Exodus30
New American Standard
1“Now you shall make an altar as a place for burning incense; you shall make it of acacia wood.
2Its length shall be a cubit, and its width a cubit; it shall be square, and its height shall be two cubits; its horns shall be of one piece with it.
3You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around, and its horns; and you shall make a gold molding all around for it.
4You shall also make two gold rings for it under its molding; you shall make them on its two sides—on opposite sides—and they shall be holders for poles with which to carry it.
5And you shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.
6You shall put this altar in front of the veil that is near the ark of the testimony, in front of the atoning cover that is over the ark of the testimony, where I will meet with you.
7Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it; he shall burn it every morning when he trims the lamps.
8And when Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense. There shall be perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations.
9You shall not offer any strange incense on this altar, or burnt offering, or meal offering; and you shall not pour out a drink offering on it.
10However, Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year; he shall make atonement on it with the blood of the sin offering of atonement once a year throughout your generations. It is most holy to the Lord.”
11The Lord also spoke to Moses, saying,
12“When you take a census of the sons of Israel to count them, then each one of them shall give a ransom for himself to the Lord, when you count them, so that there will be no plague among them when you count them.
13This is what everyone who is counted shall give: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel as a contribution to the Lord.
14Everyone who is counted, from twenty years old and over, shall give the contribution to the Lord.
15The rich shall not pay more, and the poor shall not pay less, than the half shekel, when you give the contribution to the Lord to make atonement for yourselves.
16And you shall take the atonement money from the sons of Israel and give it for the service of the tent of meeting, so that it may be a memorial for the sons of Israel before the Lord, to make atonement for yourselves.”
17Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
18“You shall also make a basin of bronze, with its base of bronze, for washing; and you shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it.
19Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet from it;
20when they enter the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water, so that they do not die; or when they approach the altar to minister, by offering up in smoke a fire sacrifice to the Lord.
21So they shall wash their hands and their feet, so that they do not die; and it shall be a permanent statute for them, for Aaron and his descendants throughout their generations.”
22Moreover, the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
23“Take also for yourself the finest of spices: of liquid myrrh five hundred shekels, and of fragrant cinnamon half as much, 250, and of fragrant cane 250,
24and of cassia 500, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and of olive oil a hin.
25You shall make from these a holy anointing oil, a fragrant mixture of ointments, the work of a perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil.
26And you shall anoint the tent of meeting with it, and the ark of the testimony,
27and the table and all its utensils, and the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense,
28and the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin and its stand.
29You shall also consecrate them, so that they may be most holy; whatever touches them shall be holy.
30And you shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, so that they may serve as priests to Me.
31Furthermore, you shall speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘This shall be a holy anointing oil to Me throughout your generations.
32It shall not be poured on anyone’s body, nor shall you make any like it in the same proportions; it is holy, and it shall be holy to you.
33Whoever mixes any like it or whoever puts any of it on a layman shall be cut off from his people.’”
34Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take for yourself spices—stacte, onycha, and galbanum, spices and pure frankincense; there shall be an equal part of each.
35You shall make incense from it all, a skillful mixture, the work of a perfumer, salted, pure, and holy.
36And you shall crush some of it very fine, and put part of it in front of the testimony in the tent of meeting where I will meet with you; it shall be most holy to you.
37And the incense which you shall make, you shall not make in the same proportions for yourselves; it shall be holy to you for the Lord.
38Whoever makes any like it, to use as perfume, 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.