Exodus 30 summary meaning ai explained commentary

Exodus 30 meaning explained in AI Summary

God instructs Moses to build an altar of incense, where incense will be burned before the Lord. He also instructs Moses to make a bronze basin for washing and to anoint the Tabernacle and its furnishings with holy oil.

This chapter details God's instructions to Moses regarding the construction and use of the altar of incense, the bronze laver, and the holy anointing oil, along with the institution of a census tax.

1. The Altar of Incense (vv. 1-10): God commands the creation of an altar specifically for burning incense, made of acacia wood and overlaid with gold. This altar, to be placed before the curtain of the Most Holy Place, would be where Aaron burns fragrant incense every morning and evening.

2. The Bronze Laver (vv. 11-21): God instructs the creation of a bronze laver filled with water, placed between the Tent of Meeting and the altar of burnt offering. The priests are to wash their hands and feet in it before performing their duties, symbolizing ritual purity and their dedication to God.

3. The Holy Anointing Oil (vv. 22-33): God provides a specific recipe for a holy anointing oil, using the finest spices and olive oil. This oil is to be used exclusively for anointing the tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant, and all its furnishings, as well as Aaron and his sons, consecrating them for service to God. Using it for any other purpose is strictly forbidden.

4. The Incense (vv. 34-38): God provides a recipe for the holy incense to be burned on the altar of incense, emphasizing its unique and sacred nature. Like the anointing oil, creating this incense for personal use is strictly forbidden.

5. The Atonement Money (vv. 11-16): God institutes a half-shekel census tax on all men 20 years and older to be collected whenever a census is taken. This offering serves as atonement, protecting them from plague and acknowledging their standing before God.

Overall Themes:

Holiness and Purity: The chapter emphasizes the importance of ritual purity and holiness in approaching God, symbolized by the washing rituals and the exclusive use of the holy oil and incense.
Consecration and Dedication: The anointing oil and the specific instructions for the altar and laver highlight the consecration of the priests, the tabernacle, and its furnishings for God's service.
Atonement and Redemption: The institution of the atonement money emphasizes the need for atonement for sin and the importance of acknowledging God's sovereignty.

This chapter lays out meticulous instructions for worship and emphasizes the importance of approaching God with reverence, purity, and a heart dedicated to His service.

Exodus 30 bible study ai commentary

This chapter concludes the initial block of instructions for the Tabernacle, focusing not on its structure but on the essential items and rituals for worship, mediation, and sanctification. It details the furniture of the Holy Place (Altar of Incense), the prerequisite for cleansing (the Laver), and the price of redemption for the community (Atonement Money). Furthermore, it provides the exclusive formulas for the holy anointing oil and incense, emphasizing the unique and sacred nature of approaching a holy God. Each element serves as a powerful type, pointing toward the ultimate mediation, purification, and consecration found in Jesus Christ.

Exodus 30 Context

The instructions in Exodus 30 are given to Moses on Mount Sinai and are part of the larger blueprint for Israel's worship. Culturally, Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) religions heavily utilized incense, sacred oils, and ritual washing to appease deities and purify sacred spaces. However, the commands in Exodus present a sharp theological contrast. While the forms are sometimes similar, the meaning is radically different. Israel's worship is not manipulative or based on appeasing temperamental gods; it is a response to the one, holy, covenant-keeping Yahweh. The strict formulas and the death penalty for misuse underscore that God alone defines the terms of access to His presence. This chapter shifts the focus from the static Tabernacle structure to the dynamic, ongoing actions required to maintain fellowship with God.

Exodus 30:1-10

"You shall make an altar to burn incense on; you shall make it of acacia wood... And you shall put it before the veil that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with you. Aaron shall burn on it sweet incense every morning... and... at twilight... a perpetual incense before the LORD... You shall not offer strange incense on it... once a year he shall make atonement upon its horns..."

