Chapter Thirty
The Golden Altar of Incense
30:1 “You shall make an altar on which to burn incense; you shall make it of acacia wood. 2 A cubit shall be its length, and a cubit its breadth. It shall be square, and two cubits shall be its height. Its horns shall be of one piece with it. 3 You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and around its sides and its horns. And you shall make a molding of gold around it. 4 And you shall make two golden rings for it. Under its molding on two opposite sides of it you shall make them, and they shall be holders for poles with which to carry it. 5 You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.
The next item that will be required for the operation of the Tabernacle is the altar of incense, which is also known as the golden altar. This altar is to be placed inside the structure for the purpose of burning incense, it will not be used for any animal sacrifices. It is to be made of acacia wood; the dimensions are to be eighteen inches by eighteen inches square by three feet tall. It is to have horns like the bronze altar (see Exodus 27:2). The wood is then to be covered with pure gold and a molding of gold is to be made to go around the altar. Rings and poles are to be made to transport the altar, similar to the ark and the table.
30:6 And you shall put it in front of the veil that is above the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is above the testimony, where I will meet with you.
The altar of incense was to be placed in front of the curtain (veil) that separated the two rooms in the structure. Behind the curtain would be the Ark of the Testimony (Ark of the Covenant) and the Mercy Seat (lid of the ark). The word that is translated here as ‘above’ (both times), is the Hebrew word ‘ǎl’,[1] a preposition that has a wide range of meanings, including: on, upon, over, against, by, to, toward, opposite, etc. The golden altar of incense was in the main room (the holy place) as it required regular attention (see next verse), the rear room (the most holy place) could only be entered once a year by the High Priest.
While the location of the altar of incense is clearly in the main room, there are several verses and some translations that seem to indicate that it was placed in the same room as the Ark and the Mercy Seat. Some verses refer to the altar being in front of the Ark, and that would be true, it just would have the veil between them (see Exodus 40:5, 26).
30:7 And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it. Every morning when he dresses the lamps he shall burn it, 8 and when Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he shall burn it, a regular incense offering before the LORD throughout your generations. 9 You shall not offer unauthorized incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering, and you shall not pour a drink offering on it.
The High Priest was to burn incense in the morning and the evening during the same time he maintains the lamps (the lamps required trimming of the wicks, oil, etc.) The altar of incense was to burn only the usual incense (see verses 34-35), it was to never be used to burn any strange or unauthorized incense, nor was it to be used for any other sacrifice.
30:10 Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year. With the blood of the sin offering of atonement he shall make atonement for it once in the year throughout your generations. It is most holy to the LORD.”
On the Day of Atonement, the High Priest was to apply the blood, obtained from the bull and the goat (see Leviticus 16:18), to the altar’s horns in a manner similar to the process described earlier for the bronze altar (see Exodus 29:12). It was considered to be most holy to YHWH (the same Hebrew phrase, “qō’·ḏěš qā·ḏā·šîm,” that refers to the highest level of holiness, see Exodus 29:37).
Considerations
Some readers are confused as to the location of the golden altar. Is it in the front room (the Holy Place) or the back room (the Most Holy Place)? For example on the Day of Atonement coals were taken from the bronze altar and placed in a censer along with incense to produce a large quantity of smoke to obscure the High Priest from seeing God (see Leviticus 16:12-13), there are a few commentators that refer to the use of an incense ‘altar’ instead of using the word ‘censer’. Then later in the book of Hebrews, while the author is making a comparison between the old covenant and the new covenant, he states that the altar of incense is behind the second curtain next to the Ark of the Covenant (see Hebrews 9:3-4). However, the Greek word that is normally translated as “altar of incense,” is ‘thumiastērion’,[2] which usually refers to a censer, not an altar. Since the author is referring to the Day of Atonement in his comparison between the old and new covenants (see verse seven), he may have been describing the layout as described for the Day of Atonement process, as that process is a key component of any exploration of the differences between the covenants.
