Exodus 30:29 kjv
And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy.
Exodus 30:29 nkjv
You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy; whatever touches them must be holy.
Exodus 30:29 niv
You shall consecrate them so they will be most holy, and whatever touches them will be holy.
Exodus 30:29 esv
You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy. Whatever touches them will become holy.
Exodus 30:29 nlt
Consecrate them to make them absolutely holy. After this, whatever touches them will also become holy.
Exodus 30 29 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ex 29:36-37 | ...you shall cleanse the altar, by making atonement for it... and the altar shall be most holy. Whatever touches the altar shall be holy. | Altar's extreme holiness and contagious sacredness. |
| Ex 40:9-11 | "You shall take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and all that is in it, and consecrate it and all its furnishings... | Instructions for anointing and consecrating. |
| Lev 6:18 | "Every male among the children of Aaron may eat of it. It is most holy... Whatever touches them shall be holy." | Garments used for holy offerings become holy. |
| Lev 6:27 | "Whatever touches its flesh shall be holy... if a vessel of bronze is boiled in it, it shall be scoured and rinsed in water." | Pots used for holy offerings become holy. |
| Lev 8:10-12 | "Then Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and all that was in it, and consecrated them... | Fulfillment of the anointing command. |
| Lev 21:6 | "They shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God..." | Priests must maintain holiness due to their consecration. |
| Num 18:9 | "This shall be yours from the most holy offerings..." | Distinction of sacred gifts. |
| Deut 23:14 | "...Therefore your camp must be holy, so that He may not see anything indecent among you and turn away from you." | Broader principle of maintaining holiness in the camp for God's presence. |
| 1 Sam 21:5 | "...The young men have kept themselves from women, and the vessels of the young men are holy..." | David and men touch holy bread; they must be pure. |
| Isa 6:3 | "...Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!" | God's absolute holiness, the source of all holiness. |
| Hag 2:12 | "If one carries holy meat in the fold of his garment, and with his fold touches bread, or stew, or wine... will it become holy?" | Clarifies that holiness is not always transferable by touch. |
| Hag 2:13 | "If one who is unclean by a corpse touches any of these things, will it be unclean?" And the priests answered and said, "It will be unclean." | Uncleanness is more readily transferable than cultic holiness. |
| Zec 14:20-21 | "...on that day 'HOLY TO THE LORD' will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the pots in the Lord's house will be like the bowls before the altar." | Future universal holiness in the Messianic age, even for common items. |
| Matt 23:17-19 | "You fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold sacred?" "Which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred?" | Jesus teaches what confers true sacredness. |
| Heb 9:13-14 | "For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ... cleanse your conscience..." | Old Testament ceremonial cleansing foreshadows Christ's cleansing. |
| Heb 10:10 | "By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." | Believers are made holy by Christ's sacrifice. |
| Heb 10:14 | "For by a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified." | Christ's finished work ensures lasting holiness. |
| 1 Cor 1:30 | "But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption..." | Christ as the believer's source of sanctification. |
| 1 Pet 1:15-16 | "But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy.'" | Command for believers to reflect God's moral holiness. |
| 1 Pet 2:9 | "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession..." | Believers are set apart, a holy priesthood unto God. |
| Eph 1:4 | "just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him in love." | God's eternal purpose for His people to be holy. |
| Col 3:12 | "So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion..." | Believers are described as God's chosen, holy people. |
Exodus 30 verses
Exodus 30 29 Meaning
Exodus 30:29 states that any object or substance that comes into direct contact with the consecrated holy anointing oil, or with the items already anointed by it (like the Tabernacle, its furnishings, and the priests), will itself become holy. This signifies a transference of cultic sacredness, setting apart the touched item for God's exclusive service and underscoring the profound holiness of God's presence and everything dedicated to Him in the Tabernacle.
