θυσιαστήριον ἐκ λίθων ποιῇς μοι, οὐκ οἰκοδομήσεις αὐτοὺς τμητούς· τὸ γὰρ ἐγχειρίδιόν σου ἐπιβέβληκας ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς, καὶ μεμίανται.