It is interesting to note that incense is often related to prayers, David wrote in Psalm 141, “Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice!” Shortly before John the Baptist’s birth, his father Zechariah, “Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.” (Luke 1:8-11). In the book of Revelation, the apostle John wrote that he observed, “And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” (Revelation 5:8) and later he also observed, “And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel.” (Revelation 8:3-4) Many Jews believe that one needs to be prepared to pray to God and that the word ‘incense’ in the Hebrew (four letters, which sound out as ‘qeṭō’·rěṯ’[3] in the English language) is an acronym for that preparation. Recorded in the Midrash Tanchuma, Tetzaveh is one rabbi’s explanation of the prerequisites:
And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense (Exod. 30:1). What do the letters in the word ketoret (“incense”) stand for? The kuf stands for kedushah (“sanctification”), tet for taharah (“purity”), resh for rahamim (“mercy”), and ta for tikvah (“hope”).[4]
A Census and A Tax
30:11 The LORD said to Moses, 12 “When you take the census of the people of Israel, then each shall give a ransom for his life to the LORD when you number them, that there be no plague among them when you number them.
God informs Moses that there would be at least one census of the people of Israel in the future. At that time the people were to pay the ransom for their lives (see Exodus 13:13; 21:30). If they paid their ransom, God would not allow any plague to occur.
30:13 Each one who is numbered in the census shall give this: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel as an offering to the LORD.
The amount to be paid during the census was to be a half a shekel. First introduced in Genesis 23:15-16 and later used in Exodus 21:32, the shekel would not be a large unit of weight, as it is understood to be only 11 grams, while a gerah is considered to only weigh approximately 0.6 grams. This is the first reference to a “shekel of the sanctuary,” an early standard unit of measure, which does not change like the market-place shekel appears to do. Even though the term shekel of the sanctuary is technically a unit of weight, it will later imply that the material exchanged would be silver (see Exodus 38:25-26).
30:14 Everyone who is numbered in the census, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the LORD’s offering.
Who is to be counted and pay the tax? All males twenty years of age or older (the reference to males is from the Hebrew word ‘bēn’[5] that is not translated here, found in between the words translated as ‘twenty’ and ‘years old’). While all men twenty years old and older will be considered eligible for military duty (see Numbers 1:3), however, that is not the purpose or role of the census or census tax.
30:15 The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when you give the LORD’s offering to make atonement for your lives.
This verse is self-explanatory, the rich are not to be assessed more, and the poor are not to be given any advantages. This is not a government-based tax, this is for atonement for their lives, given by the people to God.
30:16 You shall take the atonement money from the people of Israel and shall give it for the service of the tent of meeting, that it may bring the people of Israel to remembrance before the LORD, so as to make atonement for your lives.”
The atonement money received was to be “for the services of the tent of meeting,” which was melted down and used as building materials for those items in the Tabernacle that were required to be made of silver (mainly the bases and some of the hooks used to latch the boards together). Remember, the structure sat on silver bases, now reading that these bases were made from the silver atonement money (atonement primarily refers to the concept of covering), can help us understand how man’s redemption from sin can be offered through substitution (ultimately through the blood of Jesus). It is interesting to note that Jesus was also bought with silver.
The Bronze Wash Basin
30:17 The LORD said to Moses, 18 “You shall also make a basin of bronze, with its stand of bronze, for washing. You shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it, 19 with which Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet. 20 When they go into the tent of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn a food offering to the LORD, they shall wash with water, so that they may not die. 21 They shall wash their hands and their feet, so that they may not die. It shall be a statute forever to them, even to him and to his offspring throughout their generations.”
The last object that needed to be built for the Tabernacle was the bronze basin, also known as the laver or wash basin. It was to be placed between the opening of the structure and the bronze altar in the courtyard. Water was to be put into it and used by the priests to wash their feet and hands. They were to wash before entering the structure or when they came near the bronze altar to offer a sacrifice to YHWH, so that they would not die.
Considerations
Cleansing in water is an often-reoccurring theme in the Old Testament, the Hebrew word ‘rǒḥ·ṣā(h)’,[6] (washing) occurs over 48 times in the Torah alone. It represents purity and the symbolic cleansing of sin, which later in the New Testament is represented by baptism (see Mark 1:8; Acts 1:8, see also Ephesians 5:25-27 to understand how the Word of God, which contains the gospel story, can offer eternal cleansing).