In-depth-analysis

The Altar of Incense: Also called the "Golden Altar." Made of acacia wood (representing incorruptible humanity) overlaid with gold (divinity), this typologically points to the person of Jesus Christ in His humanity and deity.
Location: Placed in the Holy Place, "before the veil." It stood just outside the Holy of Holies, making it the piece of furniture closest to God's manifest presence on the mercy seat. This location signifies the vital role of prayer and intercession as the way to approach God's throne of grace.
Word - Qetoreth (incense): Derived from a root meaning "to smoke" or "to go up in smoke." It represents worship and prayer ascending to God.
Perpetual Incense: Burned morning and evening, signifying the need for constant, unceasing prayer and Christ's perpetual intercession for His people.
Atonement on its Horns: Annually, on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), the blood of the sin offering was applied to the horns of this altar. This act powerfully demonstrates that prayer is only made effective and acceptable to God on the basis of atoning blood. Prayer without atonement is useless.
No "Strange Incense": This prohibition (zarah - foreign, profane) forbids any unauthorized, man-made form of worship. God alone dictates how He is to be approached. This was violated by Nadab and Abihu with fatal consequences (Leviticus 10:1-2).

Bible references

Psalm 141:2: 'Let my prayer be set before you as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.' (Explicitly links incense with prayer).
Luke 1:9-10: '...he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense.' (Shows the practice and its connection to communal prayer).
Revelation 5:8: '...each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.' (NT confirmation of incense as a symbol for believers' prayers).
Revelation 8:3-4: '...and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne.' (A heavenly picture of the incense altar's function, where an angel adds incense to the prayers, making them ascend).
Hebrews 7:25: 'Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.' (Christ as the fulfillment of the perpetual intercession symbolized by the incense).

Cross references

Lev 16:12-13 (Day of Atonement ritual); Num 16:46-48 (Aaron's censer stops a plague, showing incense linked to atonement); Heb 9:3-4 (Describes the golden censer within the Holy of Holies, emphasizing its importance); Heb 4:14-16 (Access to the throne of grace through Christ).

Exodus 30:11-16

"When you take the census of the people of Israel, then each shall give a ransom for his life to the LORD... so that there be no plague among them... half a shekel... The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less... to make atonement for your lives. You shall take the atonement money... and shall appoint it for the service of the tent of meeting..."

In-depth-analysis

Census and Ransom: Taking a census in the Old Testament was an assertion of ownership. These verses establish that Yahweh, not a human king, is the ultimate owner of the people. To number them without acknowledging this via a "ransom" (kopher) was to provoke divine judgment ("plague").
Word - Kopher (ransom): This crucial term means "a covering" or "atonement price." It is not a bribe but a substitutionary payment that averts wrath. This money acknowledged that their lives were forfeit to God and redeemed by His provision.
Equal Payment: The "half a shekel" (a beka) was a standardized amount. The insistence that the rich and poor pay the same amount is a radical theological statement: all souls have equal value before God, and the price of redemption is the same for everyone, regardless of status or wealth.
A Memorial: The money was used for the service of the Tabernacle (specifically for the silver sockets of the foundation, Exod 38:25-27), serving as a constant "memorial" (zikaron) that the entire structure stood upon a foundation of redemption.

Bible references

2 Samuel 24:1-15: '...Go, number Israel and Judah.' ...and the LORD sent a pestilence on Israel...' (The consequence of David's prideful census without the commanded ransom payment).
Matthew 17:24-27: '...Does your teacher not pay the tax?... and you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself.' (Jesus, though exempt as God's Son, pays the Temple tax, providing the amount for two people, miraculously demonstrating His authority).
1 Peter 1:18-19: '...you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ...' (The ultimate fulfillment: the half-shekel was a type, but the true ransom is Christ's blood).
Titus 2:14: '[He] who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession...' (Christ's death as the ransom payment that makes us God's own possession).

Cross references

Exod 38:25-28 (Accounting of the silver); Num 3:45-51 (Levites as ransom for the firstborn); Neh 10:32 (Post-exilic reinstatement of the Temple tax); Mark 10:45 (Son of Man came to give his life as a ransom).

Exodus 30:17-21

"You shall also make a laver of bronze, with its base of bronze, for washing. You shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it, with which Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet. When they go into the tent of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister... they shall wash with water, so that they may not die."

In-depth-analysis

The Bronze Laver: Positioned between the Brazen Altar (justification) and the Holy Place (service/fellowship). This placement signifies that after one is saved by the substitutionary sacrifice, daily cleansing is required for service and communion with God.
Constant Washing: The priests had to wash their hands (symbolizing their works/service) and feet (symbolizing their walk/path in a defiled world) before entering the tent or ministering at the altar.
Penalty of Death: The consequence for failing to wash was death. This underscores that God cannot tolerate any defilement in His immediate presence. The flesh cannot serve God; service requires continual purification.
The Bronze Source: Exodus 38:8 reveals the bronze came from the mirrors of the women who served at the entrance. This beautiful detail shows that what once reflected earthly vanity was surrendered to become the instrument of holy cleansing.

