What Does Leviticus 4:7 Mean in the King James?

And the priest shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the LORD, which is in the tabernacle of the congregation; and shall pour all the blood of the bullock at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

Leviticus 4:7 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

This verse in the Selah Decoded Version

THE KEY

The same blood marks two altars, on the incense altar’s horns before the LORD and at the burnt-offering altar’s base, joining what is set high with what is poured at the foundation.

THE MEANING

Blood from one bullock reaches two places: some marks the horns of the incense altar before the LORD, and the rest is poured at the base of the burnt-offering altar by the entrance. The verse holds the point before the LORD and the foundation at the threshold within one continuous act.

THE ROOT

מִזְבֵּחַ

mizbēaḥ

GROWS FROM

זבח

To slaughter or sacrifice.

English gives both fixtures the neutral word “altar,” but Hebrew calls each a ⁨מִזְבֵּחַ⁩ (mizbeach), formed from ⁨זבח⁩ (z-b-ḥ), “to slaughter” or “sacrifice.” The blood’s path links the incense altar and the burnt-offering altar through that shared root: the inner horns and the base at the entrance belong to one sacrificial act.

ALSO GROWS

zāvaḥ: To slaughter; to sacrifice.

זָבַח

This verb is the action held inside the name for both altars, even though one altar serves incense.

zevaḥ: A slaughtered offering; a sacrifice.

זֶבַח

The bullock’s offering and the two altars are linked by the same root of sacrifice.

THE PATTERN

Blood is placed on the altar as life given through which covering and cleansing are enacted.

For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.

Leviticus 17:11 · KJVThis verse names blood as the life given upon the altar, where covering is enacted.

And thou shalt take of the blood of the bullock, and put it upon the horns of the altar with thy finger, and pour all the blood beside the bottom of the altar.

Exodus 29:12 · KJVIt repeats the movement of blood from the altar’s horns to its base.

And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

Hebrews 9:22 · KJVIt states the same connection between shed blood and cleansing, with remission carrying the sense of release.

THE THREAD

And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the LORD.

Exodus 30:10 · KJV

The altar in both verses is ⁨מִזְבֵּחַ⁩ (mizbeach), from ⁨זבח⁩ (z-b-ḥ), “to slaughter” or “sacrifice,” and Exodus specifies blood on its horns. This places the horns in Leviticus 4:7 within a repeated pattern: the incense altar itself is a surface marked by blood.

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