Exoduschapter 30

A.The Altar of Incensevv. 1-10

1 “You are also to make an altar of acacia wood for the burning of incense. 2 It is to be square, a cubit long, a cubit wide, and two cubits high. Its horns must be of one piece. 3 Overlay with pure gold the top and all the sides and horns, and make a molding of gold around it. 4 And make two gold rings below the molding on opposite sides to hold the poles used to carry it. 5 Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold. 6 Place the altar in front of 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 And Aaron is to burn fragrant incense on it every morning when he tends the lamps. 8 When Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he must burn the incense perpetually before the LORD for the generations to come. 9 On this altar you must not offer unauthorized incense or a burnt offering or grain offering; nor are you to pour a drink offering on it. 10 Once a year Aaron shall make atonement on the horns of the altar. Throughout your generations he shall make atonement on it annually with the blood of the sin offering of atonement. The altar is most holy to the LORD.”

B.The Half-Shekel Ransomvv. 11-16

11 Then the LORD said to Moses, 12 “When you take a census of the Israelites to number them, each man must pay the LORD a ransom for his life when he is counted. Then no plague will come upon them when they are numbered. 13 Everyone who crosses over to those counted must pay a half shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the LORD. 14 Everyone twenty years of age or older who crosses over must give this offering to the LORD. 15 In making the offering to the LORD to atone for your lives, the rich shall not give more than a half shekel, nor shall the poor give less. 16 Take the atonement money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the Tent of Meeting. It will serve as a memorial for the Israelites before the LORD to make atonement for your lives.”

C.The Bronze Basin for Washingvv. 17-21

17 And the LORD said to Moses, 18 “You are to make a bronze basin with a bronze stand for washing. Set it between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water in it, 19 with which Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet. 20 Whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the altar to minister by presenting an offering made by fire to the LORD, they must wash with water so that they will not die. 21 Thus they are to wash their hands and feet so that they will not die; this shall be a permanent statute for Aaron and his descendants for the generations to come.”

D.The Holy Anointing Oilvv. 22-33

22 Then the LORD said to Moses, 23 “Take the finest spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half that amount (250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant cane, 24 500 shekels of cassia—all according to the sanctuary shekel—and a hin of olive oil. 25 Prepare from these a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer; it will be a sacred anointing oil. 26 Use this oil to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the ark of the Testimony, 27 the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and its utensils, the altar of incense, 28 the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand. 29 You are to consecrate them so that they will be most holy. Whatever touches them shall be holy. 30 Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them to serve Me as priests. 31 And you are to tell the Israelites, ‘This will be My sacred anointing oil for the generations to come. 32 It must not be used to anoint an ordinary man, and you must not make anything like it with the same formula. It is holy, and it must be holy to you. 33 Anyone who mixes perfume like it or puts it on an outsider shall be cut off from his people.’”

E.The Sacred Incensevv. 34-38

34 The LORD also said to Moses, “Take fragrant spices—gum resin, onycha, galbanum, and pure frankincense—in equal measures, 35 and make a fragrant blend of incense, the work of a perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy. 36 Grind some of it into fine powder and place it in front of the Testimony in the Tent of Meeting, where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you. 37 You are never to use this formula to make incense for yourselves; you shall regard it as holy to the LORD. 38 Anyone who makes something like it to enjoy its fragrance shall be cut off from his people.”

Commentary on this chapter: read the Exposition

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Chapter summary

The altar of incense, the atonement money, the brass laver, the anointing oil, and the holy incense.

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The altar of incense, the atonement money, the brass laver, the anointing oil, and the holy incense. The incense altar of shittim wood overlaid with pure gold, set before the veil. Sweet spices burned morning and evening, a perpetual incense. Every man numbered in the census pays half a shekel, an atonement for his soul. Rich no more, poor no less. The laver of brass between the tent and the altar for priestly washing. The holy anointing oil compounded of myrrh, cinnamon, calamus, cassia, and olive oil. For the furnishings and the priests; not to be poured on common flesh. The incense compounded of stacte, onycha, galbanum, and frankincense. Not to be imitated.