For Judaism, many of the mandatory cleansing rituals centered around the priesthood, and the Tabernacle, and then later, the Temple. Since the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD, many of those rituals and regulations have been modified and those revisions are reflected in the various Talmudic writings.[7]
The Anointing Oil and Incense
30:22 The LORD said to Moses, 23 “Take the finest spices: of liquid myrrh 500 shekels, and of sweet-smelling cinnamon half as much, that is, 250, and 250 of aromatic cane, 24 and 500 of cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin of olive oil. 25 And you shall make of these a sacred anointing oil blended as by the perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil.
The oil that will be used for anointing was more than just olive oil, it was to be mixed with four spices. The first spice mentioned is liquid myrrh, a gum resin that can be obtained from a number of trees.[8] Next were cinnamon (from the bark of several tree species in the Cinnamomum genus, essentially the same spice found in many homes today), aromatic cane (Hebrew word ‘qānē(h)’,[9] refers to a stalk or reed, the exact plant referenced is unknown, often believed to be a calamus reed, which is considered today an herbal medicine), and cassia (Hebrew word ‘qid·dā(h)’,[10] etymology and actual use of word is unknown, believed to be a reference to cassia bark, another tree in the Cinnamomum genus).
As discussed in the previous chapter, a hin would be approximately one gallon.[11] The process required to combine these ingredients has been the subject of some debate. Since 250 shekels would weigh approximately six pounds and 500 shekels being approximately twelve, mixing 36 pounds of spices into one gallon would make a paste at best. The key is the reference to the process being blended by a perfumer (Hebrew word ‘rō·qēªḥ’,[12] a verb meaning to blend spices in a boiling pot and then filtered, removing most of the paste-like material). This process was well known and often used by many ancient peoples.
30:26 With it you shall anoint the tent of meeting and the ark of the testimony, 27 and the table and all its utensils, and the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense, 28 and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils and the basin and its stand. 29 You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy. Whatever touches them will become holy. 30 You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests.
The oil mixture was to be used to anoint the entire structure and everything inside as well as everything in the courtyard to consecrate them so that can be holy before God. Moses was also to use the oil to anoint Aaron and his sons so that they would become holy as well, allowing them to serve God as priests. The phrase, “whatever touches them will become holy” is a similar to the wording found in Exodus 29:37, referring to whatever is prepared and offered to God will become consecrated and considered holy before God.[13]
30:31 And you shall say to the people of Israel, ‘This shall be my holy anointing oil throughout your generations. 32 It shall not be poured on the body of an ordinary person, and you shall make no other like it in composition. It is holy, and it shall be holy to you. 33 Whoever compounds any like it or whoever puts any of it on an outsider shall be cut off from his people.’ ”
God tells Moses that this unusual mixture of oil and spices was to be His anointing oil and was not to be poured on anyone other than His priests and items dedicated to His service. It was not to be duplicated, nor anything else made similar in composition. God considered the oil holy, and it was also be considered holy by the people, in other words, the use of the oil for any other application, or the use of a similar mixture, was forbidden. If someone were to make a similar compound or used any of the official oil in some other application, was to be cut off from their family and community, a fate that was considered worse than death.
30:34 The LORD said to Moses, “Take sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum, sweet spices with pure frankincense (of each shall there be an equal part),
Next, the incense was to be made using another recipe of spices. They are to take the sweet spices (Hebrew ‘sām·mîm’,[14] a plural noun describing any fragrant sweet spice) called stacte (Hebrew word ‘nā·ṭāp’,[15] a noun referring to drops of stacte, a resin, an aromatic gum, possibly from a balsam tree, nothing more is known); onycha (Hebrew ‘šehē’lěṯ’,[16] found only here in this one location in the Bible, is most often translated as ‘onycha’, the actual meaning is not known, some consider it as a part of a mollusk or some form of sea shell, however neither one is likely as these would not be considered as ‘clean’, see Leviticus 11:9-12); and galbanum (Hebrew word ‘ḥěl·benā(h)’,[17] a noun referring to a kind of gum, galbanum, a resin from an aromatic flowering plant that is considered to be bitter to the taste with a musky and certainly, most would agree, a disagreeable smell; history shows that it has been used medicinally). The term for “sweet spices” is repeated and then the next spice is mentioned, frankincense (Hebrew ‘leḇō·nā(h)’,[18] a white resin from trees in the Boswellia genus). There are to be equal amounts of each spice in the mixture (note that there is no reference to quantity).
