Exodus30
King James Version · Public Domain
1And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim 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 the same.
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 to it under the crown of it, by the two corners thereof, upon the two sides of it shalt thou make it; and they shall be for places for the staves to bear it withal.
5And thou shalt make the staves of shittim 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 sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it.
8And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations.
9Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon.
10And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the Lord.
11And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
12When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the Lord, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them.
13This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the Lord.
14Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the Lord.
15The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the Lord, to make an atonement for your souls.
16And thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before the Lord, to make an atonement for your souls.
17And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
18Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein.
19For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat:
20When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto the Lord:
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 the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
23Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels,
24And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin:
25And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil.
26And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony,
27And the table and all his vessels, and the candlestick and his vessels, and the altar of incense,
28And the altar of burnt offering with all his vessels, and the laver and his foot.
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 consecrate 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 an holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations.
32Upon man's flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make any other like it, after the composition of it: it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you.
33Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, shall even be cut off from his people.
34And the Lord said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight:
35And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy:
36And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy.
37And as for the perfume which thou shalt make, ye shall not make to yourselves according to the composition thereof: it shall be unto thee holy for the Lord.
38Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall even 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.