And the altar of burnt offering, with all its vessels ,.... Pans, shovels, basins, &c.; and this altar particularly was sprinkled with it seven times, Leviticus 8:10 , and the laver, and his foot ; the laver of brass for the priests to wash their hands and feet in, and the foot or base of it on which it stood, see Exodus 30:18 . read more
And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy ,.... By anointing them, and so be set apart for sacred uses only; as by the grace of the Holy Spirit, the people of God, the vessels of mercy, are really sanctified, and made meet for the master's use; and therefore it is called the sanctification of the Spirit, which is true holiness, in opposition to typical or ceremonial holiness, here intended; and if this holy anointing oil made those things most holy that were anointed with it,... read more
The golden altar and the perfume. The golden altar was of small dimensions, a cubit in length, a cubit in breadth, and two cubits high. It was a true altar, as shown by its square shape, and by its horns. Its place was immediately in front of the vail dividing the two portions of the sanctuary, with the innermost or' which—the holy of holies—it was regarded as having the more intimate connection ( 1 Kings 6:22 ; Hebrews 9:4 ). The command was that Aaron should burn upon it sweet... read more
The laver and the anointing oil. I. THE LAVER ( Exodus 30:17-22 ). This was to be made of brass (bronze), and was to be placed near the door of the tabernacle between it and the altar. It was to be used by Aaron and his sons for purposes of ablution. A new symbol of the purity required in those who serve before Jehovah. The Christian contracts daily defilements in his walk, for which also daily cleansing is required (cf. John 13:10 ; 1 John 1:7 ). II. THE ANOINTING ... read more
Thou shalt anoint the tabernacle . The first application of the holy oil was to be to the inanimate objects constituting the paraphernalia of worship—viz., 1 . The tabernacle itself as a whole; 2 . The furniture of the holy of holies—the ark and mercy seat; 3 . The furniture of the holy place—the show-bread table, the candlestick, and the altar of incense; and 4 . The furniture of the court—the altar of burnt-offering, and the laver. After applying the oil to these, Moses was... read more
The altar of burnt-offering with all his vessels. See Exodus 27:3 . read more
Compare Exodus 37:29.Exodus 30:23Principal spices - i. e. the best spices.Pure myrrh - Is a gum which comes from the stem of a low, thorny, ragged tree, that grows in Arabia Felix and Eastern Africa, called by botanists Balsamodendron myrrha. The word here rendered pure, is literally, “freely flowing”, an epithet which is explained by the fact that the best myrrh is said to exude spontaneously from the bark, while that of inferior quality oozes out in greater quantity from incisions made in the... read more
Anointing oil; incense (30:22-38)Oil had special significance when used to anoint people or things. Anointing, in its highest sense, meant that holy oil was poured over, or otherwise applied to, people or things to signify that they were set apart for the service of God. The art of preparing oils, perfumes and incenses was well known in Egypt and Arabia, and the Israelites apparently learnt such skills from these people. But the formula given to Moses for the anointing oil was to be used only... read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Exodus 30:22-38
Directions are here given for the composition of the holy anointing oil and the incense that were to be used in the service of the tabernacle; with these God was to be honoured, and therefore he would appoint the making of them; for nothing comes to God but what comes from him. 1. The holy anointing oil is here ordered to be made up the ingredients, and their quantities, are prescribed, Exod. 30:23-25. Interpreters are not agreed concerning them; we are sure, in general, they were the best and... read more