And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.
And if you want to make me an altar out of stone, don't use carved or cut stones. If you use tools to shape the stones, you will make the altar unclean.
God is telling the Israelites that if they build a stone altar for worship, they should use natural, uncut stones rather than stones shaped by human tools.
📚 Historical Context
This instruction comes immediately after God gave the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai. God was establishing guidelines for how the Israelites should worship Him, including specifications for building altars where they would offer sacrifices. The emphasis on uncut stones reflected God's desire for simplicity and naturalness in worship, avoiding anything that might suggest human craftsmanship could improve upon God's creation.
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