altar

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The Greek and Hebrew that is translated as “altar” in English is translated in a number of ways:

  • Obolo: ntook or “raised structure for keeping utensils (esp. sacrifice)” (source: Enene Enene)
  • Muna: medha kaefoampe’a or “offering table” (source: René van den Berg)
  • Luchazi: muytula or “the place where one sets the burden down”/”the place where the life is laid down” (source: E. Pearson in The Bible Translator 1954, p. 160ff. )
  • Tzotzil: “where they place God’s gifts” (source: John Beekman in Notes on Translation, March 1965, p. 2ff.)
  • Tsafiki: “table for giving to God” (source: Bruce Moore in Notes on Translation 1/1992, p. 1ff.)
  • Noongar: karla-kooranyi or “sacred fire” (source: Warda-Kwabba Luke-Ang)
  • Uma: “offering-burning table” (source: Uma Back Translation)
  • Yakan: “place for sacrificing” (source: Yakan Back Translation)
  • Tagbanwa: “burning-place” (source: Tagbanwa Back Translation)
  • Tibetan: mchod khri (མཆོད་​ཁྲི།) or “offering throne” (source: gSungrab website )
  • Bura-Pabir: “sacrifice mound” (source: Andy Warrren-Rothlin)
The Ignaciano translators decided to translate the difficult term in that language according to the focus of each New Testament passage in which the word appears (click or tap here to see the rest of this insight

Willis Ott (in Notes on Translation 88/1982, p. 18ff.) explains:

  • Matt. 5:23,24: “When you take your offering to God, and arriving, you remember…, do not offer your gift yet. First go to your brother…Then it is fitting to return and offer your offering to God.” (The focus is on improving relationships with people before attempting to improve a relationship with God, so the means of offering, the altar, is not focal.)
  • Matt. 23:18 (19,20): “You also teach erroneously: ‘If someone makes a promise, swearing by the offering-place/table, he is not guilty if he should break the promise. But if he swears by the gift that he put on the offering-place/table, he will be guilty if he breaks the promise.'”
  • Luke 1:11: “…to the right side of the table where they burn incense.”
  • Luke 11.51. “…the one they killed in front of the temple (or the temple enclosure).” (The focus is on location, with overtones on: “their crime was all the more heinous for killing him there”.)
  • Rom. 11:3: “Lord, they have killed all my fellow prophets that spoke for you. They do not want anyone to give offerings to you in worship.” (The focus is on the people’s rejection of religion, with God as the object of worship.)
  • 1Cor. 9:13 (10:18): “Remember that those that attend the temple have rights to eat the foods that people bring as offerings to God. They have rights to the meat that the people offer.” (The focus is on the right of priests to the offered food.)
  • Heb. 7:13: “This one of whom we are talking is from another clan. No one from that clan was ever a priest.” (The focus in on the legitimacy of this priest’s vocation.)
  • Jas. 2:21: “Remember our ancestor Abraham, when God tested him by asking him to give him his son by death. Abraham was to the point of stabbing/killing his son, thus proving his obedience.” (The focus is on the sacrifice as a demonstration of faith/obedience.)
  • Rev. 6:9 (8:3,5; 9:13; 14:18; 16:7): “I saw the souls of them that…They were under the table that holds God’s fire/coals.” (This keeps the concepts of: furniture, receptacle for keeping fire, and location near God.)
  • Rev. 11:1: “Go to the temple, Measure the building and the inside enclosure (the outside is contrasted in v. 2). Measure the burning place for offered animals. Then count the people who are worshiping there.” (This altar is probably the brazen altar in a temple on earth, since people are worshiping there and since outside this area conquerors are allowed to subjugate for a certain time.)

See also altar (Acts 17:23).


In the Hebraic English translation of Everett Fox it is translated as slaughter-site and likewise in the German translation by Buber / Rosenzweig as Schlachtstatt.

Translation commentary on Isaiah 60:7

As well as camels with loads of gold and frankincense, sheep and goats will also be among the goods flowing into Jerusalem.

All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered to you: All the flocks of Kedar refers to the sheep and goats from the region of Kedar, which was located in northern Arabia (see the comments on 21.16-17). The passive expression shall be gathered to you may be rendered in an active form by saying “will gather themselves to you” or simply “will come to you.”

The rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you: Rams are male sheep; the term here is largely synonymous with flocks. Nebaioth has been linked with the Nabateans who occupied the land of Edom during the Persian period (538-323 B.C.); they traded in wool. The Hebrew verb rendered minister means “to be of service” (see the comments on 56.6). Here it has the sense of the sheep offering themselves for sacrifice. This is another example of personification. For this line New International Version says “the rams of Nebaioth will serve you,” and Bible en français courant has “the rams of Nebaioth will be at your disposal.” Good News Translation makes it clear that the animals will become sacrifices by rendering the first two lines as “All the sheep of Kedar and Nebaioth Will be brought to you as sacrifices.” Good News Translation combines the lines and removes the personification.

They shall come up with acceptance on my altar again pictures the animals as offering themselves as sacrifices. Here it says they go on top of God’s altar to offer themselves as sacrifices. The verb come up may also be rendered “go up” or “get up.” Most versions use a passive verb, which removes the personification; for example, Good News Translation has “be brought,” and Bible en français courant uses “be presented.” With acceptance is literally “upon goodwill/favor,” which seems to describe an attitude. Is it the attitude of the animals or of others? Most versions and commentators regard this phrase as a reference to God’s acceptance of these offerings. Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, and Bible en français courant make this quite specific. However, the Hebrew text is unclear, so it could refer to the acceptance or willingness of the animals to offer themselves. This latter view would be parallel with the animals’ willingness to offer themselves or minister in the previous line. My altar refers to the sacrificial altar in front of the Temple (see the comments on 6.6).

And I will glorify my glorious house: God will make his beautiful house even more beautiful. The Hebrew words rendered glorify and glorious both come from a root that normally means “to make something beautiful.” My glorious house refers to the Temple. This phrase is literally “the house of my beauty,” which means it is a house in which God’s beauty is evident. For this line New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “And I will add glory to My glorious House,” New International Version has “and I will adorn my glorious temple,” and Revised English Bible translates “I shall enhance the splendour of my temple” (similarly New American Bible).

In this verse there is a shift in pronouns from third person to first person for the LORD. Such pronoun shifts are common in Hebrew poetry. Good News Translation and Bible en français courant keep third person references to the LORD. If the receptor language does not use such pronoun shifts, Good News Translation and Bible en français courant provide alternative models.

Translation examples for this verse are:

• All the flocks of Kedar will gather/come to you,
rams from Nebaioth will serve you.
They will mount my altar as acceptable offerings,
and I will [thus] adorn my beautiful Temple.

• All Kedar’s sheep will be brought to you,
rams from Nebaioth will serve you.
As acceptable offerings they will come to my altar,
and I will beautify my splendid house.

Quoted with permission from Ogden, Graham S. and Sterk, Jan. A Handbook on Isaiah. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2011. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .