Exodus 30
The Altar of Incense 1–10
The Ransom Money (Census Tax) 11–16
The Bronze Laver for Washing 17–21
The Holy Anointing Oil 22–33
The Sacred Incense Formula 34–38
Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain
Study Notes for Exodus 30
Verse 1
an altar to burn incense — A second, small altar for the Holy Place, of shittim wood overlaid with ‘pure gold’ (v.3). Its incense is the prayer of the people rising: ‘Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense’ (Ps 141:2), and John sees ‘the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne’ (Rev 8:3).
Verse 6
before the vail — The altar stands just outside the veil that hides the ark. ‘Mercy seat’ is kapporet, from kaphar, to cover or atone; ‘meet’ is ya’ad, the root of the name ‘tabernacle of the congregation’, the tent of meeting. The same promise is made at the ark: ‘there I will meet with thee’ (Ex 25:22).
Verse 8
a perpetual incense — Tamid, ‘continual’, the word used of the daily burnt offering, ‘a continual burnt offering’ (Ex 29:42). The incense was burned morning (v.7) and at even, matching the two lambs of Ex 29:38–39. Zacharias burned it ‘when he went into the temple of the Lord’, while ‘the whole multitude of the people were praying without’ (Luke 1:9–10).
Verse 9
strange incense — Zur, to turn aside; incense not of the LORD’s making is ‘strange’. Nadab and Abihu ‘offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not’ (Lev 10:1), and ‘fire from the LORD’ devoured them (Lev 10:2). No burnt offering, meat offering or drink offering was to be laid on this altar.
Verse 10
make an atonement upon the horns — Kaphar, to cover or atone. Once a year the blood of the bullock and the goat was put on the horns of this altar (Lev 16:18), so that even the altar of incense is ‘most holy unto the LORD’. Hebrews sets the yearly entry beside Christ, who did not ‘offer himself often’ (Heb 9:25).
Verse 12
a ransom for his soul — Kopher, a ransom-price; ‘soul’ is nephesh, the life. Each man numbered gave it ‘that there be no plague among them’. The silver collected was counted in Ex 38:25–26. Peter sets the price against Christ: ye were not redeemed ‘with corruptible things, as silver and gold… But with the precious blood of Christ’ (1 Pet 1:18–19).
Verse 13
half a shekel — A shekel is ‘twenty gerahs’, so the offering was ten (the standard is repeated in Lev 27:25 and Ezek 45:12). The same sum is called ‘a bekah for every man, that is, half a shekel’ (Ex 38:26). ‘Offering’ is terumah, a gift lifted up and set apart for the LORD.
Verse 15
The rich shall not give more — One sum from every man, ‘to make an atonement for your souls’ (kaphar, as in v.10). The price of a life is not scaled to wealth; God does not regard ‘the rich more than the poor: for they all are the work of his hands’ (Job 34:19). The payment is called an ‘offering unto the LORD’, not a tax.
Verse 18
a laver of brass — Kiyyor, a basin, with its foot (ken, a base), set ‘between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar’. It was cast from ‘the lookingglasses of the women assembling, which assembled at the door of the tabernacle’ (Ex 38:8). The temple later held ten lavers of brass, each of forty baths (1 Kgs 7:38).
Verse 20
that they die not — Washing of ‘their hands and their feet’ (v.21) came before entering the tent or approaching the altar, under the warning ‘that they die not’, repeated in v.21. Moses, Aaron and his sons so washed ‘thereat’ (Ex 40:31–32). The warning stands beside Lev 10:1–2, where two priests ‘died before the LORD’.
Verse 23
principal spices — Rosh, ‘head’, the chief of spices: myrrh 500 shekels, cinnamon and calamus 250 each, and in v.24 cassia 500, ‘after the shekel of the sanctuary’, with a hin of olive oil. ‘Pure’ myrrh is deror, ‘free-flowing’, a word found only here in Exodus; the weights are fixed, not left to the maker’s hand.
Verse 25
an oil of holy ointment — Compounded ‘after the art of the apothecary’ (raqach, one who blends perfume). The anointing (mishchah) comes from mashach, to anoint, which gives mashiach, Messiah, ‘the Anointed’. Of the Son the Father says, ‘God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows’ (Heb 1:9).
Verse 29
most holy — Qodesh qodashim, literally ‘holiness of holinesses’, the grade given to the altar in Ex 29:37: ‘whatsoever toucheth the altar shall be holy.’ Holiness here passes by touch and by appointment, as Christ asks, ‘the altar that sanctifieth the gift?’ (Matt 23:19). The anointed priests were set apart to ‘minister unto me’ (v.30).
Verse 33
cut off from his people — Karath, to cut. Two acts bring it: compounding any like it, or putting it on ‘a stranger’ (zur, the word behind ‘strange incense’ in v.9). The same sentence guards the incense (v.38), the unleavened bread (Ex 12:15, ‘cut off from Israel’) and circumcision (Gen 17:14).
Verse 34
stacte, and onycha, and galbanum — Nataph is a drop of gum; shecheleth (onycha) and chelbenah (galbanum) are named only here in Scripture. With ‘pure frankincense’ (zak, clear) they are to be of ‘a like weight’, four spices as in the oil of vv.23–24. Frankincense and myrrh are later among the gifts to the child (Matt 2:11).
Verse 36
beat some of it very small — Shachaq, to pound to powder. Part of it is set ‘before the testimony’, ‘where I will meet with thee’, in the words of v.6 and Ex 25:22. On the day of atonement the priest brings ‘sweet incense beaten small’ within the vail (Lev 16:12). Like the oil, it is ‘most holy’ and not for common use.
Verse 38
to smell thereto — Ruach, to smell, to take in the scent. The perfume was ‘holy for the LORD’ (v.37), and a copy made for the maker’s own enjoyment carried the same penalty as the oil: ‘cut off from his people’ (v.33). The compound of v.34 belonged to the worship of the LORD alone.