Exodus 30 commentary

The altar of incense represented the Son of God in his human nature, and the incense burned thereon typified his pleading for his people. The continual intercession of Christ was represented by the daily burning of incense thereon, morning and evening. Once every year the blood of the atonement was to be applied to it, denoting that the intercession of Christ has all its virtue from his sufferings on earth, and that we need no other sacrifice or intercessor but Christ alone.

The tribute was half a shekel, about fifteen pence of our money. The rich were not to give more, nor the poor less; the souls of the rich and poor are alike precious, and God is no respecter of persons, Ac 10:34; Job 34:19. In other offerings men were to give according to their wordly ability; but this, which was the ransom of the soul, must be alike for all. The souls of all are of equal value, equally in danger, and all equally need a ransom. The money raised was to be used in the service of the tabernacle. Those who have the benefit, must not grudge the necessary charges of God's public worship. Money cannot make atonement for the soul, but it may be used for the honour of Him who has made the atonement, and for the maintenance of the gospel by which the atonement is applied.

A large vessel of brass, holding water, was to be set near the door of the tabernacle. Aaron and his sons must wash their hands and feet at this laver, every time they went in to minister. This was to teach them purity in all their services, and to dread the pollution of sin. They must not only wash and be made clean, when first made priests, but must wash and be kept clean, whenever they went to minister. It teaches us daily to attend upon God, daily to renew our repentance for sin, and our looking to the blood of Christ for remission; for in many things we daily offend.

Directions are here given for making the holy anointing oil, and the incense to be used in the service of the tabernacle. To show the excellency of holiness, there was this spiced oil in the tabernacle, which was grateful to the sight and to the smell. Christ's name is as ointment poured forth, So 1:3, and the good name of Christians is like precious ointment, Ec 7:1. The incense burned upon the golden altar was prepared of sweet spices. When it was used, it was to be beaten very small; thus it pleased the Lord to bruise the Redeemer, when he offered himself for a sacrifice of a sweet-smelling savour. The like should not be made for any common use. Thus God would keep in the people's minds reverence for his own services, and teach us not to profane or abuse any thing whereby God makes himself known. It is a great affront to God to jest with sacred things, and to make sport with his word and ordinances. It is most dangerous and fatal to use professions of the gospel of Christ to forward wordly interests.

1. And thou shalt make an altar. God now issues His commands respecting the altar of burnt incense, whereby the people were assured that the odor of the worship under the Law was sweet to Him. This ceremony indeed also prevailed among the Gentiles; whence there is frequent mention made by heathen authors of incense-burning; but what its object was they knew not themselves, nor did they care to reflect upon its proper intention, since they conceived themselves to have done all that was required of them, by the bare sign itself. In this way, however, God would encourage His believing people, by giving them to know that the worship which they offered at this command sent up to him a sweet savor. Meanwhile He admonished them diligently to beware lest any uncleanness should profane their sacrifices, but that they should come cleansed and pure into His sight. And David applies this type specially to prayer, when he says:

"Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense.” (Psalm 131:2.)

Therefore, as the other altar of which we have been hearing, was devoted to the victims for the purpose of propitiating God, so also this altar perfumed the sacrifices with the odor of its incense, that they might be acceptable to God. Hence it was placed near the ark of the testimony, though with the vail between, that its savor might ascend directly to God without any let or hindrance. There is no ambiguity in the words, except that some think there is a repetition where it is said, “every morning,” and “between the two evens;” A. V., Margin, ver. 8. others suppose that there are two separate oblations, and this latter view is the more probable, i.e., that the incense was offered morning and evening. He afterwards forbids either the altar itself to be transferred to other uses, or any other kind of incense to be burnt upon it; of this he will speak elsewhere.

10. And Aaron shall make an atonement. We should observe here the correspondence between the two altars; for, as the Israelites were admonished that the sacrifices would not please God, unless all uncleanness were wiped away by pure and holy prayers, so also the altar of incense was purified by the sprinkling of blood, that they might learn that their prayers obtained acceptance through sacrifices. Although this was only done once a year, yet it was daily to be called to mind, in order that they might offer the death of Christ by faith and prayer, “Ut fide et precibus adolerent mortem Christi.” — Lat. “Afin qu’en appliquant a eux la vertu de la mort de Jesus Christ par foy et prieres;” in order that applying to themselves the virtue of the death of Jesus Christ by faith and prayers. — Fr. and yet might know that their prayers had no sweet savor, unless in so far as they were sprinkled with the blood of atonement.

Exodus 30:34-38

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:

34. Et dixit Jehova ad Mosen, Accipe tibi aromata, stacten, et onychen, et galbanum, aromata, et thus purum: ut pondus ponderi respondeat.

35. And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy:

35. Et facies ex eo suffimentum aromaticum, opus aromatarii, mistum, purum et sanctum.

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.

36. Et contundes ex eo comminuendo: ponesque ex eo coram testimonio in tabernaculo conventionis, in quo conveniam tecum: sanctitas sanctitatum erit vobis.

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.

37. Suffimentum quod facies secundum compositionem ejus non facietis vobis: sanctitas tibi erit Jehovae.

38. Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall even be cut off from his people.

38. Quisquis fecerit simile ad adolendum ilhd, excidetur e populis suis.

12. When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel. The tribute which God here demands at the taking of the census, is very fitly annexed to the First Commandment; for God, in making them tributary to Himself, shews that they were under His jurisdiction and power; and because He had purchased them to Himself, He willed that this voluntary gift of acknowledgment should be paid to Him. Princes, in numbering their subjects, make an estimate of their power; but God, who needs not the aid and assistance of men, would have the Israelites testify, at least by some sign, that they live in subjection to Him by whom they were redeemed. Therefore, when David numbered the people, (2 Samuel 24:2,) it was a kind of emancipation of them from their subjection to God; and hence this pride, or temerity, or ingratitude, was so severely punished. But because it was useful and right that the people should be numbered, it is permitted upon this condition, that by paying a ransom for every individual, they should acknowledge God as their sole King. The word is not badly rendered by some an atonement or expiation, because, whilst they confessed that they owed their life to God, He was appeased towards them on the score of this testimony of their gratitude. But it may be derived from a word meaning to cover; for when they voluntarily subjected themselves to God, and fled beneath the shelter of his wings, they were protected and secure, under this covering. Therefore it is said below, that this gift was offered to God as “an atonement for their souls;” and this is expressed in other words, that there should “be no plague” or destruction among them, because their safety rested in God’s protection alone, that they should not be exposed to any evils. And since they had been Pharaoh’s servants, their freedom would have been unlawful unless God had authorized and maintained it. Wherefore it was just. that they should ascribe their deliverance by a solemn rite to God, lest they should suffer the punishment of fugitive slaves. But He appointed the same sum for all, that every one, of whatever rank, from the least, to the greatest, might know that they were altogether His. Nor need we wonder, that since this was a personal due, (as it is commonly phrased,) their condition was not taken into account, so that the rich should pay more than the poor, but that the same price should be paid for every soul. The shekel I am indebted to an anonymous writer in that useful little publication, “Notes and Queries,” vol. 5, p. 325, for the following note. Having given a translation almost identical with that in the text, he adds, “which is as much as to say, that the sickle (or shekel) equalled 14 solidi, less four deniers; or 13.67 solidi. But owing to the rapid declension in the value of French coin after the tenth century, it is manifestly impossible to assign a value to these solidi, unless the precise date of their coinage were known. A writer may, of course, allude to coin indefinitely precedent to his own time. In the present ease, however, we may, as a matter of curiosity, analytically approximate to a result in this way: — The drachm, is now known to have contained about 65 grains of pure silver, consequently the tetradrachma contained 260 grains. The present franc contains about 70 grains of pure silver, and consequently the sol, or 20th part, is 3.5 grains. This last multiplied by 13.67 produces about 48 grains. But the weight of the tetradrachma is 260 grains; therefore the sol with which the comparison was made, must have contained upwards of fivefold its present value in pure silver. Now, according to the depreciation tables of M. Dennis, this condition obtained in 1483, under Charles VIII., at which time Budaeus was actually living, having been born in 1467; but from other circumstances I am induced to believe that the solidus Gallicus mentioned by him was coined by Louis XII. in 1498, at which time the quantity of pure silver was fourfold and a half that of the present day.” Dean Prideaux, Connexion 1:3, says, “Every Jew annually paid a half shekel, i.e., about eighteenpence of our money.” of the sanctuary was equivalent to an Attic tetra-drachma, which Budaeus estimates at 14 sols French, or thereabouts; for the didrachma amounts to seven sols, and the common drachma to three and a half sols, minus a denier Tournois. This is the didrachma of which mention is made in Matthew 17:24; for when the Jews were conquered by the Romans, it is probable that, in order to make their yoke more galling, this right of tribute was transferred to their conquerors. For this divinely prescribed offering being the symbol of their freedom, exempted the Jews from all heathen dominion, as if free or only belonging to God. But. since by their own rebellion they had shaken off God’s yoke, He purposely suffered them to be despoiled of their right, in order to subject them to the tyranny of strangers. And this occurred just before Christ’s coming, that this new and unwonted oppression might increase their longing for Him. But inasmuch as this tribute was paid by command of the Law, the Jews were reminded that they were a people consecrated to God.