Bible references

John 13:8-10: 'Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.”... The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet...' (Jesus perfectly illustrates the Laver's dual meaning: a one-time "bath" of salvation, and the ongoing "washing of feet" for daily fellowship).
Ephesians 5:25-26: '...as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word.' (The Word of God is the agent of our ongoing sanctification, represented by the laver's water).
Titus 3:5: '...he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but...by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.' (Connects salvation to a spiritual "washing").
Hebrews 10:22: '...let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.' (An exhortation for believers, cleansed by Christ's blood, to draw near).

Cross references

Exod 38:8 (source of bronze); Exod 40:30-32 (Placement and use); 1 Kings 7:23-26 (Solomon's much larger "Sea"); 2 Chr 4:6 (use of Solomon's lavers); Psa 26:6 (I wash my hands in innocence).

Exodus 30:22-33

"Take the finest spices: of liquid myrrh... of sweet-smelling cinnamon... and of cassia... and of olive oil... And you shall make of these a sacred anointing oil... You shall anoint the tent of meeting... and all its utensils... and Aaron and his sons... and consecrate them, that they may be most holy... It shall not be poured on the body of an ordinary person, and you shall make no other like it..."

In-depth-analysis

A Unique Formula: The ingredients (myrrh, cinnamon, cane, cassia) were precious and specific, blended in olive oil. This was not a common perfume but a holy, set-apart mixture.
Purpose - Consecration: The oil's function was to consecrate (qadash - to set apart, make holy). It visually and tangibly marked people and objects as exclusively belonging to God for His divine purpose. Everything it touched became "most holy."
Anointing as Equipping: In the rest of Scripture, anointing with oil becomes a symbol of empowerment by the Holy Spirit for a specific task (prophet, priest, or king).
Christ, the "Anointed One": The Hebrew Mashiach and the Greek Christos both mean "Anointed One." Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment, anointed not with oil but with the Holy Spirit without measure (John 3:34) to be our Prophet, Priest, and King.
Strict Prohibition: The prohibitions against duplicating it or using it on an unauthorized person carry the severe penalty of being "cut off from his people." This guards the sanctity of the Holy Spirit's work and warns against trying to manufacture or counterfeit a genuine move of God.

Bible references

1 Samuel 16:13: 'Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward.' (Demonstrates the connection between oil anointing and empowerment by the Spirit).
Acts 10:38: '...how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power...' (The NT explicitly states Jesus' anointing was by the Spirit).
2 Corinthians 1:21-22: 'And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.' (Extends the concept of anointing to all believers who receive the Holy Spirit).
1 John 2:27: 'But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything... abide in him.' (The "anointing" of the Holy Spirit indwells and guides believers).

Cross references

Exod 40:9-15 (Application of the oil); Lev 8:10-12 (Anointing of Aaron); Psa 133:2 (Anointing oil on Aaron's head); Isa 61:1 (The Spirit of the Lord is upon me...he has anointed me).

Exodus 30:34-38

"Take sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum, sweet spices with pure frankincense... and you shall make an incense... seasoned with salt, pure and holy. You shall beat some of it very fine, and put some of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting... It shall be for you most holy. And the incense that you shall make, you shall not make for yourselves... Whoever makes any like it to use as perfume shall be cut off from his people."

In-depth-analysis

Another Unique Formula: Like the oil, the sacred incense recipe (stacte, onycha, galbanum, frankincense) was exclusive and divinely given.
Beaten Fine: The instruction to beat it "very fine" symbolizes the brokenness, contrition, and pressures of life that often precede effective prayer. It also points to the suffering of Christ, which made His intercession perfect.
"Seasoned with Salt": Salt in the Bible is a symbol of preservation, purity, and covenant faithfulness. True prayer and worship must be enduring and pure.
A Pleasing Aroma: The blend was designed to produce a pleasing aroma to God, symbolic of worship that is acceptable and delightful to Him based on the ingredients He prescribes.
The Final Prohibition: As with the oil, making this for personal use was a capital offense. It signifies that the worship due to God cannot be co-opted for selfish pleasure or common use. Acceptable worship is on His terms, not our own.

