Exodus 30

God commands the making of the Incense-Altar, v.1.etc. whereupon the high Priest was to kindle Incense ( or perfumings ) every morning , 7. and to make expiation once a year upon the horns of the same , 10. All the children of Israel were to give everyone a half shekel for the expiation of their souls , 12. the Copper Laver is commanded to be made with his foot , and water to be put into it , that the Priests should daily wash their hands and feet there , 17. How the daily anointing oil was to be made , 22. what was to be anointed therewith , 26. None might make the like , 32. the preparing of the Incense ,34. How it was to be used , 36. None was allowed to make the like for himself , 37.

1. Thou shalt likewise make an Incense -Altar ( for ) Incense : [For fo kindle daily Incense upon it . This Altar stood in the fore-most part of the Tabernacle , before the vail .It was indeed perculiarly made for the Incense ; yet sometimes there was also expiation made upon it with bloud , as appears, below verse 10. and Lev.4.7.] of Sittim-wood shalt thou make it.

2. An ell shall be the length of it , and an ell its breadth ( it shall be four square ) but two ells the height thereof : out of the same shall be his horns .

3. And thou shalt over-lay it with pure gold, [Numb.4.11. It is called the golden Altar , but Ezek.41.22. the wooden Altar] its roof and the walls [i.e. the sides ; for as by the roof is understood the cover or upper-plank of the Altar , where the Incense was set , so by the walls here must be understood the sides of this Altar] thereof round about , as also its horns ; and thou shalt make it a golden garland round about .

4. Thou shalt likewise make two golden rings thereon , underneath its garland ; on the two sides thereof shalt thou make the same , on both sides thereof ; and they shall be places for the hand-bars ; [i.e. to put them through those rings ; to wit, when the Tabernacle was to be removed , or brought to another place , Num.4.5,11,15.] that they may carry it [viz.the Altar] thereby.

5. The bearing-bars now thou shalt make of Sittim-wood ; and thou shalt over-lay them with gold .

6. And thou shalt set it before the Vail , that shall be before the Ark of the Testimony , [This Vail was a partition betwixt the place where the Priests officiated and the Holy of Holies where the Ark stood] before the expiation-cover , which shall be above the Testimony , whether I shall come together with thee .

7. And Aaron shall kindle [Heb. cause to smoak] sweet-smelling spiceries , every morning , [Heb. in the morning , in the morning] when he shall have well prepared the Lamps , he shall kindle the same .

8. And when Aaron shall kindle the Lamps betwixt the two evenings , he shall kindle that : [viz. the Incense] it shall be a continual Incense , [or, perfuming , smoaking] before the face of the LORD with your Generations.

9. Ye shall kindle no strange Incense [i.e. brought from any place else, or prepared otherwise then is appointed , verse 34,35, and 36.] upon the same ; neither burnt-offering , nor meat-offering : [for the burnt-offering or meat-offering , the Altar was ordained ; whereof mention was made , Exodus 27:1.] also ye shall pour no drink-offering thereon .

10. And Aaron shall once a year [viz. on the tenth day of the seventh moneth , which is therefore called the day of expiation , Lev.23.27.] make expiation [or, the expiation] over the horns of the same , with the bloud of the sin-offering of the expiations : [i.e. of the sin-offering whereby the expiation is made] once in the year shall he make expiation thereupon by ( or in ) your Generations : it is the Holiness of Holinesses to the LORD.

11. Moreover the LORD spake to Moseh , saying ;

12. When thou shalt take up the sum [Heb. the head] of the children of Israel , according to the numbred ( among ) them ; [i.e. according to those which of them are to be numbred] then everyone shall give [viz. once for all, not yearly, or every year] the expiation [i.e. the price whereby every one saved his life] of his soul [i.e. of his life, or of his person , and so in the sequel] to the LORD, when thou shalt sell them ; that there may be no plague among them, when thou shalt tell them .

13. This they shall give every one that passeth over to the numbred [viz. from them which are to be numbred , unto those which are numbred] the moity of a shekel , according to the shekel of the Sanctuary , [of the value whereof , see Genesis 20:16.] ( this sikel is twenty Gera ) [se Lev.2.7.25.] the moity of a shekel is an heave-offering to the LORD.

14. Every one that passeth over to the numbred , from twenty year old [Heb. a son of twenty year ; i.e. entring into his twentieth year : what sum this numbring of men did mount unto, see Exodus 38:25,26.] and upwards , shall give the heave-offering of the LORD.

15. The rich shall not enlarge , and the poor shall not deminish of the moity of the shekel, when ye give the heave-offering of the LORD , to make expiation for your souls.