Another Supplement

as to the Vow of the Nazarites

(Heading from the French, “Autre dependence du Voeu des Nazariens.”)

Numbers 6

Numbers 6:1-21

1. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

1. Et loquutus est Jehova ad Mosen, dicendo,

2. Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazarite, to separate themselves unto the Lord;

2. Alloquere filios Israel, et dic eis, Vir aut mulier quum separaverit se vovendo votum Nazaraei, ad separandum se Jehovae:

3. He shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes, or dried.

3. A vino et sicera separabit se, acetum vini, et acetum sicerae non bibet, neque ullum liquorem uvarum bibet, nec uvas recentes et siccas comedet.

4. All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine-tree, from the kernels even to the husk.

4. Omnibus diebus separationis suds, ex omni quod confieitur ex vite vinifera, ab acinis usque ad corticem, non comedet.

5. All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head; until the days be fulfilled, in the which he separateth himself unto the Lord he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow.

5. Omnibus diebus voti separationis suae novacula non transibit super caput ejus, donec impleti fuerint dies quibus separabit se Jehovah, sanctus erit, crescere sinet cresariem capitis sui.

6. All the days that he separateth himself unto the Lord he shall come at no dead body.

6. Omnibus diebus quibus separabit se Jehovae ad animam mortui non ingredietur.

7. He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, for his brother, or for his sister, when they die; because the consecration of his God is upon his head.

7. Super patre suo aut super matte sua, super fratre suo aut super sorore sua, non polluet sese illis quum mortui fuerint: quia consecratio Dei sui est super caput ejus.

8. All the days of his separation he is holy unto the Lord.

8. Omnibus diebus separationis suae sanctus erit Jehovae.

9. And if any man die very suddenly by him, and he hath defiled the head of his consecration; then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing, on the seventh day shall he shave it.

9. Si autem mortuus fuetit mortuus juxta eum statim mox, et polluerit caput separationis ejus: radet caput suum die purificationis suae, die septimo radet illud.

10. And on the eighth day he shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons, to the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation;

10. Die autem octavo afferet duos turtures, vel duos pullos columbae ad sacerdotem, ad ostium tabernaculi conventionis.

11. And the priest shall offer the one for a sin-offering, and the other for a burnt-offering, and make an atonement for him, for that he sinned by the dead, and shall hallow his head that same day.

11. Et faciet sacerdos unum pro peccato, et alterum in holocaustum: expiabitque ilium de eo quod peccavit super cadavere, et sanctifiedbit caput ejus die illa.

12. And he shall consecrate unto the Lord the days of his separation, and shall bring a lamb of the first year for a trespass-offering: but the days that were before shall be lost, because his separation was defiled.

12. Et separabit Jehovae dies separationis suae, afferetque agnum anniculum pro delicto: et dies priores erunt irriti, quoniam polluta fuit separatio ejus.

13. And this is the law of the Nazarite: When the days of his separation are fulfilled, he shall be brought unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation;

13. Haec autem est lex Nazaraei, die quo completi fuerint dies separationis eius, conferet se ad ostium tabernaculi conventionis.

14. And he shall offer his offering unto the Lord, one he-lamb of the first year without blemish for a burnt-offering, and one ewe-lamb of the first year without blemish for a sin-offering, and one ram without blemish for peace-offerings,

14. Offeretque oblationem suam Jehovae, agnum anniculum perfectum unum in holocaustum, et agnam unam anniculam perfectam in sacrificium pro petcato, et arietem unum perfectum in hostiam prosperitatum.

15. And a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, and wafers of unleavened bread anointed with oil, and their meat-offering, and their drink-offerings.

15. Canistrum praeterea panum infermentatorum, similam placentarum conspersarum oleo, et lagana infermentata uncta oleo, et minham eorum, et libamina eorum.

16. And the priest shall bring them before the Lord, and shall offer his sin-offering, and his burnt-offering.

16. Et offeret illa sacerdos coram Jehova, facietque sacrificium pro peccato illius, et holocaustum illius.

17. And he shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace-offerings unto the Lord, with the basket of unleavened bread: the priest shall offer also his meat-offering, and his drink-offering.

17. Arietem quoque faciet sacrificium prosperitatum Jehovae, una cum canistro infermentatorum: faciet item sacerdos minham ejus, et libamen ejus.

18. And the Nazarite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation; and shall take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it in the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace-offerings.

18. Tum radet Nazaraeus ad ostium tabernaculi conventionis caput separationis suae, capietque caesariem capitis separationis suae, et ponet super ignem qui est subter sacrificium prosperitatum.

19. And the priest shall take the sodden shoulder of the ram, and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them upon the hands of the Nazarite, after the hair of the separation is shaven.

19. Capiet prteterea sacerdos ar-mum coctum de ariete illo, et pla-centam infermentatam unam e canistro, et laganum infermentatum unum, et ponet super manus Nazaraei, postquam rasa ruetit separatio ejus.

20. And the priest shall wave them for a wave-offering before the Lord: this is holy for the priest, with the wave-breast and heave-shoulder: and after that the Nazarite may drink wine.

20. Et elevabit ea sacerdos elevatione coram Jehova: sanetitas est sacerdotii ultra pectusculum elevationis, et ultra armum exaltationis, et postea bibat Nazaraeus vinum.

21. This is the law of the Nazarite who hath vowed, and of his offering unto the Lord for his separation, besides that that his hand shall get: according to the vow which he vowed, so he must do after the law of his separation.

21. Haec est lex Nazaraei qui voverit, et oblationis ejus Jehovae pro separatione sua, praeter id quod attinget manus ejus: secundum votum suum quod voverit, sic faciet secundum legem separationis suae.

18. Thou shalt also make a laver of brass. Although this oblation was a sign of the purity which God required in His priests, yet, inasmuch as this hollow vessel (concha) or laver, which supplied the water, was a part or utensil of the sanctuary, I have thought it best to insert here what is ordained respecting it, not only as to its fashion, but also its use, which could not be well separated: for if bare mention had only been made of a laver or water-vessel, Addition in Fr., "Sans savoir pourquoy il estoit basti;” without knowing what it was made for. the reader would have received no profit from it. But, when God expressly commands that water should always be ready in this basin for the priests to wash their hands and feet, we gather from hence with what reverence and sanctity God would have His holy service performed. It was, indeed, a common proverb among the Gentiles that they were guilty of impiety who handled holy things with unwashen hands, and they testified in this ceremony that they could not worship God aright except when purified from all pollution and uncleanness. One in Virgil says: —

"——— donec me flumine vivo Abluero." AEn. 2:719, 720. They are among the words which AEneas reports himself to have spoken to Anchises, when about to bear him out of Troy:

"Tu, genitor, cape sacra manu, patriosque Penates. Me, bello e tanto digressum et caede recenti, Adtrectare nefas; donec me flumine vivo Abluero."

"Till in some living stream I cleanse the guilt Of dire debate and blood in battle spilt.” — Dryden.

And such expressions are of constant occurrence. Sometimes they even seemed almost to hit the right point; as where the poet commands the ungodly and the criminal to depart from the sacrifices, lest they should contaminate them; Doering’s note on Hor. Carm. 3:1. 1. — “Odi profanum vulgus et arceo,” contains the following words: “He uses these formulas which the priests were accustomed to use at the commencement of their ceremonies, in order to drive away the profane, ἑκάς, βέβηλοι! or ἑκάς, ἑκάς, ὅστις ἀλιτρός· (Callim. Hymn., Ap. 2.) Procul o procul este, profani. (Virg. AEn. 6:258.)" but this was only a fleeting imagination, since no anxiety to repent had awakened in them a desire to propitiate God; and so, even whilst they were diligent in performing ablutions, their minds, darkened with error, knew not what it meant. But the Israelites were thus chiefly reminded how unworthy they were to offer sacrifices to God, since the impurity of the very priests, who were chosen to this once, prevented them from exercising it, until they were cleansed with water. The washing of the hands and feet denoted that all parts of the body were infected with uncleanness; for, since Scripture often uses the word “hands” for the actions of life, and compares the whole course of life to a way or journey, it is very suitable to say by synecdoche that all impurity is purged away by the washing of the hands and feet. The comparison with Christ now remains to be considered; but this we shall understand better a little beyond in reference to the sacrifices.

The Priesthood

Exodus 28

Exodus 28:1-43

1. And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office, even. Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons.

1. Tu vero accerse ad to Aharonem fratrem tuum et filios ejus eum co, e medio filiorum Israel: ut sacerdotio fungatur mihi Aharon, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, et Ithamar filii Aharon.

2. And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty.

2. Et facies vestes sacras Aharoni fratri tuo, in gloriam, et decorem.

3. And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.

3. Tu itaque alloqueris omnes sapientes corde quos replevi spiritu sapientiae, ut fadant vestes Aharon ad sanctificandum eum, ut sacerdotio fungatur mihi.

4. And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.

4. Hae sunt omnes vestes quas facient, pectorale et ephod, et pallium et tunicam ocellatam, mitram et baltheum: facient inquam vestes has sacras Aharoni fratri tuo et filiis ejus, ut sacerdotio fungantur mihi.

