Leviticus 6:13
New International Version
The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out.

New Living Translation
Remember, the fire must be kept burning on the altar at all times. It must never go out.

English Standard Version
Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it shall not go out.

Berean Standard Bible
The fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it must not be extinguished.

King James Bible
The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out.

New King James Version
A fire shall always be burning on the altar; it shall never go out.

New American Standard Bible
Fire shall be kept burning continually on the altar; it is not to go out.

NASB 1995
‘Fire shall be kept burning continually on the altar; it is not to go out.

NASB 1977
‘Fire shall be kept burning continually on the altar; it is not to go out.

Legacy Standard Bible
Fire shall be kept burning continually on the altar; it shall not go out.

Amplified Bible
The fire shall be burning continually on the altar; it shall not [be allowed to] go out.

Christian Standard Bible
Fire must be kept burning on the altar continually; it must not go out.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Fire must be kept burning on the altar continually; it must not go out.”

American Standard Version
Fire shall be kept burning upon the altar continually; it shall not go out.

Contemporary English Version
The altar fire must always be kept burning--it must never go out.

English Revised Version
Fire shall be kept burning upon the altar continually; it shall not go out.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The fire must always be burning on the altar. It must never go out.

Good News Translation
The fire must always be kept burning on the altar and never allowed to go out.

International Standard Version
The fire is to continue to burn on the altar and is never to be extinguished."

Majority Standard Bible
The fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it must not be extinguished.

NET Bible
A continual fire must be kept burning on the altar. It must not be extinguished.

New Heart English Bible
Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it shall not go out.

Webster's Bible Translation
The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out.

World English Bible
Fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it shall not go out.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
fire is continually burning on the altar, it is not quenched.

Young's Literal Translation
fire is continually burning on the altar, it is not quenched.

Smith's Literal Translation
The original Julia E. Smith Bible records the following as a verse reference for Lev 6:6The fire shall always burn upon the altar; it shall not go out.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
This is the perpetual fire which shall never go out on the altar.

Catholic Public Domain Version
This is the perpetual fire which shall never fail upon the altar.

New American Bible
The fire is to be kept burning continuously on the altar; it must not go out.

New Revised Standard Version
A perpetual fire shall be kept burning on the altar; it shall not go out.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
The fire shall be kept burning upon the altar continually; it shall never go out.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And fire will be constantly burning on the altar and you shall not put it out.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Fire shall be kept burning upon the altar continually; it shall not go out.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the fire shall always burn on the altar; it shall not be extinguished.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Burnt Offering
12The fire on the altar shall be kept burning; it must not be extinguished. Every morning the priest is to add wood to the fire, arrange the burnt offering on it, and burn the fat portions of the peace offerings on it. 13The fire shall be kept burning on the altar continually; it must not be extinguished.

Cross References
Exodus 29:38-42
This is what you are to offer regularly on the altar, each day: two lambs that are a year old. / Offer one lamb in the morning and the other at twilight. / With the first lamb offer a tenth of an ephah of fine flour, mixed with a quarter hin of oil from pressed olives, and a drink offering of a quarter hin of wine. ...

Numbers 28:3-8
And tell them that this is the food offering you are to present to the LORD as a regular burnt offering each day: two unblemished year-old male lambs. / Offer one lamb in the morning and the other at twilight, / along with a tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering, mixed with a quarter hin of oil from pressed olives. ...

Hebrews 10:11-14
Day after day every priest stands to minister and to offer again and again the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. / But when this Priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God. / Since that time, He waits for His enemies to be made a footstool for His feet, ...

Malachi 1:11
For My name will be great among the nations, from where the sun rises to where it sets. In every place, incense and pure offerings will be presented in My name, because My name will be great among the nations,” says the LORD of Hosts.

1 Thessalonians 5:17
Pray without ceasing.

Psalm 141:2
May my prayer be set before You like incense; my uplifted hands, like the evening offering.

Revelation 8:3-4
Then another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, along with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. / And the smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, rose up before God from the hand of the angel.

Romans 12:1
Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

1 Peter 2:5
you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:16
Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple, and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?

Matthew 5:14-16
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. / Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they set it on a stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. / In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Luke 1:9-11
he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. / And at the hour of the incense offering, the whole congregation was praying outside. / Just then an angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.

Isaiah 56:7
I will bring them to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on My altar, for My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations.”

