TR: mizbeach → thysiastērion (Altar)¶
The Chain¶
Hebrew OT LXX (Greek OT) Greek NT
─────────── ─────────────── ────────
מִזְבֵּחַ (mizbeach) → θυσιαστήριον (thysiastērion) → θυσιαστήριον (thysiastērion)
H4196, 338x LXX co-occ: 299x 21x in NT
"altar" PMI score: 34.48 "altar"
OT Usage (Hebrew)¶
| Strong's | Word | Occurrences | Primary Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| H4196 | מִזְבֵּחַ (mizbeach) | 338 | altar — place of sacrifice |
| H2076 | זָבַח (zabach) | 128 | to slaughter, sacrifice (root verb) |
| H2077 | זֶבַח (zebach) | 153 | sacrifice, offering (cognate noun) |
Key OT passages: - Gen 8:20 — "And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD" (first occurrence) - Lev 17:11 — "I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls" - 1 Ki 18:30-32 — Elijah repairs the altar of the LORD
LXX Bridge¶
| Hebrew | Greek Translation | Count | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| mizbeach (H4196) | θυσιαστήριον (G2379) | 299x | Primary equivalent — near-total consistency |
| mizbeach (H4196) | βωμός (G1041) | 21x | Used for pagan/foreign altars |
Semantic shift in translation: Minimal. Both words derive from their respective "sacrifice" roots (z-b-ch / thy-) and both mean "a place of sacrifice." The LXX translators reserved θυσιαστήριον exclusively for the altar of the true God (and legitimate worship contexts) while using βωμός for pagan altars — a distinction not present in the Hebrew, where mizbeach covers both.
NT Usage (Greek)¶
| Strong's | Word | Occurrences | Primary Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| G2379 | θυσιαστήριον (thysiastērion) | 21 | altar (place of sacrifice) |
| G2378 | θυσία (thysia) | 29 | sacrifice (the offering itself) |
| G2380 | θύω (thyo) | 14 | to sacrifice, slay (root verb) |
Key NT passages: - Matt 5:23-24 — "if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee" - Heb 13:10 — "We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle" - Rev 6:9 — "I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God"
Direct OT→NT Quotations¶
| NT Verse | Quotes OT | Shared Word | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rom 11:3 | 1 Ki 19:10 | mizbeach → thysiastērion | "they have digged down thine altars" — Elijah's complaint preserved verbatim |
Continuity and Shifts¶
What stays the same across testaments: - The altar remains the designated location where sacrifice meets God - Blood, fire, and priestly mediation remain associated - The altar sanctifies what is placed upon it (Matt 23:19 echoes Exo 29:37)
What shifts: - The NT introduces a heavenly altar (Rev 6:9, 8:3, 9:13) not paralleled in OT usage of mizbeach - Heb 13:10 speaks of "an altar" that Christians possess, applying the concept beyond the physical structure - The NT altar of incense gains prominence in Revelation's heavenly scenes
Generated from: gather_trace_data.py, search_strongs.py Last updated: 2026-05-03