5. And they shall take gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen.

5. Qui accipient aurum et hyacinthum, et purpuram, et vermiculum cocci, et byssum.

6. And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work.

6. Facient autem ephod ex auro, hyacintho, et purpura, vermiculo cocci, et bysso retorta, opere phrygionico.

7. It shall have the two shoulderpieces thereof joined at the two edges thereof; and so it shall be joined together.

7. Duae orae junctae erunt in duabus extremitatibus ejus, et ita conjungetur.

8. And the curious girdle of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to the work thereof; even of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.

8. Cingulum autem ipsius ephod ejus quod in eo erit, simile erit texturae ipsius, in ipso erit, nempe ex auto, hyacintho, et purpura, et vermiculo cocci, et bysso retorta.

9. And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel:

9. Accipies quoque duos lapides onychinos, et sculpes in eis nomina filiorum Israel.

10. Six of their names on one stone, and the other six names of the rest on the other stone, according to their birth.

10. Sex e nominibus eorum in lapide uno, et nomina sex reliqua in lapide altero, secundum generationes eorum.

11. With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold.

11. Opere artificis lapidum et sculpturis annuli sculpes duos illos lapides nominibus filiorum Israel, circundatos palis aureis facies eos.

12. And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD upon his two shoulders for a memorial.

12. Ponesque duos illos lapides in lateribus ephod, lapides memoriae pro filiis Israel: et feret Aharon nomina eorum coram Jehova in duobus humeris suis ad memoriam.

13. And thou shalt make ouches of gold;

13. Facies itaque palas aureas:

14. And two chains of pure gold at the ends; of wreathen work shalt thou make them, and fasten the wreathen chains to the ouches.

14. Et duas catenas ex auro puro terminatas, facies opere plectili, inseresque catenas plectiles palis illis.

15. And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work; after the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen, shalt thou make it.

15. Facies deinde pectorale judicii, opere phrygionico: sicut opus ephod facies illud, ex auro, et hyacintho, et purpura, et vermiculo cocci, et bysso retorta.

16. Foursquare it shall be beinq doubled; a span shall be the length thereof, and a span shall be the breadth thereof.

16. Quadratum erit et duplicatum: palmus erit longitudo ejus: et palmus latitudo ejus.

17. And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this shall be the first row.

17. Et implebis in eo impletione lapidum quatuor ordines lapidum: ordo erit talis: sardius, topazius, et carbunculus, ordo primus.

18. And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.

18. Ordo vero secundus: smaragdus, sapphirus, et jaspis.

19. And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.

19. Ordo praeterea tertius: lyncurius, achates, et amethystus.

20. And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their inclosings.

20. Postremo ordo quartus: chrysolithus, onychinus, et berillys: constricti auro erunt in plenitudinibus suis.

21. And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes.

21. Porro lapides illi erunt juxta nomina filiorum Israel, duodecim, secundum nomina ipsorum, sculpturis annuli singuli juxta nomen suum, erunt duodecim tribubus.

22. And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains at the ends of wreathen work of pure gold.

22. Facies et in pectorali catenas termini opere plectili ex auro puro.

23. And thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.

23. Facies etiam in pectorali duos arnnulos aureos, et illos duos annulos pones in duabus extremitatibus pectoralis.

24. And thou shalt put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings which are on the ends of the breastplate.

24. Pones item duas catenas aureas in duobus annulis in extremitatibus pectoralis.

25. And the other two ends of the two wreathen chains thou shalt fasten in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod before it.

25. Et duas extremitates duarum catenarum inseres duabus palis, et pones in lateribus ephod a fronte ipsius.

26. And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and thou shalt put them upon the two ends of the breastplate in the border thereof, which is in the side of the ephod inward.

26. Facies et duos annulos aureos, quos pones in duabus extremitatibus ipsius pectoralis in ora ejus, quse est in latere ipsius ephod intrinsecus.

27. And two other rings of gold thou shalt make, and shalt put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart thereof, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod.

27. Facies item duos altos annulos aureos, quos pones in duobus lateribus ipsius ephod inferne a fronte ejus, e regione conjunctionis ejus, supra baltheum ephod.

28. And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod.

28. Ita jungent pectorale annulis suis ad annulos ipsius ephod filo hyacinthino, supra baltheum ipsius ephod, neque separetur pectorale ab ephod.

29. And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually.

29. Itaque feret Aharon nomina filiorum Israel in pectorali judieii supra cor suum, quando ingredietur in sanctuarium in memoriam coram Jehova jugiter.

30. And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually.

30. Pones autem in pectorali judicii Urim et Thummim, ut sint super cor Aharon quando ingredietur coram Jehova: gestabitque Aharon judicium filiorum Israel super cot suum coram Jehova semper.

31. And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue.

31. Facies et pallium ipsius ephod totum ex hyacintho.

32. And there shall be an hole in the top of it, in the midst thereof: it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of an habergeon, that it be not rent.

32. Et erit foramen sumrose parris ejus in medio ejus: labrum erit foramini illius in circuitu opere textoris, sicut foramen loricae erit el, ne rumpatur.

33. And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round about:

33. Facies et in fimbriis ejus malogranata ex hyacintho, et purpura, et vermiculo cocci: in fimbriis, inquam, ejus per circuitum, et tintinnabula aurea in medio per circuitum.

34. A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about.

34. Tintinnabulum aureum unum et malogranatum, tintinnabulum aureum alterum et malogranatum in fimbriis pallii per circuitum.

35. And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the LORD, and when he cometh out, that he die not.

35. Erit autem Aharon ad ministrandum, et audietur sonus ejus quando ingredietur sanctuarium coram Jehova, et quando egredietur: et non morietur.

36. And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, Holiness To The Lord.

36. Facies insuper laminam ex auto puro, et sculpes in ea sculpturis annuli. Sanctitas ipsi Jehovae.

37. And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be.

37. Quam pones in filo hyacinthino, eritque super cidarim, ex adverso faciei cidaris erit.

38. And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD.

38. Et erit supra frontem Aharon, feretque Aharon iniquitatem sanctificationum quas sanctificabunt filii Israel in omnibus muneribus sanctificationum suarum: erit inquam supra frontem ejus jugiter in beneplacitum els coram Jehova.

39. And thou shalt embroider the coat of fine linen, and thou shalt make the mitre of fine linen, and thou shalt make the girdle of needlework.

39. Et facies opere ocellato tunicam byssinam, facies item cidarim byssinam, cingulum quoque facies opere phrygionico.

40. And for Aaron’s sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty.

40. Filiis autem Aharon facies tunicas, facies quoque illis cingula et pileos ad gloriam et decorum.

41. And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office.

41. Et vesties illis Aharon fratrem tuum, et filios ejus cure illo, atque unges illos: implebisque manum eorum, et sanctificabis cos, ut sacerdotio fungantur mihi.

42. And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach:

42. Fac eis et feminalia linea ad tegendam carnem turpitudinis: a lumbis usque ad femora erunt,

43. And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him.

43. Eruntque super Aharon et super filios ejus quando ingredientur tabernaculum conventionis, aut quum accedent ad altare ut ministrent in sanctuario: et non ferent iniquitatem, neque morientur. Statutum perpetuum illi et semini ejus post eum.

We now arrive at the second part of the Legal Worship, i.e., the Priesthood; for we must bear in mind what I have said, that there are three things to be considered, —

1. The Tabernacle;

2. The Priestly Office; and

3. The Sacrifices.

And indeed all the splendor of the tabernacle, of which we have been speaking, would have been an empty parade without the priest, who so mediated as an intercessor, that he reconciled men to God, and in a manner united heaven to earth. Now it is unquestionable, that the Levitical priests were the representatives of Christ; since, with respect to their office, they were even better than the very angels; which would be by no means reasonable, unless they had been the type of Him, who is Himself the head of the angels. The heathen nations, it is true, had their priests, who presided over their religious services, but they were but empty phantoms; for there was no mention with them of the Mediator, so that the people might know that God cannot be duly appeased, and that our prayers cannot be heard by Him, unless a peace-maker interfere between us. But the nature of the Levitical priesthood was widely different; for the Israelites were instructed that all of them were unworthy to stand before God, and so that there was need of an Intercessor to propitiate Him. Now, since the general rule had been laid down, that all things should be rigidly referred to the pattern which had been shewn to Moses in the mount, their minds were necessarily drawn upwards; and this too they might easily have arrived at, for various reasons. The whole body of the people saw a man like themselves, who could not enter the sanctuary trusting in his own innocence, and whose dignity was conferred upon him by adventitious rites; i.e., by anointing, and by investiture. The full truth, therefore, did not shine forth in this, but only a figure to direct them to the truth; and of this they were doubtless admonished, lest they should rest in earthly things. Besides, its interpretation was added (by the prophets Supplied from Fr. ); because, as the Apostle wisely teaches us in the Epistle to Hebrews 7:18, the promise to appoint hereafter a priest after the order of Melchisedec would not hold good, unless it were applied to Christ; for it is plain that the Levitical priesthood is there brought into comparison by contrast with one of a different nature; and since the latter is eternal, it follows that the former is temporary; and, whilst the one is sanctioned by an oath, it clearly is superior to the other. There is no doubt, then, but that David, as a faithful interpreter of the Law, more manifestly shewed forth what there was obscurely shadowed.

