Exodus30
American Standard Version · Public Domain
1And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of acacia wood shalt thou make it.
2A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be; and two cubits shall be the height thereof: the horns thereof shall be of one piece with it.
3And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about.
4And two golden rings shalt thou make for it under the crown thereof; upon the two ribs thereof, upon the two sides of it shalt thou make them; and they shall be for places for staves wherewith to bear it.
5And thou shalt make the staves of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.
6And thou shalt put it before the veil that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy-seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee.
7And Aaron shall burn thereon incense of sweet spices: every morning, when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn it.
8And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn it, a perpetual incense before Jehovah throughout your generations.
9Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt-offering, nor meal-offering; and ye shall pour no drink-offering thereon.
10And Aaron shall make atonement upon the horns of it once in the year; with the blood of the sin-offering of atonement once in the year shall he make atonement for it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto Jehovah.
11And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
12When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel, according to those that are numbered of them, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto Jehovah, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them.
13This they shall give, every one that passeth over unto them that are numbered: half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel for an offering to Jehovah.
14Every one that passeth over unto them that are numbered, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the offering of Jehovah.
15The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when they give the offering of Jehovah, to make atonement for your souls.
16And thou shalt take the atonement money from the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tent of meeting; that it may be a memorial for the children of Israel before Jehovah, to make atonement for your souls.
17And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
18Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and the base thereof of brass, whereat to wash. And thou shalt put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein.
19And Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat:
20when they go into the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn an offering made by fire unto Jehovah.
21So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a statute for ever to them, even to him and to his seed throughout their generations.
22Moreover Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying,
23Take thou also unto thee the chief spices: of flowing myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty,
24and of cassia five hundred, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of olive oil a hin;
25and thou shalt make it a holy anointing oil, a perfume compounded after the art of the perfumer: it shall be a holy anointing oil.
26And thou shalt anoint therewith the tent of meeting, and the ark of the testimony,
27and the table and all the vessels thereof, and the candlestick and the vessels thereof, and the altar of incense,
28and the altar of burnt-offering with all the vessels thereof, and the laver and the base thereof.
29And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy.
30And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office.
31And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall be a holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations.
32Upon the flesh of man shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make any like it, according to the composition thereof: it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you.
33Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, he shall be cut off from his people.
34And Jehovah said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight;
35and thou shalt make of it incense, a perfume after the art of the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy:
36and thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy.
37And the incense which thou shalt make, according to the composition thereof ye shall not make for yourselves: it shall be unto thee holy for Jehovah.
38Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereof, he shall be cut off from his people.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for Exodus 30.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: The altar of incense. (1–10). The ransom of souls. (11–16). The brazen laver. (17–21). The holy anointing oil, The perfume. (22–38).
vv1-10
The altar of incense represented the Son of God in his human nature, and the incense burned thereon typified his pleading for his people. The continual intercession of Christ was represented by the daily burning of incense thereon, morning and evening. Once every year the blood of the atonement was to be applied to it, denoting that the intercession of Christ has all its virtue from his sufferings on earth, and that we need no other sacrifice or intercessor but Christ alone.
vv11-16
The tribute was half a shekel, about fifteen pence of our money. The rich were not to give more, nor the poor less; the souls of the rich and poor are alike precious, and God is no respecter of persons, Ac 10:34; Job 34:19. In other offerings men were to give according to their wordly ability; but this, which was the ransom of the soul, must be alike for all. The souls of all are of equal value, equally in danger, and all equally need a ransom. The money raised was to be used in the service of the tabernacle. Those who have the benefit, must not grudge the necessary charges of God's public worship. Money cannot make atonement for the soul, but it may be used for the honour of Him who has made the atonement, and for the maintenance of the gospel by which the atonement is applied.
vv17-21
A large vessel of brass, holding water, was to be set near the door of the tabernacle. Aaron and his sons must wash their hands and feet at this laver, every time they went in to minister. This was to teach them purity in all their services, and to dread the pollution of sin. They must not only wash and be made clean, when first made priests, but must wash and be kept clean, whenever they went to minister. It teaches us daily to attend upon God, daily to renew our repentance for sin, and our looking to the blood of Christ for remission; for in many things we daily offend.
Key Words
עָשָׂה: to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application
מִזְבֵּחַ: an altar
מִקְטָר: something to fume (incense) on i.e. a hearth place
קְטֹרֶת: a fumigation
שִׁטָּה: the acacia (from its scourging thorns)
עֵץ: a tree (from its firmness); hence, wood (plural sticks)
אַמָּה: properly, a mother (i.e. unit of measure, or the fore-arm (below the elbow), i.e. a cubit; also a door-base (as a bond of the entrance)
אֹרֶךְ: length
רֹחַב: width (literally or figuratively)
רָבַע: to be quadrate
Cross References
Exodus 30The golden altar and incense in heaven represent Christ's intercession and the prayers of saints.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
David explicitly identifies incense as a type/symbol of acceptable prayer ascending to God.
Supported by Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
David and the NT writers link sweet incense with the acceptable ascending prayers of the saints.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, John Calvin, JFB
Zacharias was chosen by lot to burn incense, showcasing later priestly rotation in this daily service.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Detailed ritual for cleansing the golden altar of incense with the annual Day of Atonement blood.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The half-shekel temple tax paid by Jesus in the Gospel was this mandated atonement money.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Christ's eternal intercession for believers is the spiritual reality of the perpetual morning and evening incense.
Supported by Matthew Henry, JFB
King Joash revives the collection of the collection/tax prescribed by Moses in the wilderness.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The silver collected from the numbered men is computed, demonstrating the actual fulfillment of this census.
Supported by JFB
God does not favor the rich over the poor; all souls require the same ransom price.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Poetically describes this precise holy anointing oil running down Aaron's head and beard.
Explains the principle of contact-sanctification: whatever touches the altar becomes holy.
Parallels the tabernacle as the specified location where God promises to meet with His people.
The historical account of Bezalel actually constructing the golden altar of incense according to these patterns.
Nadab and Abihu were destroyed for offering 'strange fire' contrary to God's strict incense commands.
David conducts a census without paying the required ransom, resulting in a devastating plague.
Records that the brass for the laver was made from the mirrors of the serving women.
The spiritual fulfillment of the laver's washing: our bodies washed with pure water to draw near.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Reinforces the strict warning of death for entering the sanctuary without the required purification.
Messianic portrait of the King's garments smelling of the same spices: myrrh, cassia, and aloes.
Jesus references this law, showing the temple and altar sanctify the gifts laid upon them.
Locates the placement of the sweet incense directly before the testimony and mercy seat.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The physical placement of the laver and how Moses and Aaron used it for washing.
Details the application of this holy anointing oil to Aaron, his sons, and their garments.
The oil of gladness typifies the Spirit's anointing of Christ above His companions.
Highlights the high priest's unique status because the holy anointing oil was poured upon him.
Provides the strict penalty of being cut off for duplicating the sacred formula for common use.
Supported by Matthew Henry
The Magi present myrrh and frankincense, echoing the valuable spices reserved for the sanctuary.
Reflects the requirement of salt ('tempered together') in making offerings holy to the Lord.