Exodus 20:25 (GNV)

Passage

But if thou wilt make mee an altar of stone, thou shalt not buylde it of hewen stones: for if thou lift vp thy toole vpon them, thou hast polluted them.

Nearby Context

Exodus 20:23 Ye shall not make therefore with me gods of siluer, nor gods of golde: you shall make you none.

Exodus 20:24 An altar of earth thou shalt make vnto me, and thereon shalt offer thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheepe, and thine oxen: in all places, where I shall put the remembrance of my Name, I will come vnto thee, and blesse thee.

Exodus 20:25 But if thou wilt make mee an altar of stone, thou shalt not buylde it of hewen stones: for if thou lift vp thy toole vpon them, thou hast polluted them.

Exodus 20:26 Neither shalt thou goe vp by steppes vnto mine altar, that thy filthines be not discouered thereon.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "thou", "wilt", "make", "altar", "stone", "shalt", and "buylde". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "thou" and "wilt", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 24's "An altar of earth thou shalt make..." into verse 26's "Neither shalt thou goe vp by steppes...", so "thou" and "wilt" belong inside that flow. In Exodus context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "thou" and "wilt" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.