Thus far my wish has been to teach that the Levitical priest was ordained, that he might be a type of the true Mediator. It will now be worth our while briefly to advert to the marks by which our perpetual and only Priest, the Son of God, is to be distinguished from those of old; for a fuller exposition will follow hereafter in its proper place. The first distinction I have already pointed out, viz., that the type was temporary; since perpetuity is only to be sought in the reality itself: whence we learn that the priestly office was not so instituted by Moses to last for ever, but to direct the people to a better hope. But what I have said as to the office, must be transferred also to the persons. There was only one high priest under the Law, who was afterwards succeeded by one of his race, since they were all mortal. None, then, was ever such a priest as became us, except Christ; because none other could be perpetual; and hence we arrive at the second distinction. The third arises from Christ’s divinity, which is proved by the fact, that the priest after the order of Melchisedec has no beginning; for we find nowhere the origin of Melchisedec; but he is only brought forward once and unexpectedly, as if be had come down from heaven. The fourth is the combination of the kingdom and the priesthood. Under the Law God would have some to be kings, and others to be priests; nor was it allowable to mix up the one office with the other; but He, of whom it is said that He should be a priest like Melchisedec, is honored with the title of king. The fifth is, that the legal priest only appeared before God in the visible and sanctuary, but Christ entered into heaven, to present us to His Father, not in the external symbols of (precious) stones, “Non pas en effigies exterieures de diamans et rubies.” — Fr. but in the reality itself; for in Him as our Head we are all gathered together unto God. The sixth lies in the perfect righteousness of Christ; for the legal priest, since he was one of us sinners, had need to seek pardon for himself; but Christ, being free from all guilt, awakens favor towards us by His own purity. The seventh is, that the priest borrowed from external figures what was truly and really shewn forth in Christ. The sacred garments, as we have lately said, denoted something more than human; the anointing, too, was a symbol of the Spirit which dwells in Christ; and He therefore was not consecrated with visible and corruptible oil, but with the fullness of all gifts. The priest of old abstained from intercourse with his wife when he went into the sanctuary; he was only allowed to marry a virgin; the perfect and spiritual purity of Christ was contented with its own perfection. The last distinction consisted in the sacrifices themselves, respecting which I abstain at present from speaking more fully, because they will have their proper place hereafter. This only we must now recollect, that Christ expiated the sins of the world, not with the blood of beasts, but with His own blood. Now we turn to the words of Moses.

23. Take thou also unto thee principal spices. Although the oil here treated of was not only destined for the anointing of the priests, but also of the tabernacle, the ark of the covenant, the altars, and all the vessels, yet no fitter place occurs for discussing the sacred unction, than by connecting it with the priesthood, on which it depends. First of all its composition is described, exquisite both in expensiveness and odor; that by its very excellence and costliness the Israelites may learn that no ordinary thing is represented by it; for we have already often seen that there had been set before this rude people a splendor in sacred symbols, which might affect their external senses, so as to uplift them as it were by steps to the knowledge of spiritual things. We must now see why the priest as well as all the vessels and the other parts of the tabernacle had need of anointing. I conclude that without controversy this oil mixed with precious perfumes was a type of the Holy Spirit; for the metaphor of anointing is everywhere met with, when the prophets would commend the power, the effects, and the gifts of the Spirit. Nor is there any doubt but that God, by anointing kings, testified that He would endow them with the spirit of prudence, fortitude, clemency, and justice. Hence it is easily gathered that the tabernacle was sprinkled with oil, that the Israelites might learn that all the exercises of piety profited nothing without the secret operation of the Spirit. Nay, something more was shewn forth, viz., that the efficacy and grace of the Spirit existed and reigned in the truth of the shadows itself; and that whatever good was derived from them was applied by the gift of the same Spirit for the use of believers. In the altar, reconciliation was to be sought, that God might be propitious to them; but, as the Apostle testifies, the sacrifice of Christ’s death would not otherwise have been efficacious to appease God, if He had not suffered by the Spirit, (Hebrews 9:14;) and how does its fruit now reach us, except because the same Spirit washes our souls with the blood, which once was shed, as Peter teaches us? (1 Peter 1:2.) Who now consecrates our prayers but the Spirit, who dictates the groans which cannot be uttered; and by whom we cry, Abba, Father? (Romans 8:15, 26.) Nay, whence comes the faith which admits us to a participation in the benefits of Christ, but from the same Spirit?

But we were especially to consider the anointing of the priest, who was sanctified by the Spirit of God for the performance of his office; thus, as Isaiah, in the person of Jesus Christ, declares that he was anointed with the spirit of prophecy, (Isaiah 61:1;) and David affirms the same of the royal spirit, (Psalm 45:7;) so Daniel is our best interpreter and witness how the sacerdotal unction was at length manifested (in Him Added from Fr. ), for when he says that the time, when by the death of Christ the prophecy shall be sealed up, was determined upon “to anoint the holy of holies,” he plainly reminds us that the spiritual pattern, which answers to the visible sanctuary, is in Christ; so that believers may really feel that these shadows were not mere empty things. (Daniel 9:24.) We now perceive why Aaron was anointed, viz., because Christ was consecrated by the Holy Spirit to be the Mediator between God and man; and why the tabernacle and its vessels were sprinkled with the same oil, viz., because we are only made partakers of the holiness of Christ by the gift and operation of the Spirit. “Ou il est dit, Que tout ce que, etc., aucuns mettent legendre masculin, Celuy qui les sanctifiera;” where it is said, “Whatsoever,” etc., some put the masculine gender, “He who shall sanctify them.” This is the translation of LXX. and V. Some translate it in the masculine gender, where of the vessels it is said, “whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy;” ver. 29: as if they were not to be touched by any but the priests; but it appears to me to be rather spoken for another reason, viz., that they may embue the oblations with their own sanctity.

25. And thou shalt take it an oil of holy ointment. Although the genitive is put in the place of an epithet, as if Moses had said “a holy oil;” yet it is so called from its effect, because without it nothing is accounted pure. And assuredly the Spirit of God sanctifies ourselves and all that is ours, because without Him we are unholy, and all that belongs to us corrupt. He enjoins the use of the ceremony throughout all the generations of the ancient people, ver. 31. In these words there is an implied contrast with the new Church, which wants no shadows since the manifestation of the substance; and justly does the only begotten Son of God possess the name of Christ, since by His coming He has abolished these figures. And Simeon, when he took Him in his arms, and called Him “the Lord’s Christ,” The reference here is to Luke 2:28. It does not, however, appear that Simeon actually called Him “the Lord’s Christ,” though the Evangelist states, ver. 26, that “it was revealed to him by the Holy Ghost that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord’s Christ." taught that the external use of the legal oil had ceased. So much the sillier is the superstition of the Papacy, when in imitation of the Jews it anoints its priests, and altars, and other toys: Lat., “Nugas;” Fr, “L’autel avec tout leur bagage.” “Now that your oil came not from the Apostles, your own doctor Panormitane is witness; for thus he writeth: ‘The Apostles in old time gave the Holy Ghost only by laying on of hands; but now-a-days, because bishops be not so holy, order hath been taken that they should give this sacrament with chrism.’” — Jewel’s Defence of the Apology, Parker Society’s edition, p. 178.

"Transtulerunt item sua haec olea, cure ad homines moribundos, tum etiam ad parietes, altaria, and campanas: necnon calices et alia hujusmodi, qum videmus, κακοβηλίᾳ improbanda ex veteri Judaismo esse traducta. Excusat ille Innocentius, (Decret. Greg., lib. 1, tit. 15, de Sacra Unctione.) Ecclesiam haec faciendo non Judaizare,” etc. — Petr. Mart. Loci Com., Cl. 4, cap. 1:21. as if they desired to bury Christ again with their ointments; wherefore let us hold this invention in detestation as blasphemous, because it overthrows the limits prescribed by God.

In order that the Jews may hold this mystery in just reverence, he forbids similar ointment to be made. We know that ointments were then among the luxuries of a fine banquet; but it is accounted profanation if they make use of this kind; and we must mark the reason, that what is holy, may be holy unto them, ver. 32, i.e., that they may reverently observe what is peculiarly devoted to their salvation. For although the sacred things divinely instituted always retain their nature, and cannot be either corrupted or made void by our vices, yet may we by our filthiness, by our impure use or neglect of them, pollute them as far as in us lies.

Leviticus 8

Leviticus 8:1-3

1. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

1. Loquutus est deinde Jehova ad Mosen, dicendo:

2. Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, and the anointing oil, and a bullock for the sin offering, and two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread;

2. Tolle Aharon et filios ejus cure illo, et vestes, et oleum unctionis, et juvencum sacrificii pro peccato: et duos arietes, et canistrum azymorum.