Bible references

Leviticus 2:13: 'You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering...' (Establishes salt as a covenant symbol in worship).
2 Corinthians 2:15-16: 'For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.' (Believers' lives, through Christ, become a spiritual "aroma" to God).
Philippians 4:18: 'I...am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.' (Paul uses incense/offering language to describe a financial gift given in the right spirit).

Cross references

Lev 10:1-2 (Nadab & Abihu's strange fire/incense); Lev 16:12-13 (Incense used on Day of Atonement to shield the priest); Num 16:35 (Fire consumes those who offered incense illegitimately).

Exodus Chapter 30 analysis

Typology of Christ's Mediatorial Work: The chapter presents a complete picture of Christ's ministry. The Ransom Money is His atonement for our lives. The Laver is His power to cleanse us for service. The Anointing Oil is the Holy Spirit with whom He anoints us. The Incense is the very fragrance of His Person and work, which makes our prayers acceptable before the throne (the Incense Altar).
Holiness and Exclusivity: A dominant theme is the radical separation between the holy and the profane. The unique formulas for the oil and incense, protected by the death penalty, teach that God is not to be trifled with. We cannot invent our own way to approach Him; we must come on His exclusive terms, which are now fulfilled in Christ.
The Progressive Path to God's Presence: The items in this chapter complete the furniture, showing a path of approach: 1) Brazen Altar (Sacrifice/Justification - Ch 27), 2) Laver (Cleansing for service - Ch 30), 3) Holy Place (Lampstand, Table - Fellowship/Sustenance Ch 25), 4) Altar of Incense (Prayer/Intercession - Ch 30), leading right up to the Veil before the very presence of God.

Exodus 30 summary

Exodus 30 specifies the crucial articles and substances for worship within the Tabernacle, detailing the Altar of Incense for prayer, the atonement tax for the redemption of all people, the bronze laver for priestly cleansing, and the exclusive formulas for the holy anointing oil and sacred incense. Each element emphasizes that access to a holy God requires atonement, constant purification, and consecration, all of which point directly to the comprehensive work of Jesus as the sole mediator.

Exodus 29 AI Exodus 31 AI

Exodus 30 AI Image Audio and Video

Exodus chapter 30 kjv

¹ And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it.
² A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be: and two cubits shall be the height thereof: the horns thereof shall be of the same.
³ And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about.
⁴ And two golden rings shalt thou make to it under the crown of it, by the two corners thereof, upon the two sides of it shalt thou make it; and they shall be for places for the staves to bear it withal.
⁵ And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.
⁶ And thou shalt put it before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee.
⁷ And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it.
⁸ And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations.
⁹ Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon.
¹⁰ And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the LORD.
¹¹ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
¹² When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them.
¹³ This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the LORD.
¹⁴ Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD.
¹⁵ The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.
¹⁶ And thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.
¹⁷ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
¹⁸ Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein.
¹⁹ For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat:
²⁰ When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto the LORD:
²¹ So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a statute for ever to them, even to him and to his seed throughout their generations.
²² Moreover the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
²³ Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels,
²⁴ And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin:
²⁵ And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil.
²⁶ And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony,
²⁷ And the table and all his vessels, and the candlestick and his vessels, and the altar of incense,
²⁸ And the altar of burnt offering with all his vessels, and the laver and his foot.
²⁹ And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy.
³⁰ And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office.
³¹ And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall be an holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations.
³² Upon man's flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make any other like it, after the composition of it: it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you.
³³ Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, shall even be cut off from his people.
³⁴ And the LORD said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight:
³⁵ And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy:
³⁶ And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy.
³⁷ And as for the perfume which thou shalt make, ye shall not make to yourselves according to the composition thereof: it shall be unto thee holy for the LORD.
³⁸ Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall even be cut off from his people.

