Exodus 30:22-38

The Anointing Oil

22 Moreover, the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

23 "Take also for yourself the finest of spices: of flowing myrrh five hundred shekels, and of fragrant cinnamon half as much, two hundred and fifty, and of fragrant cane two hundred and fifty,

24 and of cassia five hundred, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and of olive oil a hin.

25 "You shall make of these a holy anointing oil, a perfume mixture, the work of a perfumer; it shall be ¹a holy anointing oil.

26 "With it ²you 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 and all its utensils, and the laver and its stand.

29 "You shall also consecrate them, that they may be most holy; whatever touches them shall be holy.

30 "³You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister as priests to Me.

31 "You shall speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'This shall be a holy anointing oil to Me throughout your generations.

32 'It shall not be poured on anyone's body, nor shall you make any like it in the same proportions; ⁴it is holy, and it shall be holy to you.

33 '⁵Whoever * shall mix any like it or whoever puts any of it on a layman ⁶shall be cut off from his people.' "

The Incense

34 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Take for yourself spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, spices with pure frankincense; there shall be an equal part of each.

35 "With it you shall make incense, a perfume, the work of a perfumer, salted, pure, and holy.

36 "You shall beat some of it very fine, and put part of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting ⁷where * I will meet with you; it shall be most holy to you.

37 "The incense which you shall make, ⁸you shall not make in the same proportions for yourselves; it shall be holy to you for the LORD.

38 "⁹Whoever * shall make any like it, to use as perfume, shall 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.

Cross References

• 1. Exodus 37:29; Exodus 40:9; Leviticus 8:10
• 2. Exodus 40:9; Leviticus 8:10; Numbers 7:1
• 3. Exodus 29:7; Leviticus 8:12
• 4. Exodus 30:25, 37
• 5. Exodus 30:38
• 6. Genesis 17:14; Exodus 12:15; Leviticus 7:20
• 7. Exodus 29:42
• 8. Exodus 30:32
• 9. Exodus 30:33

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit "it"
• [b]. Lit "the flesh of man"
• [c]. Lit "its proportion"
• [d]. Lit "stranger"
• [e]. Lit "even he shall"
• [f]. Lit "its proportion"
• [g]. Lit "smell of it"
• [h]. Lit "even he shall"