3. And gather thou all the congregation together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

3. Atque omnem coetum congrega ad ostium tabernaculi conventionis.

34. Take unto thee sweet spices. This oblation might have been noticed with the others, yet, since it merely describes the composition of the incense, which is connected with the altar of incense, and in fact is but an appendage to it, I have seen no reason why I should separate them. Let the curious subtilely discuss, if they please, the ingredients themselves; it is enough for me that they were chosen at God’s will to make a very sweet smell. For I know not whether it is likely, as some suppose, that galbanum “Not of strong and evil savor, as R. Salomom, for then it had been unfit to make a perfume of.” — Tostatus in Willet. “Dioscor. asserit galbanum esse gravis odoris, et Plinius ait galbanum foetere et castorem olere; quod forte intelligit de partibus galbani magis terrestribus — ideoque noster interpres addit τὸ bonis odoris;” (i.e., V., after LXX. Χαλβάνην ἡδυσμῦ·) Corn. a Lapide, in loco. is of a strong and disagreeable savor, and, since they only offer this conjecture in an unknown matter, they deserve little credit. My conviction is that it was sweet, which the words of Moses himself a little further on confirm, where he denounces the penalty of death upon those who should use such perfume for their private gratification; for this prohibition would have been absurd, unless its odor had been very agreeable. Besides, the analogy between the sign and the thing signified would not have held good, unless its sweet savor had testified that God is greatly pleased with the prayers of His people. Moreover, in order that the sacred symbol might be the more reverenced, it was not allowable to transfer this mixture to private use; for since men are rude and earthly-minded, there is nothing they are more prone to than to mix up heavenly things with those of earth. Therefore, to elevate their minds the more, it was necessary that the incense, in which there was a special holiness due to God alone, should be set apart from common use.

Exodus 30:17-21

17. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

17. Loquutus est etiam Jehova ad Mosen, dicendo:

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.

18. Facies et concham aeneam, et basin ejus aeneam ad lavandum, ponesque illam inter tabernaculum conventionis et altare, et pones aquam ill ea.

19. For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat:

19. Lavabuntque ex ea Aharon et filii ejus manus suas et pedes suos.

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:

20. Quando ingredientur tabernaculum conventionis lavabunt se aqua, ut non moriantur: aut quum appropinquabunt ad altare, ut ministrent, ut incendant oblationem ignitam Jehovae.

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.

21. Lavabunt inquam manus suas et pedes suos, ne moriantur: eritque illis statutum perpetuum, ei scilicet et semini ejus per generationes suas.

CHAPTER 30

Ex 30:1-38. The Altar of Incense.

1. thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon, &c.--Its material was to be like that of the ark of the testimony, but its dimensions very small [Ex 25:10].

2-4. foursquare--the meaning of which is not that it was to be entirely of a cubical form, but that upon its upper and under surface, it showed four equal sides. It was twice as high as it was broad, being twenty-one inches broad and three feet six inches high. It had "horns"; its top or flat surface was surmounted by an ornamental ledge or rim, called a crown, and it was furnished at the sides with rings for carriage. Its only accompanying piece of furniture was a golden censer or pan, in which the incense was set fire to upon the altar. Hence it was called the altar of incense, or the "golden altar" [Ex 39:38; 40:26], from the profuse degree in which it was gilded or overlaid with the precious metal. This splendor was adapted to the early age of the church, but in later times, when the worship was to be more spiritual, the altar of incense is prophetically described as not of gold but of wood, and double the size of that in the tabernacle, because the church should be vastly extended (Mal 1:11).

6. thou shalt put it before the veil that is by the ark of the testimony--which separated the holy from the most holy place. The altar was in the middle between the table of showbread and the candlestick next the holy of holies, at equal distances from the north and south walls; in other words, it occupied a spot on the outside of the great partition veil, but directly in front of the mercy seat, which was within that sacred enclosure; so that although the priest who ministered at this altar could not behold the mercy seat, he was to look towards it, and present his incense in that direction. This was a special arrangement, and it was designed to teach the important lesson that, though we cannot with the eye of sense, see the throne of grace, we must "direct our prayer to it and look up" [Psa 5:3] (compare 2Co 3:14; He 10:20; Re 4:1).

7-8. Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense--literally, "incense of spices"--Strong aromatic substances were burnt upon this altar to counteract by their odoriferous fragrance the offensive fumes of the sacrifices; or the incense was employed in an offering of tributary homage which the Orientals used to make as a mark of honor to kings; and as God was Theocratic Ruler of Israel, His palace was not to be wanting in a usage of such significancy. Both these ends were served by this altar--that of fumigating the apartments of the sacred edifice, while the pure lambent flame, according to Oriental notions, was an honorary tribute to the majesty of Israel's King. But there was a far higher meaning in it still; for as the tabernacle was not only a palace for Israel's King, but a place of worship for Israel's God, this altar was immediately connected with a religious purpose. In the style of the sacred writers, incense was a symbol or emblem of prayer (Psa 141:2; Re 5:8; 8:3). From the uniform combination of the two services, it is evident that the incense was an emblem of the prayers of sincere worshippers ascending to heaven in the cloud of perfume; and, accordingly, the priest who officiated at this altar typified the intercessory office of Christ (Lu 1:10; He 7:25).

every morning ... at even--In every period of the national history this daily worship was scrupulously observed.

9. Ye shall offer no strange incense--that is, of a different composition from that of which the ingredients are described so minutely.

11-16. When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel, &c.--Moses did so twice, and doubtless observed the law here prescribed. The tax was not levied from women, minors, old men (Nu 1:42, 45), and the Levites (Nu 1:47), they being not numbered. Assuming the shekel of the sanctuary to be about half an ounce troy, though nothing certain is known about it, the sum payable by each individual was two and four pence. This was not a voluntary contribution, but a ransom for the soul or lives of the people. It was required from all classes alike, and a refusal to pay implied a wilful exclusion from the privileges of the sanctuary, as well as exposure to divine judgments. It was probably the same impost that was exacted from our Lord (Mt 17:24-27), and it was usually devoted to repairs and other purposes connected with the services of the sanctuary.

18-21. Thou shalt ... make a laver of brass--Though not actually forming a component part of the furniture of the tabernacle, this vase was closely connected with it; and though from standing at the entrance it would be a familiar object, it possessed great interest and importance from the baptismal purposes to which it was applied. No data are given by which its form and size can be ascertained; but it was probably a miniature pattern of Solomon's--a circular basin.

his foot--supposed not to be the pedestal on which it rested, but a trough or shallow receptacle below, into which the water, let out from a cock or spout, flowed; for the way in which all Eastern people wash their hands or feet is by pouring upon them the water which falls into a basin. This laver was provided for the priests alone. But in the Christian dispensation, all believers are priests, and hence the apostle exhorts them how to draw near to God (Joh 13:10; He 10:22).

23-33. Take thou also ... principal spices, &c.--Oil is frequently mentioned in Scripture as an emblem of sanctification, and anointing with it a means of designating objects as well as persons to the service of God. Here it is prescribed by divine authority, and the various ingredients in their several proportions described which were to compose the oil used in consecrating the furniture of the tabernacle.

myrrh--a fragrant and medicinal gum from a little known tree in Arabia.

sweet cinnamon--produced from a species of laurel or sweet bay, found chiefly in Ceylon, growing to a height of twenty feet: this spice is extracted from the inner bark, but it is not certain whether that mentioned by Moses is the same as that with which we are familiar.

sweet calamus--or sweet cane, a product of Arabia and India, of a tawny color in appearance; it is like the common cane and strongly odoriferous.

34-38. the Lord said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices--These were:

stacte--the finest myrrh;

onycha--supposed to be an odoriferous shell;

galbanum--a gum resin from an umbelliferous plant.

frankincense--a dry, resinous, aromatic gum, of a yellow color, which comes from a tree in Arabia, and is obtained by incision of the bark. This incense was placed within the sanctuary, to be at hand when the priest required to burn on the altar. The art of compounding unguents and perfumes was well known in Egypt, where sweet-scented spices were extensively used not only in common life, but in the ritual of the temples. Most of the ingredients here mentioned have been found on minute examination of mummies and other Egyptian relics; and the Israelites, therefore, would have the best opportunities of acquiring in that country the skill in pounding and mixing them which they were called to exercise in the service of the tabernacle. But the recipe for the incense as well as for the oil in the tabernacle, though it receives illustration from the customs of Egypt, was peculiar, and being prescribed by divine authority, was to be applied to no common or inferior purpose.

Altar to burn incense - The Samaritan omits the ten first verses of this chapter, because it inserts them after Exo 26:32 (note).

Shittim wood - The same of which the preceding articles were made, because it was abundant in those parts, and because it was very durable; hence everywhere the Septuagint translation, which was made in Egypt, renders the original by ξυλον ασηπτον, incorruptible wood.

Four-square - That is, on the upper or under surface, as it showed four equal sides; but it was twice as high as it was broad, being twenty-one inches broad, and three feet six inches high. It was called, not only the altar of incense, but also the golden altar, Num 4:11. For the crown, horns, staves, etc., see on the altar of burnt-offering, Exo 27:1 (note), etc.