Exodus 30 29 Context
This verse is part of God's detailed instructions to Moses for the construction and dedication of the Tabernacle and its priesthood. Specifically, it follows the precise recipe and application of the holy anointing oil (Exo 30:22-25), and the divine command to anoint the Tabernacle, its furnishings (like the Ark, the table, the lampstand, altars, and the laver), and the priests (Exo 30:26-28). The holy anointing oil was explicitly designated for consecrated use, forbidden for any common purpose, and served as the means by which items and persons were set apart for God. Within the larger narrative, the entire blueprint for the Tabernacle underscores God's meticulous desire for a sacred space where He could dwell among a holy people, emphasizing the radical distinction between the Creator and His creation, and the precise methods He ordained for access and service in His presence.
Exodus 30 29 Word analysis
- Whatever: This word indicates a universal application within the specific context of objects that come into contact. It shows the widespread effect of holiness once applied to the primary sacred objects.
- touches: The Hebrew word is naga' (נָגַע). It means to physically contact, to reach, or to strike. Here, it denotes direct, tangible interaction, emphasizing that the act of physical contact itself initiates the transfer of cultic sacredness from the primary holy object. It implies a significant connection, not just mere proximity.
- them: Refers specifically to the objects listed in the preceding verses (Exo 30:26-28): the Tent of Meeting, the Ark of the Testimony, the table, all its utensils, the lampstand and its utensils, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, the laver and its stand, and also the priests who are anointed. It includes both stationary structures and movable implements used in sacred service, highlighting the scope of divine consecration.
- will be holy: The Hebrew phrase is yiqdash (יִקְדָּשׁ), derived from the root qadash (קָדַשׁ), meaning "to be set apart," "to be consecrated," or "to be sanctified." It signifies being devoted exclusively for divine use, becoming separate from common or profane use. This is a derived, cultic holiness imparted by divine command, not an inherent moral purity in the item itself. The future tense "will be" emphasizes a declarative outcome—it shall be holy, as a divine decree.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- "Whatever touches them": This phrase highlights the principle of "contagious holiness." It establishes that the sacredness, initially bestowed through anointing, possesses a transferable quality through direct physical contact. This ensures that any implement or material used in direct service or interaction with the primary holy items shares in their consecrated status, maintaining the absolute integrity of the sacred space.
- "will be holy": This powerful declarative statement expresses God's sovereign intent and the immediate, automatic effect of His divine command. It's not a suggestion or a potential outcome, but a decreed reality. It means the item ceases to be common and immediately acquires a cultic separation, fitting it for use within the Tabernacle or signifying that it must be treated with reverence because of its association with God's sanctified presence.
Exodus 30 29 Bonus section
- The concept of contagious holiness is distinct from, and often less potent than, contagious defilement in the Levitical law. Haggai 2:12-13 clarifies that merely touching a holy item does not automatically make common food holy, but touching something unclean does make it unclean. This distinction highlights the more pervasive power of sin and impurity compared to ceremonial holiness, prefiguring the need for a more profound and effective cleansing, which is found only in Christ.
- The meticulous rules concerning holiness and separation in the Tabernacle service constantly pointed to God's ultimate moral purity and the inability of sinful humanity to approach Him without a divine provision for cleansing and consecration. These regulations prefigure the ultimate sanctification provided by Jesus Christ's perfect sacrifice and the work of the Holy Spirit, through whom believers are genuinely set apart for God's purposes (Heb 10:10; 1 Pet 2:9).
- The holy anointing oil could not be replicated for personal use, nor could it be applied to common persons, emphasizing that holiness in God's presence is not self-initiated or casually acquired, but divinely commanded and controlled.
Exodus 30 29 Commentary
Exodus 30:29 reinforces a crucial aspect of Tabernacle theology: the pervasive nature of God-ordained holiness within His dwelling place. The holy anointing oil, specified and concocted according to divine command, acted as the vehicle for setting apart people and objects for sacred use. This verse extends that consecration by declaring that anything physically touching these primarily sanctified elements would also acquire a measure of holiness. This was not a moral holiness but a cultic or ceremonial one, establishing a boundary between the sacred and the common, crucial for maintaining reverence in God's presence. It served as a constant reminder of God's utter distinctiveness and the meticulous precision required in His worship, where even incidental contact with His holy things could bring about sacredness. This principle underscores that holiness flows from God's decree, transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary for His purposes.