Exodus chapter 30 nkjv

¹ "You shall make an altar to burn incense on; you shall make it of acacia wood.
² A cubit shall be its length and a cubit its width?it shall be square?and two cubits shall be its height. Its horns shall be of one piece with it.
³ And you shall overlay its top, its sides all around, and its horns with pure gold; and you shall make for it a molding of gold all around.
⁴ Two gold rings you shall make for it, under the molding on both its sides. You shall place them on its two sides, and they will be holders for the poles with which to bear it.
⁵ You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold.
⁶ And you shall put it before the veil that is before the ark of the Testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the Testimony, where I will meet with you.
⁷ "Aaron shall burn on it sweet incense every morning; when he tends the lamps, he shall burn incense on it.
⁸ And when Aaron lights the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense on it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations.
⁹ You shall not offer strange incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering; nor shall you pour a drink offering on it.
¹⁰ And Aaron shall make atonement upon its horns once a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonement; once a year he shall make atonement upon it throughout your generations. It is most holy to the LORD."
¹¹ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:
¹² "When you take the census of the children of Israel for their number, then every man shall give a ransom for himself to the LORD, when you number them, that there may be no plague among them when you number them.
¹³ This is what everyone among those who are numbered shall give: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (a shekel is twenty gerahs). The half-shekel shall be an offering to the LORD.
¹⁴ Everyone included among those who are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering to the LORD.
¹⁵ The rich shall not give more and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when you give an offering to the LORD, to make atonement for yourselves.
¹⁶ And you shall take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shall appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of meeting, that it may be a memorial for the children of Israel before the LORD, to make atonement for yourselves."
¹⁷ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:
¹⁸ "You shall also make a laver of bronze, with its base also of bronze, for washing. You shall put it between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar. And you shall put water in it,
¹⁹ for Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet in water from it.
²⁰ When they go into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn an offering made by fire to the LORD, they shall wash with water, lest they die.
²¹ So they shall wash their hands and their feet, lest they die. And it shall be a statute forever to them?to him and his descendants throughout their generations."
²² Moreover the LORD spoke to Moses, saying:
²³ "Also take for yourself quality spices?five hundred shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much sweet-smelling cinnamon (two hundred and fifty shekels), two hundred and fifty shekels of sweet-smelling cane,
²⁴ five hundred shekels of cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin of olive oil.
²⁵ And you shall make from these a holy anointing oil, an ointment compounded according to the art of the perfumer. It shall be a holy anointing oil.
²⁶ With it you shall anoint the tabernacle of meeting and the ark of the Testimony;
²⁷ the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense;
²⁸ the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the laver and its base.
²⁹ You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy; whatever touches them must be holy.
³⁰ And you shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister to Me as priests.
³¹ "And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'This shall be a holy anointing oil to Me throughout your generations.
³² It shall not be poured on man's flesh; nor shall you make any other like it, according to its composition. It is holy, and it shall be holy to you.
³³ Whoever compounds any like it, or whoever puts any of it on an outsider, shall be cut off from his people.' "
³⁴ And the LORD said to Moses: "Take sweet spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, and pure frankincense with these sweet spices; there shall be equal amounts of each.
³⁵ You shall make of these an incense, a compound according to the art of the perfumer, salted, pure, and holy.
³⁶ And you shall beat some of it very fine, and put some of it before the Testimony in the tabernacle of meeting where I will meet with you. It shall be most holy to you.
³⁷ But as for the incense which you shall make, you shall not make any for yourselves, according to its composition. It shall be to you holy for the LORD.
³⁸ Whoever makes any like it, to smell it, he shall be cut off from his people."