Before the mercy-seat that is over the testimony - These words in the original are supposed to be a repetition, by mistake, of the preceding clause; the word הפרכת happarocheth, the veil, being corrupted by interchanging two letters into הכפרת haccapporeth, the mercy-seat; and this, as Dr. Kennicott observes, places the altar of incense before the mercy-seat, and consequently In the holy of holies! Now this could not be, as the altar of incense was attended every day, and the holy of holies entered only once in the year. The five words which appear to be a repetition are wanting in twenty-six of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS., and in the Samaritan. The verse reads better without them, and is more consistent with the rest of the account.

When he dresseth the lamps - Prepares the wicks, and puts in fresh oil for the evening.

Shall burn incense upon it - Where so many sacrifices were offered it was essentially necessary to have some pleasing perfume to counteract the disagreeable smells that must have arisen from the slaughter of so many animals, the sprinkling of so much blood, and the burning of so much flesh, etc. The perfume that was to be burnt on this altar is described Exo 30:34. No blood was ever sprinkled on this altar, except on the day of general expiation, which happened only once in the year, Exo 30:10. But the perfume was necessary in every part of the tabernacle and its environs.

No strange incense - None made in any other way.

Nor burnt-sacrifice - It should be an altar for incense, and for no other use.

An atonement - once in a year - On the tenth day of the seventh month. See Lev 16:18 (note), etc., and the notes there. See Clarke on Lev 16:21 (note), etc.

Then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul - This was a very important ordinance, and should be seriously considered. See Exo 30:13 (note).

Half a shekel - Each of the Israelites was ordered to give as a ransom for his soul (i.e., for his life) half a shekel, according to the shekel of the sanctuary. From this we may learn,

1. That the life of every man was considered as being forfeited to Divine justice.

2. That the redemption money given, which was doubtless used in the service of the sanctuary, was ultimately devoted to the use and profit of those who gave it.

3. That the standard by which the value of coin was ascertained, was kept in the sanctuary; for this appears to be the meaning of the words, after the shekel of the sanctuary.

4. The shekel is here said to be twenty gerahs. A gerah, according to Maimonides, weighed sixteen barleycorns, a shekel three hundred and twenty of pure silver. The shekel is generally considered to be equal in value to three shillings English; the redemption money, therefore, must be about one shilling and sixpence.

5. The rich were not to give more, the poor not to give less; to signify that all souls were equally precious in the sight of God, and that no difference of outward circumstances could affect the state of the soul; all had sinned, and all must be redeemed by the same price.

6. This atonement must be made that there might be no plague among them, intimating that a plague or curse from God must light on those souls for whom the atonement was not made.

7. This was to be a memorial unto the children of Israel, Exo 30:16, to bring to their remembrance their past deliverance, and to keep in view their future redemption.

8. St. Peter seems to allude to this, and to intimate that this mode of atonement was ineffectual in itself, and only pointed out the great sacrifice which, in the fullness of time, should be made for the sin of the world. "Ye know," says he, "that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world," etc.; 1Pet 1:18, 1Pet 1:19, 1Pet 1:20.

9. Therefore all these things seem to refer to Christ alone, and to the atonement made by his blood; and upon him who is not interested in this atonement, God's plagues must be expected to fall.

Reader, acquaint now thyself with God and be at peace, and thereby good shall come unto thee.

A laver of brass - כיור kiyor sometimes signifies a caldron, 1Sam 2:14; but it seems to signify any large round vessel or basin used for washing the hands and feet. There were doubtless cocks or spigots in it to draw off the water, as it is not likely the feet were put into it in order to be washed. The foot of the laver must mean the pedestal on which it stood.

They shall wash with water, that they die not - This was certainly an emblematical washing; and as the hands and the feet are particularly mentioned, it must refer to the purity of their whole conduct. Their hands - all their works, their feet - all their goings, must be washed - must be holiness unto the Lord. And this washing must be repeated every time they entered into the tabernacle, or when they came near to the altar to minister. This washing was needful because the priests all ministered barefoot; but it was equally so because of the guilt they might have contracted, for the washing was emblematical of the putting away of sin, or what St. Paul calls the laver of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost, (Tit 3:5), as the influences of the Spirit must be repeated for the purification of the soul, as frequently as any moral defilement has been contracted.

And it shall be a statute for ever - To continue, in its literal meaning, as long as the Jewish economy lasted, and, in its spiritual meaning, to the end of time. What an important lesson does this teach the ministers of the Gospel of Christ! Each time they minister in public, whether in dispensing the Word or the Sacraments, they should take heed that they have a fresh application of the grace and spirit of Christ, to do away past transgressions or unfaithfulness, and to enable them to minister with the greater effect, as being in the Divine favor, and consequently entitled to expect all the necessary assistances of the Divine unction, to make their ministrations spirit and life to the people. See Clarke's note on Exo 29:20.

Take - unto thee principal spices - From this and the following verse we learn that the holy anointing oil was compounded of the following ingredients: -

Pure myrrh, מר דרור mar deror, 500 shekels

Sweet cinnamon, קנמן בשם kinnemon besem, 250 shekels. (probably from Arabia)

Sweet calamus, קנה בשם keneh bosem, or sweet 250 shekels. cane, Jer 6:20 - Calamus aromaticus.

Cassia, קדה kiddah, (cassia lignea), brought 500 shekels. Also from Arabia.

Olive oil, שמן זית shemen sayith, one hin, about 5 quarts.

Myrrh is the produce of an oriental tree not well known, and is collected by making an incision in the tree. What is now called by this name is precisely the same with that of the ancients. 500 shekels of the first and last, make 48 lbs. 4 oz. 12 dwts. 21 21/31 grs. 250 of the cinnamon and calamus. 24 lbs. 2 oz. 6 dwts.10 26/31 grs.

Olive oil is supposed to be the best preservative of odours.

As the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit are termed the anointing of the Holy Ghost, therefore this holy ointment appears to have been designed as emblematical of those gifts and graces. See Act 1:5; Act 10:38; 2Cor 1:21; 1Jn 2:20, 1Jn 2:27.

After the art of the apothecary - The original, רקח rokeach, signifies a compounder or confectioner; any person who compounds drugs, aromatics, etc.

Thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons - For the reason of this anointing, see Clarke's note on Exo 29:7. It seems that this anointing oil was an emblem of Divine teaching, and especially of those influences by which the Church of Christ was, in the beginning, guided into all truth; as is evident from the allusion to it by St. John: "Ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. The anointing which ye have received from him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you; but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in Him; 1Jn 2:20, 1Jn 2:27.

Take unto thee sweet spices - The holy perfume was compounded of the following ingredients: Stacte - נטף nataph, supposed to be the same with what was afterwards called the balm of Jericho. Stacte is the gum which spontaneously flows from the tree which produces myrrh. See Clarke's note on Exo 30:23.

Onycha - שחלת shecheleth, allowed by the best critics to be the unguis odoriferans described by Rumph, which is the external crust of the shell-fish purpura or murex, and is the basis of the principal perfumes made in the East Indies.

Galbanum - חלבנה chelbenah, the bubon gummiferum or African ferula; it rises with a ligneous stalk from eight to ten feet, and is garnished with leaves at each joint. The top of the stock is terminated by an umbel of yellow flowers, which are succeeded by oblong channelled seeds, which have a thin membrane or wing on their border. When any part of the plant is broken, there issues out a little thin milk of a cream color. The gummy resinous juice which proceeds from this plant is what is commonly called galbanum, from the chelbench of the Hebrews.

Pure frankincense - לבנה זקה lebonah zaccah. Frankincense is supposed to derive its name from frank, free, because of its liberal or ready distribution of its odours. It is a dry resinous substance, in pieces or drops of a pale yellowish white color, has a strong smell, and bitter acrid taste. The tree which produces it is not well known. Dioscorides mentions it as gotten in India. What is called here pure frankincense is no doubt the same with the mascula thura of Virgil, and signifies what is first obtained from the tree - that which is strongest and most free from all adventitious mixtures. See Clarke's note on Exo 30:7.

The Israelites were most strictly prohibited, on the most awful penalties, from making any anointing oil or perfume similar to those described in this chapter. He that should compound such, or apply any of this to any common purpose, even to smell to, Exo 30:38, should be cut off, that is, excommunicated from his people, and so lose all right, title, and interest in the promises of God and the redemption of Israel. From all this we may learn how careful the Divine Being is to preserve his own worship and his own truth, so as to prevent them from being adulterated by human inventions; for he will save men in his own way, and upon his own terms. What are called human inventions in matters of religion, are not only of no worth, but are in general deceptive and ruinous. Arts and sciences in a certain way may be called inventions of men, for the spirit of a man knoweth the things of a man - can comprehend, plan, and execute, under the general influence of God, every thing in which human life is immediately concerned; but religion, as it is the gift, so it is the invention, of God: its doctrines and its ceremonies proceed from his wisdom and goodness, for he alone could devise the plan by which the human race may be restored to his favor and image, and taught to worship him in spirit and in truth. And that worship which himself has prescribed, we may rest assured, will be most pleasing in his sight. Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire before the Lord; and their destruction by the fire of Jehovah is recorded as a lasting warning to all presumptuous worshippers, and to all who attempt to model his religion, according to their own caprice, and to minister in sacred things without that authority which proceeds from himself alone. The imposition of hands whether of pope, cardinal, or bishop can avail nothing here. The call and unction of God alone can qualify the minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The altar of incense was to be about a yard high, and half a yard square, with horns at the corners, a golden cornish round it, with rings and staves of gold for the convenience of carrying it, Ex 30:1 - 5. It doth not appear that there was any grate to this altar for the ashes to fall into, that they might be taken away; but when they burn incense, a golden censer was brought, with coals in it, and placed upon the altar, and in that censer the incense was burnt, and with it all the coals were taken away, so that no coals or ashes fell upon the altar. The altar of incense in Ezekiel's temple is double to what it is here, Eze 41:22, and it is there called an altar of wood, and there is no mention of gold, to signify that the incense in gospel times should be spiritual, the worship plain, and the service of God enlarged. It was placed before the veil, on the outside of that partition, but before the mercy - seat, which was within the veil. For though he that ministered at that altar could not see the mercy - seat, the veil interposing, yet he must look towards it, and direct his incense that way, to teach us, that though we cannot with our bodily eyes see the throne of grace, that blessed mercy - seat, yet we must in prayer by faith set ourselves before it, direct our prayer and look up.