16. Then thou shalt take the money of the expiations from the children of Israel , and shall lay it (up) for the Service of the Tent of the Congregation , [Or , for the work, or, furniture , etc.see below, chapter 38.27,28.] and it shall be for (a ) remembrance to the children of Israel , before the face of the LORD , to make expiation for your souls .

17. And the LORD spake to Moseh, saying ;

18. Thou shalt likewise make a copper laver , [This was made of the womens looking-glasses, Exodus 38:8.] with its copper foot , for to wash : and thou shalt set it betwixt the Tent of the Congregation , and betwixt the Altar, [viz. the Altar of burnt-offerings , mentioned above chap.27.] and thou shalt put water into it .

19. that Aaron and his sons may wash themselves out of it , their hands and their feet .

20. When they are to go into the Tent of the Congregation , they shall wash themselves with water , that they die not : [i.e. lest God put them to death, as afterwards he did the sons of Aaron , Lev.10.1,2.] or when they approach to the Altar , for to serve , kindling the fire-offering to the LORD.

21. Then shall they wash their hands and their feet , that they die not : and this shall be an everlasting institution to him [viz. to Aaron] and his seed, by their generations .

22. Moreover the LORD spake to Moseh, saying ;

23. Take thee now the principallest spiceries, [Hebr. Head-spiceries ; i.e. of the very best and principal sorts, so also Song of Solomon 4:14. Ezekiel 27:22.] the purest myrrhe [Heb. myrrhe of freedome , i.e. upright , and unsophisticated ; free and clear of all impurity . It is a gum, flowing forth out of the myrrhe-tree, the most excellent of all other gums] five hundred (shekels ) [i.e. the weight of so many] and spice-cynamon half so much, [Heb. the moity of that , viz. of the five hundred shekels] ( namely) two hundred and fifty (shekels ) also spice-calmus two hundred and fifty ( shekels).

24. Likewise Cassia, five hundred , according to the shekel of the Sanctuary : and oil of Olive trees of Hin. [See Leviticus 19:36.]

25. And make thereof an oil of holy ointment , an ointment very artificially made , according to Apothecaries work : [Oth. Oil-preparers , ointment-makers , see 1 Chron.19.30.] it shall be an oil of holy anointing .

26. And with the same thou shalt anoint the Tent of the Congregation , and the Ark of the Testimony.

27. And the Table with all the furniture thereof , and the Candlestick with his furniture , and the Incense Altar :

28. And the Altar of the burnt-offering , with all his furniture , and the laver with its foot.

29. thou shalt so hallow them [viz. by or with the oil spoken of before , verse 23,24,25.]that they may be the Holiness of Holinesses : all that toucheth them shall be holy.

30. Thou shalt likewise anoint Aaron and his sons : and thou shalt hallow them, [viz. by anointing them the holy oil] for to administer unto me the Priests office.

31. And thou shalt speak to the children of Israel , saying : This shall be an oil of holy anointing unto one by your generations .

32. It shall be poured on no mans flesh ; [To wit, besides the bodies of Aaron , and his sons , and their posterity] thou shalt likewise make none the like, according to the making thereof : it is Holiness , it shall be Holiness unto you .

33. That man that shall make such an ointment at this , or that puts of it upon any strange (thing) [Oth. any stranger] the same shall be destroyed out of his people .

34. Moreover the LORD said to Moseh, Take unto thee the sweet smelling spices, Juice and Myrrhe, [Or, Balm-drop] and Onycha, [a sort of spices used in perfumings] and Galban ; (these sweet smelling spices , and pure frankincense : let each be apart . [Heb. that alone be alone ; i.e.every ingredient , is to be beaten apart without being intermixt with any other liquid matter , and being pure thus , to be mixed together afterwards into one mass.]

35. And thou shalt make [Moseh namely , who made the first] an incense of ointment thereof , according to the work of the Apothecary , mixed, [Oth. salted, or tempered] pure, holy.

36. And of the same thou shalt beat very small pouder , and thereof thou shalt lay before the Testimony [i.e. upon the Incense-Altar, that stood before the Ark of the Testimony] whither I shall come upon thee : it shall be Holiness of Holinesses unto you.

37. Yet according to the making of this Incense, which thou shalt have made, you shall make none of yourselves , it shall be Holiness to you , [viz. to both Priest and people] for the LORD. [i.e . for the service of the LORD.]

38. The man that shall make the like for to smell thereon , [i.e. to have and keep it for his own private use in perfuming] he shall be destroyed out of his people.