Bible Commentaries

And thou shalt make an altar ^a to burn incense upon: [of] shittim wood shalt thou make it.

(a) Upon which the sweet perfume was burnt, (Exodus 30:34).

A 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] ^b of the same.

(b) Of the same wood and matter.

And thou shalt put it ^c before the vail that [is] by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that [is] over the testimony, where I will meet with thee.

(c) That is, in the sanctuary, and not in the holiest of all.

And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he ^d dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it.

(d) Meaning, when he trims them, and refreshes the oil.

Ye shall offer no ^e strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering ^f thereon.

(e) Otherwise made them this, which is described.

(f) But it must only serve to burn perfume.

When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man ^g a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when [thou] numberest them.

(g) By which he testified that he redeemed his life which he had forfeit, as is declared by David, (2 Samuel 24:1).

This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the ^h shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel [is] twenty gerahs:) an half shekel [shall be] the offering of the LORD.

(h) This shekel was worth two common shekels: and the gerah about 12 pence at a rate of five shillings sterling to an ounce of silver.

The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when [they] give an offering unto the LORD, ⁱ to make an atonement for your souls.

(i) That God should be merciful to you.

For Aaron and his sons shall ^k wash their hands and their feet thereat:

(k) Signifying that he that comes to God must be washed from all sin and corruption.

So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a statute ^l for ever to them, [even] to him and to his seed throughout their generations.

(l) So long as the priesthood shall last.

Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred ^m [shekels], and of sweet cinnamon half so much, [even] two hundred and fifty [shekels], and of sweet ⁿ calamus two hundred and fifty [shekels],

(m) Weighing so much.

(n) It is a type of reed with a very sweet savour within, and it is used in powders and odours.

And thou shalt anoint the ^o tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony,

(o) All things which belong to the tabernacle.

Upon ^p 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.

(p) Neither at their burials nor otherwise.

Whosoever compoundeth [any] like it, or whosoever putteth [any] of it upon ^q a stranger, shall even be cut off from his people.

(q) Either a stranger or an Israelite, save only the priests.

And the LORD said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and ^r onycha, and galbanum; [these] sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like [weight]:

(r) In Hebrew, Sheheleth: which is a sweet kind of gum and shines as the nail.