Exodus 30:22-38

Instructions for Making Anointing Oil and Incense

22 And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
23 "And take for yourself top quality balsam oils, five hundred [shekels of] flowing myrrh, half [as much]--two hundred and fifty [shekels of] fragrant cinnamon, and two hundred and fifty [shekels of] fragrant reed,
24 and five hundred [shekels of] cassia, according to the sanctuary shekel, and a hin of olive oil.
25 And you will make it [into] holy anointing oil, a spice blend of a fragrant ointment [the] work of a perfumer; it will be holy anointing oil.
26 And you will anoint with it the tent of assembly and the ark of the testimony,
27 and the table and all its equipment and the lampstand and its equipment and the incense altar,
28 and the altar of burnt offering and all its equipment and the basin and its stand.
29 And you will consecrate them, and they will be most holy things; {anyone who} touches them will be holy.
30 And you will anoint Aaron and his sons, and you will consecrate them to serve as priests for me.
31 "And you will speak to the {Israelites}, saying, 'This will be my holy anointing oil throughout your generations.
32 It will not be poured on human flesh, and with its measurements you will not make [any] like it; it is holy; it will be holy to you.
33 Anyone who compounds perfume like it and who puts it on a stranger will be cut off from his people.'"
34 And Yahweh said to Moses, "Take for yourself fragrant perfumes--stacte resin and onycha and galbanum--fragrant perfumes and pure frankincense, {an equal part of each},
35 and make it into a compound of incense, the work of a perfumer, salted, pure, holy.
36 And you will grind part of it to powder, and you will put part of it before the testimony in the tent of assembly where I will meet with you; it will be a most holy thing to you.
37 And the incense that you will make with its measurements you will not make for yourselves; it will be holy to you for Yahweh.
38 Anyone who makes [any] like it to smell it will be cut off from his people."

Exodus 30:22-38 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 30

This chapter treats of the altar of incense, its form and use, Ex 30:1-10 of the ransom of the Israelites, with the half shekel when numbered, Ex 30:11-16 of the laver for the priests to wash their hands and feet at before service, Ex 30:17-21 of the anointing oil, the ingredients of it, and what was to be done with it, Ex 30:22-33, and of the perfume, the composition and use of it, Ex 30:34-38.

Footnotes 5

  • [a]. Or "anything that"; literally "all touching"
  • [b]. Literally "sons/children of Israel"
  • [c]. Or "recipe" or "formula"
  • [d]. Literally "part by part it will be"
  • [e]. Or "recipe" or "formula"
Scripture quotations marked (LEB) are from the Lexham English Bible. Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software.