Exodus30
New King James Version
1“You shall make an altar to burn incense on; you shall make it of acacia wood.
2A cubit shall be its length and a cubit its width—it shall be square—and two cubits shall be its height. Its horns shall be of one piece with it.
3And you shall overlay its top, its sides all around, and its horns with pure gold; and you shall make for it a molding of gold all around.
4Two gold rings you shall make for it, under the molding on both its sides. You shall place them on its two sides, and they will be holders for the poles with which to bear it.
5You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.
6And you shall put it before the veil that is before the ark of the Testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the Testimony, where I will meet with you.
7“Aaron shall burn on it sweet incense every morning; when he tends the lamps, he shall burn incense on it.
8And when Aaron lights the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense on it, a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations.
9You shall not offer strange incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering; nor shall you pour a drink offering on it.
10And Aaron shall make atonement upon its horns once a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonement; once a year he shall make atonement upon it throughout your generations. It is most holy to the Lord.”
11Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
12“When you take the census of the children of Israel for their number, then every man shall give a ransom for himself to the Lord, when you number them, that there may be no plague among them when you number them.
13This is what everyone among those who are numbered shall give: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (a shekel is twenty gerahs). The half-shekel shall be an offering to the Lord.
14Everyone included among those who are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering to the Lord.
15The rich shall not give more and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when you give an offering to the Lord, to make atonement for yourselves.
16And you shall take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shall appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of meeting, that it may be a memorial for the children of Israel before the Lord, to make atonement for yourselves.”
17Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
18“You shall also make a laver of bronze, with its base also of bronze, for washing. You shall put it between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar. And you shall put water in it,
19for Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet in water from it.
20When they go into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn an offering made by fire to the Lord, they shall wash with water, lest they die.
21So they shall wash their hands and their feet, lest they die. And it shall be a statute forever to them—to him and his descendants throughout their generations.”
22Moreover the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
23“Also take for yourself quality spices—five hundred shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much sweet-smelling cinnamon (two hundred and fifty shekels), two hundred and fifty shekels of sweet-smelling cane,
24five hundred shekels of cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin of olive oil.
25And you shall make from these a holy anointing oil, an ointment compounded according to the art of the perfumer. It shall be a holy anointing oil.
26With it you shall anoint the tabernacle of meeting and the ark of the Testimony;
27the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense;
28the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the laver and its base.
29You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy; whatever touches them must be holy.
30And you shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister to Me as priests.
31“And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘This shall be a holy anointing oil to Me throughout your generations.
32It shall not be poured on man’s flesh; nor shall you make any other like it, according to its composition. It is holy, and it shall be holy to you.
33Whoever compounds any like it, or whoever puts any of it on an outsider, shall be cut off from his people.’ ”
34And the Lord said to Moses: “Take sweet spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, and pure frankincense with these sweet spices; there shall be equal amounts of each.
35You shall make of these an incense, a compound according to the art of the perfumer, salted, pure, and holy.
36And you shall beat some of it very fine, and put some of it before the Testimony in the tabernacle of meeting where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you.
37But as for the incense which you shall make, you shall not make any for yourselves, according to its composition. It shall be to you holy for the Lord.
38Whoever makes any like it, to smell it, 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.