SACRED ANOINTING OIL AND INCENSE
Key verse: 31
NIV
Anointing Oil
22 Then the Lord said to Moses, 23 “Take the following fine spices:(A) 500 shekels[a] of liquid myrrh,(B) half as much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon,(C) 250 shekels[b] of fragrant calamus,(D) 24 500 shekels(E) of cassia(F)—all according to the sanctuary shekel—and a hin[c] of olive oil. 25 Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer.(G) It will be the sacred anointing oil.(H) 26 Then use it to anoint(I) the tent of meeting, the ark of the covenant law, 27 the table and all its articles, the lampstand and its accessories, the altar of incense, 28 the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the basin with its stand. 29 You shall consecrate them(J) so they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will be holy.(K)
30 “Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate(L) them so they may serve me as priests.(M) 31 Say to the Israelites, ‘This is to be my sacred anointing oil(N) for the generations to come.(O) 32 Do not pour it on anyone else’s body and do not make any other oil using the same formula. It is sacred, and you are to consider it sacred.(P) 33 Whoever makes perfume like it and puts it on anyone other than a priest must be cut off(Q) from their people.’”
Incense
34 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Take fragrant spices(R)—gum resin, onycha and galbanum—and pure frankincense, all in equal amounts, 35 and make a fragrant blend of incense,(S) the work of a perfumer.(T) It is to be salted and pure and sacred. 36 Grind some of it to powder and place it in front of the ark of the covenant law in the tent of meeting, where I will meet(U) with you. It shall be most holy(V) to you. 37 Do not make any incense with this formula for yourselves; consider it holy(W) to the Lord. 38 Whoever makes incense like it to enjoy its fragrance must be cut off(X) from their people.”
Footnotes
- Exodus 30:23 That is, about 12 1/2 pounds or about 5.8 kilograms; also in verse 24
- Exodus 30:23 That is, about 6 1/4 pounds or about 2.9 kilograms
- Exodus 30:24 That is, probably about 1 gallon or about 3.8 liters
Cross references
- Exodus 30:23 : S Ge 43:11
- Exodus 30:23 : S Ge 37:25
- Exodus 30:23 : Pr 7:17; SS 4:14
- Exodus 30:23 : SS 4:14; Isa 43:24; Jer 6:20
- Exodus 30:24 : S ver 13
- Exodus 30:24 : Ps 45:8; Eze 27:19
- Exodus 30:25 : ver 35; Ex 37:29; 1Ch 9:30
- Exodus 30:25 : S Ex 29:7; S 1Sa 9:16
- Exodus 30:26 : Ex 40:9; Lev 8:10; Nu 7:1
- Exodus 30:29 : Lev 8:10-11
- Exodus 30:29 : Ex 29:37; Lev 6:18, 27; Mt 23:17
- Exodus 30:30 : Ex 29:7; Lev 8:2, 12, 30; 10:7; 16:32; 21:10, 12; 1Ch 15:12; Ps 133:2
- Exodus 30:30 : S Ex 28:41
- Exodus 30:31 : S Ex 29:7
- Exodus 30:31 : S Ex 29:42
- Exodus 30:32 : ver 25, 37
- Exodus 30:33 : ver 38; S Ge 17:14
- Exodus 30:34 : SS 3:6
- Exodus 30:35 : S Ex 25:6
- Exodus 30:35 : S ver 25
- Exodus 30:36 : S Ex 25:22
- Exodus 30:36 : ver 32; Ex 29:37; Lev 2:3
- Exodus 30:37 : S ver 32
- Exodus 30:38 : S ver 33
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway
ESV
The Anointing Oil and Incense
22 The Lord said to Moses, 23 “Take the (A)finest spices: of liquid myrrh 500 shekels, and of sweet-smelling cinnamon half as much, that is, 250, and 250 of (B)aromatic cane, 24 and 500 of cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a (C)hin[a] of olive oil. 25 And you shall make of these a sacred anointing oil blended as by the (D)perfumer; it shall be a (E)holy anointing oil. 26 (F)With it you 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 with all its utensils and the (G)basin and its stand. 29 You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy. (H)Whatever touches them will become holy. 30 (I)You shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. 31 And you shall say to the people of Israel, ‘This shall be my holy anointing oil throughout your generations. 32 It shall not be poured on the body of an ordinary person, and you shall make no other like it in composition. (J)It is holy, and it shall be holy to you. 33 (K)Whoever compounds any like it or whoever puts any of it on an outsider shall be cut off from his people.’”
34 The Lord said to Moses, (L)“Take sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum, sweet spices with pure frankincense (of each shall there be an equal part), 35 and make an (M)incense blended as by the (N)perfumer, (O)seasoned with salt, pure and holy. 36 You shall beat some of it very small, and put part of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting (P)where I shall meet with you. (Q)It shall be most holy for you. 37 And the incense that you shall make (R)according to its composition, you shall not make for yourselves. It shall be for you holy to the Lord. 38 (S)Whoever makes any like it to use as perfume shall be cut off from his people.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Exodus 30:24 A hin was about 4 quarts or 3.5 liters
Cross references
- Exodus 30:23 : Song 4:14; Ezek. 27:22
- Exodus 30:23 : Ezek. 27:19
- Exodus 30:24 : ch. 29:40
- Exodus 30:25 : ch. 37:29
- Exodus 30:25 : ch. 37:29; Num. 35:25; Ps. 89:20; 133:2
- Exodus 30:26 : ch. 40:9; Lev. 8:10; Num. 7:1
- Exodus 30:28 : ch. 40:11
- Exodus 30:29 : ch. 29:37
- Exodus 30:30 : See ch. 29:7
- Exodus 30:32 : ver. 25, 37
- Exodus 30:33 : ver. 38
- Exodus 30:34 : ver. 7; ch. 25:6; 37:29
- Exodus 30:35 : ver. 25
- Exodus 30:35 : See ver. 25
- Exodus 30:35 : [Lev. 2:13]
- Exodus 30:36 : See ch. 25:22
- Exodus 30:36 : [ch. 40:10]
- Exodus 30:37 : ver. 32
- Exodus 30:38 : ver. 33
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
God commanded the making of sacred anointing oil to anoint all the furnishings of the sanctuary as well as Aaron and his sons so that they would be set apart as holy. Everything anointed with sacred oil became holy. This signifies that it was dedicated to God. To carry out the holy priestly ministry, the priests first had to be consecrated through this sacred anointing. The anointing oil symbolizes the Holy Spirit. Jesus himself was anointed with the Holy Spirit at his baptism in the Jordan River. Likewise, through the anointing of the Holy Spirit, we can become a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, called to carry out God’s holy mission.
The incense used on the altar had to be made according to God’s command and used only for him. God warned that anyone who made similar incense merely to enjoy its fragrance would be cut off from the people. The incense symbolizes the prayers of God’s people. Just as various spices were blended together, our prayers should be sincere, broad and diverse. As we prepare both the anointing oil and the incense according to God’s command and use them for his glory, we must examine the intentions of our hearts, asking whether we seek for God’s glory or our own.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for setting apart your people through the Holy Spirit. May our unceasing prayers rise as a fragrant aroma to you.
One Word: Anointed, chosen vessel for God’s glory