Aaron was to burn sweet incense upon this altar every morning and every evening, which was intended not only to take away the ill smell of the flesh that was burnt daily on the brazen altar, but for the honour of God, and to shew the, acceptableness of his people's services to him. As by the offerings on the brazen altar satisfaction was made for what had been done displeasing to God, so by the offering on this what they did well was, as it were, recommended to the divine acceptance.

This altar was purified with the blood of the sin - offering put upon the horns of it every year, upon the day of atonement. See Lev 16:18,19. The high priest was to take this in his way as he came out from the holy of holies. This was to intimate, that the sins of the priests who ministered at this altar, and of the people for whom they ministered, put a ceremonial impurity upon it, from which it must be cleansed by the blood of atonement. This altar typified the mediation of Christ: the brazen altar in the court was a type of Christ dying on earth; the golden altar in the sanctuary was a type of Christ interceding in heaven. This altar was before the mercy - seat, for Christ always appears in the presence of God for us; and his intercession is unto God of a sweet smelling savour. And it typified the devotions of the saints, whose prayers are said to be set forth before God as incense, Psa 141:2. As the smoke of the incense ascended, so must our desires, being kindled with the fire of holy love. When the priest was burning incense the people were praying, Luke 1:10, to signify that prayer is the true incense. This incense was a perpetual incense, for we must pray always. The lamps were dressed or lighted at the same time that the incense was burnt, to teach us that the reading of the scriptures (which are our light and lamp) is a part of our daily work, and should ordinarily accompany our prayers and praises. The devotions of sanctified souls are well - pleasing to God, of a sweet - smelling savour; the prayers of saints are compared to sweet odours, Rev 5:8, but it is the incense which Christ adds to them that makes them acceptable; and his blood that atones for the guilt which cleaves to our best services. Yet if the heart and life be not holy, even incense is an abomination, Isa 1:13.

Perhaps the repetition of those words, the Lord spake unto Moses, here and afterwards, Ex 30:17,22,34, intimates, that God did not deliver these precepts to Moses, in a continued discourse, but with many intermissions, giving him time either to write what was said to him, or at least to charge his memory with it.

Some think this refers only to the first numbering of them, when the tabernacle was set up, and that this tax was to make up what was wanting in the voluntary contributions. Others think it was to be always when the people were numbered; and that David offended in not demanding it when he numbered the people. But many of the Jewish writers are of opinion, it was to be an annual tribute; only it was begun when Moses first numbered the people. This was that tribute - money which Christ paid lest he should offend his adversaries. The tribute to be paid was half a shekel, about fifteen - pence of our money. In other offerings men were to give according to their ability, but this, which was the ransom of the soul, must be alike for all; for the rich have as much need of Christ as the poor, and the poor are as welcome to him as the rich. And this was to be paid as a ransom of the soul, that there might be no plague among them - Hereby they acknowledged that they received their lives from God, that they had forfeited their lives to him, and that they depended upon his power and patience for the continuance of them; and thus they did homage to the God of their lives, and deprecated those plagues which their sins had deserved. This money was employed in the service of the tabernacle; with it they bought sacrifices, flour, incense wine, oil, fuel, salt, priests garments, and all other things which the whole congregation was interested in.

The laver, or font was a large vessel, that would contain a good quantity of water. The foot of brass, it is supposed, was so contrived as to receive the water, which was let out of the laver, by spouts or cocks. They then had a laver for the priests only to wash in, but to us now there is a fountain opened for Judah and Jerusalem, Zech 13:1, an inexhaustible fountain of living water, so that it is our own fault if we remain in our pollution. Aaron and his sons were to wash their hands and feet at this laver every time they went in to minister. For this purpose clean water was put into the laver, fresh every day. Though they washed themselves ever so clean at their own houses, that would not serve, they must wash at the laver. This was designed, to teach them purity in all their ministrations, and to possess them with a reverence of God's holiness, and a dread of the pollutions of sin. They must not only wash and be made clean when they were first consecrated, but they must wash and be kept clean, whenever they went in to minister. He only shall stand in God's holy place that hath clean hands and a pure heart, Psa 24:3,4. And it was to teach us, who are daily to attend upon God, daily to renew our repentance for sin, and our believing application of the blood of Christ to our souls for remission.

Interpreters are not agreed concerning these ingredients: the spices, which were in all near half a hundred weight, were to be infused in the oil, which was to be about five or six quarts, and then strained out, leaving an admirable smell in the oil. With this oil God's tent and all the furniture of it were to be anointed; it was to be used also in the consecration of the priests. It was to be continued throughout their generations, Ex 30:31. Solomon was anointed with it, 1Kings 1:39, and some other of the kings, and all the high priests, with such a quantity of it, as that it ran down to the skirts of the garments; and we read of the making it up, 1Chron 9:30. Yet all agree that in the second temple there was none of this holy oil, which was probably owing to a notion they had, that it was not lawful to make it up; Providence over - ruling that want as a presage of the better unction of the Holy Ghost in gospel - times, the variety of whose gifts was typified by these sweet ingredients.

The incense which was burned upon the golden altar was prepared of sweet spices likewise, though not so rare and rich as those which the anointing oil was compounded of. This was prepared once a year, (the Jews say) a pound for each day of the year, and three pound over for the day of atonement. When it was used it was to be beaten very small; thus it pleased the Lord to bruise the Redeemer, when he offered himself for a sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour. Concerning both these preparations the same law is here given, that the like should not be made for any common use. Thus God would preserve in the peoples minds a reverence for his own institutions, and teach us not to profane or abuse any thing whereby God makes himself known.

1 AND thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon : of shittim-wood shalt thou make it.

Incense signifies the prayers of Gods people, Psal. 141. 2. Revel. 8. 3. which are not acceptable to God, except they be offered upon the true Altar, Christ. This incense also was useful to correct the bad smell of the sacrifices, which were offerred on another Altar, not far from it. Yea some sacrifices were offered upon this Altar, as appears from verse 10. Levit. 4. 7. But here onely the principal and constant use of it is noted.

Marginal references: chap. 37. 25.

2 A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof (four-square shall it be) and two cubits shall be the height thereof, the horns thereof shall be of the same.

See Exod. 27. 2. Though these horns as they were for another use, so they seem to be here of another form, and for ornament more than for service.

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.

This was made hollow like a grate that the ashes might fall thorough it.

A border which encompassed the Altar, that the things laid on it might not fall of.

Marginal references: Heb. roof.; Heb. wall.

6 And thou shalt put it before the vail , that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercyseat, that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee.

Before the second vail, in the holy place, and near to the holy of holies, and consequently to the Ark and Mercyseat.

7 And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps he shall burn incense upon it.

Aaron was to do this for the first time, but afterwards any Priest might do it, as appears from Luke 1. 9. This not being done in the Holy of Holies, which was the High-Priests peculiar.

(i. e.) Cleansed them, and prepared them for the receiving of the new lights.

Marginal references: Heb. i[illegible: 1+ letters]cense of spic[illegible: 1+ letters]s.; chap. 27. 20.

8 And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the LORD, throughout your generations.

The time when all the lamps were to be lighted, 1 Sam. 3. 3. Sce Exod. 27. 20, 21.

Marginal references: Or, sett[illegible: 1+ letters]th up.; Heb. [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] ascend.; Heb. between the two [illegible: 1 word].

9 Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt-sacrifice, nor meat-offering, neither shall ye pour drink-offering thereon.

(i. e.) Of any other [illegible: 1+ letters]ort than what I shall here appoint, verse 34, &c.

10 And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year : with the bloud 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.

On the day of expiation, Levit. 16. 19. Numb. 29. 7.

To note, that the prayers of the Saints are acceptable to God no otherwise, but through the blood of Christ who was offered for the expiation of our [illegible: 1 word].

Marginal references: [illegible: 1+ letters]ev. 16. 14. [illegible: 1 word] 23. 27.

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 numbrest them , that there be no plague amongst them, when thou numbrest them.

A certain price for the redemption of their lives: whereby they acknowledged the right and power which God had over their lives, and that they had forfeited them by their sins, and that it was Gods mercy to continue their lives to them.