It is interesting to note that the Babylonian Talmud Tractate Keritot records a very different recipe for the holy incense (Folio 6B):
The mixture for the incense [consisted of the following:] balm, onycha, galbanum, and frankincense, each in the quantity of seventy manehs; myrrh, cassia, spikenard and saffron, each sixteen manehs by weight; costus, twelve; aromatic rind, three; cinnamon, nine manehs; lye of leeks, nine qabs; Cyprus wine, three seahs and three qabs; if Cyprus wine is not in hand, old white wine may be used instead; salt of Sodom, a fourth of a qab; and of smoke-raiser, a minute quantity.[19]
30:35 and make an incense blended as by the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy.
Like the anointing oil, the incense was to be blended by a perfumer (see verse 25), with the exception that it was also to be “seasoned with salt,” (Hebrew word ‘memǔl·lāh’,[20] a verb that means to add salt or to season). The incense was also to be considered pure and holy.
30:36 You shall beat some of it very small, and put part of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting where I shall meet with you. It shall be most holy for you. 37 And the incense that you shall make according to its composition, you shall not make for yourselves. It shall be for you holy to the LORD. 38 Whoever makes any like it to use as perfume shall be cut off from his people.”
Once the incense blend was made, it was to be pulverized into a fine powder and placed on the golden altar which was in front of the ark of testimony and the veil that separated the two rooms. Like the anointing oil, it was to be considered most holy and not used for any other application, it was also not to be duplicated in any way. And just like the anointing oil, it was holy to God (this time He used His name YHWH). The penalty to those who might use as a perfume (Hebrew phrase refers to a person smelling good), is also the same as the oil, they are to be cut off from their community.
Considerations
It is interesting to note that there is no reference to anointing the Mercy Seat here. One can assume that the term “ark of the testimony,” to include the Mercy Seat, as it often appears in Scripture as a reference to both items (used as a synecdoche). However, the lack of mention does seem strange, since it is without question the most holy item in the most holy place. The reason may be that the Mercy Seat is anointed with blood and not man-mixed oil.
On the Day of Atonement each year, the High Priest, “shall take a censer full of coals of fire from the altar before the LORD, and two handfuls of sweet incense beaten small, and he shall bring it inside the veil and put the incense on the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is over the testimony, so that he does not die. And he shall take some of the blood of the bull and sprinkle it with his finger on the front of the mercy seat on the east side, and in front of the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times. “Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people and bring its blood inside the veil and do with its blood as he did with the blood of the bull, sprinkling it over the mercy seat and in front of the mercy seat. Thus he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel and because of their transgressions, all their sins. And so he shall do for the tent of meeting, which dwells with them in the midst of their uncleannesses.” (Leviticus 16:12-16) The author of the book of Hebrews connects this procedure to the blood of Jesus (see Hebrews 9:11-18). It is also important to note that in what is often referred to as one of the more important prophecies in the Old Testament (Daniel 9:24-27), it refers to the coming “anointed one” (the Messiah) who, among other things, will “anoint a most holy place,” (which could also be translated as to anoint the most holy place, see also Exodus 40:9-33; Leviticus 8:10-13; 16:1-34).
Regardless of recipe, the incense was made with a variety of aromatic components. When burned it would have undoubtedly provided a pleasant but unique aroma. Some connect this smell to the fragrance of Jesus’ body after being crucified and wrapped with myrrh, aloes, and other spices (see Mark 16:1; Luke 24:1; John 19:39-42). While death is typically unpleasant and soon provides the foul stench of decay and rot, we see that Jesus’ death brings joy and a pleasant fragrance to all who choose to accept His free gift of salvation. By living a sin-free life, suffering, dying on a cross, and rising to life again, Jesus did all the work for every believer. Paul reminds us that, “Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Romans 5:2b) So what is the aroma of salvation? Wonderfully fresh, certainly pleasurable and eternal!
