Exodus 30:25 - Exposition

An oil of holy ointment. Literally, "an oil of holy anointing," or "a holy anointing oil," as our translators render in Exodus 30:31 , and also in the last clause of the present verse. An ointment compound after the art of the apothecary. Not a simple mixture of the ingredients mentioned, but the product of trained skill and knowledge applied to the materials. Jewish tradition says that the essence of each spice was extracted from it, and only these essences mingled with the olive oil. We are told later ( Exodus 37:29 ) that the task of preparing the holy oil was committed to Bezaleel.