Bible Commentaries

Exodus 30:1 And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: [of] shittim wood shalt thou make it.

Ver. 1. An altar to burn incense upon.] Shadowing Christ, as perfuming and presenting the prayers of saints, [Revelation 8:3; Revelation 5:8] and obtaining answer thereto "from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God." [Revelation 9:13]

Exodus 30:2 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] of the same.

Ver. 2. A cubit shall be the length.] That in Ezekiel [Ezekiel 41:22] is much larger, as setting forth the service of God under the gospel.

Exodus 30:3 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about.

Ver. 3. Overlay it with pure gold.] Shadowing Christ’s deity, yielding glory to his humanity.

A crown of gold round about.] To show that devotion is a rich royal virtue, best beseeming the best princes.

Exodus 30:6 And thou shalt put it 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.

Ver. 6. Where I will meet with thee.] To give oracles and answers of mercy. God still "meeteth him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness." [Isaiah 64:5]

Exodus 30:7 And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it.

Ver. 7. Shall burn thereon sweet incense.] Faciunt et vespae favos. The heathens had the like custom -

“Verbenasque adole pingues, et mascula thura.”

- Virgil.

Exodus 30:8 And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations.

Ver. 8. And when Aaron lighteth the lamps.] To show that our prayers must be made according to the light and direction of God’s Word, lest we ask we know not what, and worship we know not how.

Exodus 30:9 Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon.

Ver. 9. No strange incense.] So may we not pray, but according to God’s revealed will. [1 John 5:14]

Exodus 30:10 And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it [is] most holy unto the LORD.

Ver. 10. An atonement upon the horns of it.] Pardon must be sought for the defects found in prayers; as Nehemiah craved mercy for his reformations.

Exodus 30:12 When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when [thou] numberest them.

Ver. 12. That there be no plague.] David, in numbering the people, neglected this duty; thence the plague.

Exodus 30:13 This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel [is] twenty gerahs:) an half shekel [shall be] the offering of the LORD.

Ver. 13. Half a shekel.] Towards the making of the tabernacle; and as an amercing himself for his sin, that subjected him to utter destruction. [Exodus 30:15]

Exodus 30:14 Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD.

Ver. 14. From twenty years old.] Such were able to get it, before they gave it.

Exodus 30:15 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, to make an atonement for your souls.

Ver. 15. The rich shall not give more.] They are both of a price, because in spirituals they are equal. [2 Peter 1:1]

Exodus 30:16 And thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.

Ver. 16. That it may be a memorial.] A perpetual poll money, in token of homage and subjection to the Almighty.

Exodus 30:18 Thou shalt also make a laver [of] brass, and his foot [also of] brass, to wash [withal]: and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein.

Ver. 18. Between the tabernacle and the altar.] The laver and altar situated in the same court, signified the same; as the water and blood issuing out of Christ’s side, viz., the necessary concurrence of justification and sanctification in all that shall be saved.

Exodus 30:19 For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat:

Ver. 19. For Aaron and his sons.] Here they were to wash before they prayed for the people. [Hebrews 10:22] We must first make our own peace with God before we take upon us to intercede for others. So did David. [Psalms 25:22; Psalms 51:18-19] So we are advised to do, Lamentations 3:39-40.

Exodus 30:20 When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto the LORD:

Ver. 20. Wash with water.] "Wash their hands in innocency," before they "compass God’s altar." [Psalms 26:6 Hebrews 10:22 Isaiah 52:11]

Exodus 30:21 So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a statute for ever to them, [even] to him and to his seed throughout their generations.

Ver. 21. That they die not.] Come not to an untimely end, as Nadab and Abihu did. [Leviticus 10:1-2]

Exodus 30:26 And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony,

Ver. 26. And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle.] So to consecrate the same to God’s service, and to set forth how joyfully and gladly men should serve the Lord.

Exodus 30:29 And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy.

Ver. 29. Whatsoever toucheth them.] So are all those anointed holy, that by a lively faith touch the Lord Christ.

Exodus 30:30 And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that [they] may minister unto me in the priest’s office.

Ver. 30. Aaron and his sons.] Those only that succeeded him in the office of high priest. [Leviticus 4:3; Leviticus 4:5; Leviticus 4:16; Leviticus 16:32]

Exodus 30:32 Upon 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.

Ver. 32. Upon man’s flesh.] A Latine Postiller hence infers, in a hyperbolical sense, that priests are angels, not having human flesh.

Exodus 30:33 Whosoever compoundeth [any] like it, or whosoever putteth [any] of it upon a stranger, shall even be cut off from his people.

Ver. 33. Whosoever compoundeth any like it.] Holy things must not be profaned, on pain of death. No people so abuse Scripture to common and ordinary use as the Jews do.

Exodus 30:36 And thou shalt beat [some] of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy.

Ver. 36. And thou shalt beat some of it very small.] This holy perfume, as in the matter costly, so in the manner it cost much pounding and beating: to show that Church prayer must be accurate and elaborate; it must cost setting on, as we say.