The Hebrew word for frankincense can be found 21 times in the Old Testament. All references, except for three times where the word appears in the book Song of Solomon (see Song of Solomon 3:6; 4:6, 14), the word is always associated with the operation of the Tabernacle or Temple. It is used in the incense (see Exodus 30:34), found in several offerings (see Leviticus 2:1, 2, 15, 16; 5:11; 6:15; 1 Chronicles 9:29; Nehemiah 13:5, 9; Isaiah 43:23; 66:3; Jeremiah 17:26; 41:5), sprinkled over the bread for the Tabernacle (see Leviticus 24:5-9), and other references to priesthood related duties (see Numbers 5:15; Jeremiah 6:20).
In the New Testament and the Septuagint, the Greek word for frankincense is ‘libanos’.[21] It is first referenced in the gospel according to Matthew as one of three gifts given to Jesus after His birth (timing is believed to be approximately two years after His birth). “And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:11) It is interesting to note that the three gifts seemingly correspond to three important aspects of Jesus’ purpose and ministry.
Gold is often related to purity, holiness (as seen here in the construction of the Tabernacle) and royalty.
Frankincense connects Jesus to the priesthood, but not just another priest, the ultimate High Priest.
Myrrh is an expensive gift, but through its primary use as an embalming oil, it points to Jesus’ death, the reason He came.
Referring to the yet-future glory of Israel, Isaiah wrote in a prophecy given to him from God, that nations will come to the light that is there in Israel (Isaiah 60:1-22), without question, referring to the second coming of Jesus when, “They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall bring good news, the praises of the LORD.” (Isaiah 60:6) Note that myrrh is not mentioned, as Jesus already died and lives on, death has been conquered.
Throughout history salt has been a major commodity and, at one time, a form of currency for traders. It has a wide range of uses, from improving the flavor of some foods to preservation of meat. Salt is mentioned several times in both the Old Testament and New Testament. In Leviticus 2:13 instructions were given by God that all grain offerings were to be seasoned with salt and it was to be added to all offerings, referred to as the “salt of the covenant” (see also Numbers 18:19; 2 Chronicles 13:5; Ezra 6:9; 7:22; Ezekiel 43:24). The prophet Elisha used salt in a miracle that changed bad water to good water in the city of Jericho (see 2 Kings 2:19-22). Job mentioned salt as a season to enhance something that would otherwise be flavorless (see Job 6:6). Jesus used salt as an example of how Christians are to “season” the world, bringing the light of Jesus to a dark world (see Matthew 5:13-16, see also Mark 9:42-50; Luke 14:34-35). Paul wrote that his Christian readers should always speak graciously, seasoned with salt, to be edifying, not hurtful, showing others compassion and answer any inquiry with patience and love (see Colossians 4:5-6).
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[1] Strong’s Hebrew 5921.
[2] Strong’s Greek 2369.
[3] Strong’s Hebrew 7004.
[4] Midrash Tanchuma, Tetzaveh 14:1. Retrieved December 26, 2018, from https://www.sefaria.org/Midrash_Tanchuma,_Tetzaveh.14.1?lang=bi&with=About&lang2=bi Midrash Tanhuma-Yelammedenu, trans. Samuel A. Berman
[5] Strong’s Hebrew 1121.
[6] Strong’s Hebrew 7364.
[7] See Considerations under Genesis 10:19-20.
[8] See Considerations at the end of Genesis chapter 37.
[9] Strong’s Hebrew 7070.
[10] Strong’s Hebrew 6916.
[11] See commentary under Exodus 29:40-42.
[12] Strong’s Hebrew 7543.
[13] See commentary under Exodus 29:36-37.
[14] Strong’s Hebrew 5561.
[15] Strong’s Hebrew 5198.
[16] Strong’s Hebrew 7827.
[17] Strong’s Hebrew 2464.
[18] Strong’s Hebrew 3828.
[19] Neusner, J. (2011). The Babylonian Talmud: A Translation and Commentary (Vol. 22a, p. 41). Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers.
[20] Strong’s Hebrew 4414.
[21] Strong’s Greek 3030.