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary, John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament and John Calvin, Commentaries.

Context

Law · Moses — Exodus overview

A. 1–10 The Altar of Incense
B. 11–16 The Half-Shekel Ransom
C. 17–21 The Bronze Basin for Washing
D. 22–33 The Holy Anointing Oil
E. 34–38 The Sacred Incense

Top cross-references8 chapters ▾

Exodus 258 verses
- Exodus 25:6olive oil for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense;
- Exodus 25:11Overlay it with pure gold both inside and out, and make a gold molding around it.
- Exodus 25:13And make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.
- Exodus 25:14Insert the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, in order to carry it.
- Exodus 25:21Set the mercy seat atop the ark, and put the Testimony that I will give you into the ark.
- Exodus 25:22And I will meet with you there above the mercy seat, between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the Testimony; I will speak with you about all that I command you regarding the Israelites.
- Read Exodus 25: 2 more there →
Exodus 305 verses
- Exodus 30:25Prepare from these a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer; it will be a sacred anointing oil.
- Exodus 30:32It must not be used to anoint an ordinary man, and you must not make anything like it with the same formula. It is holy, and it must be holy to you.
- Exodus 30:33Anyone who mixes perfume like it or puts it on an outsider shall be cut off from his people.’”
- Exodus 30:37You are never to use this formula to make incense for yourselves; you shall regard it as holy to the LORD.
- Exodus 30:38Anyone who makes something like it to enjoy its fragrance shall be cut off from his people.”
- Read Exodus 30 →
Exodus 404 verses
- Exodus 40:5Place the gold altar of incense in front of the ark of the Testimony, and hang the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle.
- Exodus 40:7And place the basin between the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and put water in it.
- Exodus 40:15Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so that they may also serve Me as priests. Their anointing will qualify them for a permanent priesthood throughout their generations.”
- Exodus 40:31and from it Moses, Aaron, and his sons washed their hands and feet.
- Read Exodus 40 →
Exodus 293 verses
- Exodus 29:37For seven days you shall make atonement for the altar and consecrate it. Then the altar will become most holy; whatever touches the altar will be holy.
- Exodus 29:40With the first lamb offer a tenth of an ephah of fine flour, mixed with a quarter hin of oil from pressed olives, and a drink offering of a quarter hin of wine.
- Exodus 29:42For the generations to come, this burnt offering shall be made regularly at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting before the LORD, where I will meet you to speak with you.
- Read Exodus 29 →

4 more chapters this one speaks with

Leviticus 23 verses
- Leviticus 2:3The remainder of the grain offering shall belong to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the offerings made by fire to the LORD.
- Leviticus 2:13And you shall season each of your grain offerings with salt. You must not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offering; you are to add salt to each of your offerings.
- Leviticus 2:15And you are to put oil and frankincense on it; it is a grain offering.
- Read Leviticus 2 →
Exodus 372 verses
- Exodus 37:25He made the altar of incense out of acacia wood. It was square, a cubit long, a cubit wide, and two cubits high. Its horns were of one piece.
- Exodus 37:29He also made the sacred anointing oil and the pure, fragrant incense, the work of a perfumer.
- Read Exodus 37 →
Exodus 272 verses
- Exodus 27:2Make a horn on each of its four corners, so that the horns are of one piece, and overlay it with bronze.
- Exodus 27:21In the Tent of Meeting, outside the veil that is in front of the Testimony, Aaron and his sons are to tend the lamps before the LORD from evening until morning. This is to be a permanent statute for the Israelites for the generations to come.
- Read Exodus 27 →
Exodus 262 verses
- Exodus 26:29Overlay the frames with gold and make gold rings to hold the crossbars. Also overlay the crossbars with gold.
- Exodus 26:31Make a veil of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely spun linen, with cherubim skillfully worked into it.
- Read Exodus 26 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.