BIBLE HEBREW WORD STUDY
Mizbeach — Meaning of the Hebrew Word for Altar
Mizbeach (H4196) is the standard Hebrew noun for an altar — a raised structure used for offering sacrifice or worship to God.
Meaning of the word
The noun mizbeach comes from the Hebrew root z.b.h, meaning to slaughter or sacrifice, so the word literally denotes the place where sacrifice is offered. English translations render it simply as altar.
In the Old Testament the word covers any raised platform or structure used to present an offering to God. The form is flexible — Exodus 20 uses the shorter mizbach without the ending vowel seen in Genesis — but the meaning is the same altar in every case.
Biblical worship centers on this object. The altar marks the spot where heaven and earth meet, where a worshiper approaches God through sacrifice.
Usage in Scripture
The two Genesis examples show the patriarch Abram building altars at key moments of divine encounter. After God appears and promises the land (Genesis 12:7), Abram raises an altar at the site of the revelation. He does the same when he relocates to the hill east of Bethel (Genesis 12:8), where the altar is paired with calling on the name of the Lord. For Abram the altar is a response to God's self-disclosure and a marker of covenant worship.
Exodus 20:24–26 clusters three instructions about the altar in the space of lawgiving on Sinai. God permits altars of earth or uncut stone, forbids iron tools on a stone altar, and prohibits steps that would expose nakedness. Here the altar belongs to regulated covenant worship, both portable and holy, and the word mizbeach is used four times within these few verses.
The word in detail
- H4196 A common-noun masculine singular denoting an altar. The lexeme derives from the verbal root z.b.h (to slaughter, to sacrifice), so the altar is essentially the place of sacrifice. The ending -ach is a locative suffix, giving the noun a concrete, built sense — the thing where sacrifice happens.
Example verses
- Genesis 12:7 Abram builds the altar in direct response to God's appearance and the land promise, tying the altar to revelation and covenant.
- Genesis 12:8 The altar is paired with calling on the name of the Lord, framing it as a site of worship, not merely a structure.
- Exodus 20:24 All kinds of sacrifice are tied to this altar — burnt offerings, peace offerings, sheep and oxen — making it the focal point of covenant fellowship.
- Exodus 20:25 Even a stone altar must remain uncut by iron tools, showing that the altar is set apart from ordinary labor and craftsmanship.
Common questions
What does mizbeach literally mean?
It comes from the root z.b.h, meaning to slaughter or sacrifice, with a locative suffix. The word literally designates the place where sacrifice is offered — an altar.
Is there a difference between mizbeach and mizbach?
Both forms refer to the same altar. Genesis tends to use the fuller ending -eᵃḥ, while Exodus 20 uses the shorter mizbach. The meaning is identical across spellings.
Did every Israelite have an altar?
No. The patriarchs like Abram built altars at sites of God's appearance, but Exodus 20 regulates altars under covenant law — restricting how they may be built and later centralizing worship at the tabernacle altar.