Exodus chapter 30 niv

¹ "Make an altar of acacia wood for burning incense.
² It is to be square, a cubit long and a cubit wide, and two cubits high?its horns of one piece with it.
³ Overlay the top and all the sides and the horns with pure gold, and make a gold molding around it.
⁴ Make two gold rings for the altar below the molding?two on each of the opposite sides?to hold the poles used to carry it.
⁵ Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.
⁶ Put the altar in front of the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law?before the atonement cover that is over the tablets of the covenant law?where I will meet with you.
⁷ "Aaron must burn fragrant incense on the altar every morning when he tends the lamps.
⁸ He must burn incense again when he lights the lamps at twilight so incense will burn regularly before the LORD for the generations to come.
⁹ Do not offer on this altar any other incense or any burnt offering or grain offering, and do not pour a drink offering on it.
¹⁰ Once a year Aaron shall make atonement on its horns. This annual atonement must be made with the blood of the atoning sin offering for the generations to come. It is most holy to the LORD."
¹¹ Then the LORD said to Moses,
¹² "When you take a census of the Israelites to count them, each one must pay the LORD a ransom for his life at the time he is counted. Then no plague will come on them when you number them.
¹³ Each one who crosses over to those already counted is to give a half shekel, according to the sanctuary shekel, which weighs twenty gerahs. This half shekel is an offering to the LORD.
¹⁴ All who cross over, those twenty years old or more, are to give an offering to the LORD.
¹⁵ The rich are not to give more than a half shekel and the poor are not to give less when you make the offering to the LORD to atone for your lives.
¹⁶ Receive the atonement money from the Israelites and use it for the service of the tent of meeting. It will be a memorial for the Israelites before the LORD, making atonement for your lives."
¹⁷ Then the LORD said to Moses,
¹⁸ "Make a bronze basin, with its bronze stand, for washing. Place it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it.
¹⁹ Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet with water from it.
²⁰ Whenever they enter the tent of meeting, they shall wash with water so that they will not die. Also, when they approach the altar to minister by presenting a food offering to the LORD,
²¹ they shall wash their hands and feet so that they will not die. This is to be a lasting ordinance for Aaron and his descendants for the generations to come."
²² Then the LORD said to Moses,
²³ "Take the following fine spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much (that is, 250 shekels) of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of fragrant calamus,
²⁴ 500 shekels of cassia?all according to the sanctuary shekel?and a hin of olive oil.
²⁵ Make these into a sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer. It will be the sacred anointing oil.
²⁶ Then use it to anoint 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 so they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will be holy.
³⁰ "Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them so they may serve me as priests.
³¹ Say to the Israelites, 'This is to be my sacred anointing oil for the generations to come.
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.
³³ Whoever makes perfume like it and puts it on anyone other than a priest must be cut off from their people.'?"
³⁴ Then the LORD said to Moses, "Take fragrant spices?gum resin, onycha and galbanum?and pure frankincense, all in equal amounts,
³⁵ and make a fragrant blend of incense, the work of a perfumer. 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 with you. It shall be most holy to you.
³⁷ Do not make any incense with this formula for yourselves; consider it holy to the LORD.
³⁸ Whoever makes incense like it to enjoy its fragrance must be cut off from their people."

Exodus chapter 30 esv

¹ "You shall make an altar on which to burn incense; you shall make it of acacia wood.
² A cubit shall be its length, and a cubit its breadth. It shall be square, and two cubits shall be its height. Its horns shall be of one piece with it.
³ You shall overlay it with pure gold, its top and around its sides and its horns. And you shall make a molding of gold around it.
⁴ And you shall make two golden rings for it. Under its molding on two opposite sides of it you shall make them, and they shall be holders for poles with which to carry it.
⁵ You shall make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.
⁶ And you shall put it in front of the veil that is above the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is above the testimony, where I will meet with you.
⁷ And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it. Every morning when he dresses the lamps he shall burn it,
⁸ and when Aaron sets up the lamps at twilight, he shall burn it, a regular incense offering before the LORD throughout your generations.
⁹ You shall not offer unauthorized incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering, and you shall not pour a drink offering on it.
¹⁰ Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year. With the blood of the sin offering of atonement he shall make atonement for it once in the year throughout your generations. It is most holy to the LORD."
¹¹ The LORD said to Moses,
¹² "When you take the census of the people of Israel, then each shall give a ransom for his life to the LORD when you number them, that there be no plague among them when you number them.
¹³ Each one who is numbered in the census shall give this: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel as an offering to the LORD.
¹⁴ Everyone who is numbered in the census, from twenty years old and upward, shall give the LORD's offering.
¹⁵ The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less, than the half shekel, when you give the LORD's offering to make atonement for your lives.
¹⁶ You shall take the atonement money from the people of Israel and shall give it for the service of the tent of meeting, that it may bring the people of Israel to remembrance before the LORD, so as to make atonement for your lives."
¹⁷ The LORD said to Moses,
¹⁸ "You shall also make a basin of bronze, with its stand of bronze, for washing. You shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and you shall put water in it,
¹⁹ with which Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet.
²⁰ When they go into the tent of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn a food offering to the LORD, they shall wash with water, so that they may not die.
²¹ They shall wash their hands and their feet, so that they may not die. It shall be a statute forever to them, even to him and to his offspring throughout their generations."
²² The LORD said to Moses,
²³ "Take the finest spices: of liquid myrrh 500 shekels, and of sweet-smelling cinnamon half as much, that is, 250, and 250 of aromatic cane,
²⁴ and 500 of cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin of olive oil.
²⁵ And you shall make of these a sacred anointing oil blended as by the perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil.
²⁶ 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 basin and its stand.
²⁹ You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy. Whatever touches them will become holy.
³⁰ 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. It is holy, and it shall be holy to you.
³³ 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, "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 incense blended as by the perfumer, 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 where I shall meet with you. It shall be most holy for you.
³⁷ And the incense that you shall make according to its composition, you shall not make for yourselves. It shall be for you holy to the LORD.
³⁸ Whoever makes any like it to use as perfume shall be cut off from his people."