2 Chronicles 2:4
Behold, I am about to build a house for the Name of the LORD my God to dedicate to Him for burning fragrant incense before Him, for displaying the showbread continuously, and for making burnt offerings every morning and evening as well as on the Sabbaths, New Moons, and appointed feasts of the LORD our God. This is ordained for Israel forever.

2 Chronicles 13:11
Every morning and every evening they present burnt offerings and fragrant incense to the LORD. They set out the rows of showbread on the ceremonially clean table, and every evening they light the lamps of the gold lampstand. We are carrying out the requirements of the LORD our God, while you have forsaken Him.


Treasury of Scripture

The fire shall ever be burning on the altar; it shall never go out.

no references listed for this verse.

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Altar Burning Continual Continually Continuously Fire Kept Quenched Times
Leviticus 6
1. The trespass offering for sins done wittingly
8. The law of the burnt offering
14. and of the meat offering
19. The offering at the consecration of a priest
24. The law of the sin offering














The fire
In the Hebrew text, the word for "fire" is "אֵשׁ" (esh). Fire in the biblical context often symbolizes the presence of God, His holiness, and His purifying power. In the context of the altar, fire represents God's perpetual presence among His people. The fire on the altar was initially kindled by God Himself (Leviticus 9:24), signifying divine approval and the sacredness of the offerings. This fire is a reminder of God's unchanging nature and His constant readiness to receive the sacrifices of His people.

must be kept burning
The Hebrew verb "תָּמִיד" (tamid) means "continually" or "perpetually." This command underscores the importance of constant vigilance and dedication in worship. The priests were responsible for maintaining the fire, symbolizing the need for ongoing devotion and service to God. This continual burning signifies the unending nature of God's covenant with Israel and the perpetual need for atonement and reconciliation with Him.

on the altar
The altar, "מִזְבֵּחַ" (mizbeach) in Hebrew, was the central place of sacrifice and worship in the Tabernacle and later in the Temple. It was where offerings were made to God, symbolizing the people's devotion, repentance, and thanksgiving. The altar represents the meeting place between God and man, where the divine and the human intersect. It is a place of transformation, where sin is atoned for, and fellowship with God is restored.

continually
The repetition of the idea of continuity emphasizes the perpetual nature of the fire. This constancy is a metaphor for the believer's life, which should be marked by continuous faithfulness and dedication to God. Just as the fire was never to go out, so too should the believer's passion for God remain ever-burning, fueled by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.

it must not be extinguished
The phrase underscores the seriousness of the command. Allowing the fire to go out would symbolize neglect of duty and a break in the relationship between God and His people. In a broader sense, it serves as a warning against spiritual complacency and the dangers of allowing one's faith to wane. The unextinguished fire is a call to perseverance, urging believers to maintain their spiritual fervor and commitment to God's service.

(13) The fire shall ever be burning.--This fire, which first came down from heaven (Leviticus 9:24), was to be continually fed with the fuel especially provided by the congregation, and with the daily burnt offerings. During the second Temple, this perpetual fire consisted of three parts or separate piles of wood on the same altar: on the largest one the daily sacrifice was burnt; the second, which was called the pile of incense, supplied the fire for the censers to burn the morning and evening incense; and the third was the perpetual fire from which the other two portions were fed. It never was quenched till the destruction of the Temple by Nebuchadnezzar. Indeed, we are positively assured that the pious priests who were carried captives into Persia concealed it in a pit, where it remained till the time of Nehemiah, when it was restored to the altar (2 Maccabees 1:19-22). The authorities in the time of Christ, however, assure us that the perpetual fire was one of the five things wanting in the second Temple.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The fire
אֵ֗שׁ (’êš)
Noun - common singular
Strong's 784: A fire

must be kept burning
תּוּקַ֥ד (tū·qaḏ)
Verb - Hofal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 3344: To be kindled, to burn

on
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the altar
הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ (ham·miz·bê·aḥ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4196: An altar

continually;
תָּמִ֛יד (tā·mîḏ)
Adverb
Strong's 8548: Continuance, constant, ellipt, the regular, sacrifice

it must not
לֹ֥א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

be extinguished.
תִכְבֶֽה׃‪‬ (ṯiḵ·ḇeh)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 3518: To be quenched or extinguished, to go out


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OT Law: Leviticus 6:13 Fire shall be kept burning (Le Lv Lev.)
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