Exodus chapter 30 nlt

¹ "Then make another altar of acacia wood for burning incense.
² Make it 18 inches square and 36 inches high, with horns at the corners carved from the same piece of wood as the altar itself.
³ Overlay the top, sides, and horns of the altar with pure gold, and run a gold molding around the entire altar.
⁴ Make two gold rings, and attach them on opposite sides of the altar below the gold molding to hold the carrying poles.
⁵ Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.
⁶ Place the incense altar just outside the inner curtain that shields the Ark of the Covenant, in front of the Ark's cover ? the place of atonement ? that covers the tablets inscribed with the terms of the covenant. I will meet with you there.
⁷ "Every morning when Aaron maintains the lamps, he must burn fragrant incense on the altar.
⁸ And each evening when he lights the lamps, he must again burn incense in the LORD's presence. This must be done from generation to generation.
⁹ Do not offer any unholy incense on this altar, or any burnt offerings, grain offerings, or liquid offerings.
¹⁰ "Once a year Aaron must purify the altar by smearing its horns with blood from the offering made to purify the people from their sin. This will be a regular, annual event from generation to generation, for this is the LORD's most holy altar."
¹¹ Then the LORD said to Moses,
¹² "Whenever you take a census of the people of Israel, each man who is counted must pay a ransom for himself to the LORD. Then no plague will strike the people as you count them.
¹³ Each person who is counted must give a small piece of silver as a sacred offering to the LORD. (This payment is half a shekel, based on the sanctuary shekel, which equals twenty gerahs.)
¹⁴ All who have reached their twentieth birthday must give this sacred offering to the LORD.
¹⁵ When this offering is given to the LORD to purify your lives, making you right with him, the rich must not give more than the specified amount, and the poor must not give less.
¹⁶ Receive this ransom money from the Israelites, and use it for the care of the Tabernacle. It will bring the Israelites to the LORD's attention, and it will purify your lives."
¹⁷ Then the LORD said to Moses,
¹⁸ "Make a bronze washbasin with a bronze stand. Place it between the Tabernacle and the altar, and fill it with water.
¹⁹ Aaron and his sons will wash their hands and feet there.
²⁰ They must wash with water whenever they go into the Tabernacle to appear before the LORD and when they approach the altar to burn up their special gifts to the LORD ? or they will die!
²¹ They must always wash their hands and feet, or they will die. This is a permanent law for Aaron and his descendants, to be observed from generation to generation."
²² Then the LORD said to Moses,
²³ "Collect choice spices ? 12 1?2 pounds of pure myrrh, 6 1?4 pounds of fragrant cinnamon, 6 1?4 pounds of fragrant calamus,
²⁴ and 12 1?2 pounds of cassia ? as measured by the weight of the sanctuary shekel. Also get one gallon of olive oil.
²⁵ Like a skilled incense maker, blend these ingredients to make a holy anointing oil.
²⁶ Use this sacred oil to anoint the Tabernacle, the Ark of the Covenant,
²⁷ the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and all its accessories, the incense altar,
²⁸ the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils, and the washbasin with its stand.
²⁹ Consecrate them to make them absolutely holy. After this, whatever touches them will also become holy.
³⁰ "Anoint Aaron and his sons also, consecrating them to serve me as priests.
³¹ And say to the people of Israel, 'This holy anointing oil is reserved for me from generation to generation.
³² It must never be used to anoint anyone else, and you must never make any blend like it for yourselves. It is holy, and you must treat it as holy.
³³ Anyone who makes a blend like it or anoints someone other than a priest will be cut off from the community.'"
³⁴ Then the LORD said to Moses, "Gather fragrant spices ? resin droplets, mollusk shell, and galbanum ? and mix these fragrant spices with pure frankincense, weighed out in equal amounts.
³⁵ Using the usual techniques of the incense maker, blend the spices together and sprinkle them with salt to produce a pure and holy incense.
³⁶ Grind some of the mixture into a very fine powder and put it in front of the Ark of the Covenant, where I will meet with you in the Tabernacle. You must treat this incense as most holy.
³⁷ Never use this formula to make this incense for yourselves. It is reserved for the LORD, and you must treat it as holy.
³⁸ Anyone who makes incense like this for personal use will be cut off from the community."