To wit, upon any just occasion, either now in the Wilderness, or afterward: It may seem that this payment was neither to be made at this time onely, as some would have it, nor yet every year, as Iosephus and others affirm, because it is not said to be a perpetual statute, as other things of constant observance are, but upon any eminent occasions, when the service of the Tabernacle (which is the end and use of this collection) or Temple required it, as may be gathered from 2 King. 12. 4. compared with 2 Chron. 24. 6. Compare Neh. 10. 32. Matth. 17. 24. And as now it was imployed in the building of the Tabernacle, so afterwards it might be laid out upon the repairs or other services of it.

Marginal references: chap. 38. 25. Numb. 1. 2, 5. and 25. 2.; Heb. them that are to be numbred. See Numb. 31. 50.

13 This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbred half a shekel, after the shekel of the sanctuary , (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the LORD .

Which though it hath been commonly conceived to be double to the common shekel, yet divers late learned men seem more truely to judge that it was no more than the common shekel consisting of half a crown of English-money, which is called the shekel of the Sanctuary because the standard by which all shekels were to be examined was kept in the Sanctuary, as afterwards the just weights and measures were kept in Christian Temples or other publick places. See Levit. 27. 25. Numb. 3. 47. Ezek. 45. 10, 11, 12. add to this, that it was a part of the Priests office to look to the weights and measures, as plainly appears from 1 Chron. 23. 29.

Not less, least it should be contemptible, nor more, least it should be too burdensome for the poor.

Marginal references: Matth. 17. 24.

14 Every one that passeth among them that are numbred, from twenty years old and above , shall give an offering unto the LORD.

The time when they began to be fit for employment and capable of getting and paying mony. Women and Children are not included here, because they are reckoned in their fathers or husbands.

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.

This was partly to teach them, that all souls are of equal worth in themselves and price with God, that there is no respect of persons with God and in Gods Worship and Service, but Gospel-graces, Ordinances and Priviledges are common and equal to all, Exod. 12. and 16. 18. Gal. 3. 28. Col. 3. 11. that all persons are alike obnoxious to divine justice, and are redeemed by one and the same price; partly to check the arrogance and vanity of the rich, who are very apt to despise the poor; and partly that by this means the number of the people might be exactly known when occasion required it.

Marginal references: Heb. multipl[illegible: 1+ letters].; Heb. diminish.

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.

For the building and furniture of it, and the maintenance of Gods worship in it.

Either to the people who hereby profess God to be their Lord and owner, and themselves his subjects and tributaries; or to God, who hereby takes occasion to remember them and to own them for his people.

Marginal references: chap. 38. 25.

17 And the LORD spake unto Moses , saying,

The frequent repetition of this phrase, and the shortness of these discourses in comparison of the length of the forty dayes, shew that God did not deliver all these Laws and Prescriptions at one time, but successively at several times, possibly upon the Sabbath-dayes.

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.

See the accomplishment Exod. 38. 8.

Both the Priests and the parts of the sacrifices.

To wit, of burnt-offerings.

19 For Aaron and his sons wash their hands and their feet thereat.

To signifie their natural impurity and unworthiness either to handle holy things or to come into the holy place, and their need of washing with the blood and spirit of Christ, which was typified by this washing.

Marginal references: Psal. 26. 6. Isa. 52. 11. Heb. 10. 22.

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 an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

For though the fault might seem small, yet the command was evident and easie, and therefore the disobedience was worse arguing presumption, rebellion, and contempt. And God is more severe in the matters of his Worship than in other cases.

23 Take thou also unto thee principal spices , of pure myrrhe five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels.

The words are very emphatical, and the Jews from hence do rightly infer, that this ointment was but once made, and that by Moses his own hands.

See Cant. 4. 14. Ezek. 27. 22. and compare Psal. 45. 8. Amos 6. 6.

Heb. myrrhe of liberty, either, 1. Free from adulteration or mixture, or rather 2. Freely dropping from the Tree, which is esteemed better than that which is forced out of it.

A sweet reed, of which see Isa. 43. 24. Ier. 6. 20.

23 And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin.

Not the common kind of Cassia, which we use in purging, but another kind of it, there being seven several kinds of it, as the learned note.

Marginal references: chap. 29. 40.

26 And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony.

This was onely an outward ceremony signifying the separation and sanctification of these things for the service of God, as the anointing of Kings and Priests noted their designation to their Offices.

30 And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons , and consecrate them, that they may minister unto me in the priests office.

Not all of them, but onely those who succeed him in the High-Priests Office, as appears from Exod. 40. 15. Levit. 4. 3, 5, 16. and 16. 32. and 21. 10. This anointing of them signified both Gods election or calling them to this office, and the inward qualifications requisite for it, to wit, the gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost, which are oft designed by this word of anointing, as Isa. 61. 1. Dan. 9. 24. 1. Iohn 2. 27. and the solemn setting a part of Christ, the true High-Priest, for the mediatorial office.

31 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall be an holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations.

(i. e.) Reserved for my service alone, not employed to any profane or civil use, as it follows.

32 Upon mans 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

Except those whom God himself, the author of this Law, excepts, to wit, the High-priests, of which see verse 30. and some of the Kings, of which see 1 King. 1. 39. Psal. 89. 20. though others think the Kings were onely anointed with common oil.

As it is unto me, verse 31. you shall account it holy, as I do.

33 Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger , shall even be cut off from his people.

The word stranger is commonly used to note the Gentiles, or such as were not of Israels race, but sometimes it notes those that are not of the Priestly race, as Exod. 29. 33. Levit. 22. 12, 13. And so it seems to be here. And if any of the Kings were anointed with this oil, it was done by Gods special appointment, who may dispence with his own Laws.

Marginal references: Gen. 17. 1[illegible: 1+ letters]

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 .

The Jews themselves are not agreed what these were, and it concerns not Christians much to know, the use of them being abolished. It is evident they were each of them sweet spices, and therefore this Galbanum was not of the common kind, which gives a very bad sent.

Heb. Alone shall be with alone, i. e. Each of these alone shall be with another alone, to wit, in equal quantity. Or it may note, that each of these was to be taken and beaten a part, and then mixed together. Or, it shall be alone alone, i. e. absolutely and certainly alone, the doubling of the word increasing the signification, and thus it doth not belong to all the ingredients, because the Hebrew verb is here of the singular number, but onely to the Frankincense, and the sense may be, that whereas the other things shall be tempered together, the Frankincense should be alone, which may seem most agreeable both to the common use of Frankincense, and to its differing nature from the other things mentioned, two of them at least being confessedly liquid things.

35 And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together pure and holy.

Heb. Salted, either 1. properly, for salt was to be offered with all offerings. Levit. 2. 13. And the Hebrew Doctors tell us that six eggshels full of salt were used, or, 2. Metaphorically, well mixed together, as salt was with things either offered to God or eaten by man.

Of the best of each kind of drugs, the most perfect and uncorrupted.

Marginal references: Heb. sal[illegible: 1+ letters]

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.

So much as is sufficient for the daily incense.

Marginal references: Heb. of [illegible: 1 word] ing.; chap. 29. [illegible: 1+ letters] Lev. 16. 2.

Exo 30:1-6 (cf. Exo 37:25-28). Moses was directed to make an altar of burning of incense (lit., incensing of incense), of acacia-wood, one cubit long and one broad, four-cornered, two cubits high, furnished with horns like the altar of burnt-offering (Exo 27:1-2), and to plate it with pure gold, the roof (גּג) thereof (i.e., its upper side or surface, which was also made of wood), and its walls round about, and its horns; so that it was covered with gold quite down to the ground upon which it stood, and for this reason is often called the golden altar (Exo 39:38; Exo 40:5, Exo 40:26; Num 4:11). Moreover it was to be ornamented with a golden wreath, and furnished with golden rings at the corners for the carrying-poles, as the ark of the covenant and the table of shew-bread were (Exo 25:11., Exo 25:25.); and its place was to be in front of the curtain, which concealed the ark of the covenant (Exo 26:31), “before the capporeth” (Exo 40:5), so that, although it really stood in the holy place between the candlestick on the south side and the table on the north (Exo 26:35; Exo 40:22, Exo 40:24), it was placed in the closest relation to the capporeth, and for this reason is not only connected with the most holy place in 1Ki 6:22, but is reckoned in Heb 9:4 as part of the furniture of the most holy place (see Delitzsch on Heb 9:4).

Exo 30:7-9

Upon this altar Aaron was to burn fragrant incense, the preparation of which is described in Exo 30:34., every morning and evening before Jehovah, at the time when he trimmed the lamps. No “strange incense” was to be offered upon it, - i.e., incense which Jehovah had not appointed (cf. Lev 10:1), that is to say, which had not been prepared according to His instructions-nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat-offering; and no drink-offering was to be poured upon it. As the altar of incense was not only marked as a place of sacrifice by its name מזבּח, “place of slain-offering,” but was put on a par with the altar of sacrifice by its square shape and its horns, it was important to describe minutely what sacrifices were to be offered upon it. For the burning of fragrant incense is shown to be a sacrifice, by the fact that it was offered upon a place of sacrifice, or altar. Moreover the word הקטיר, to cause to ascend in smoke and steam, from קטר to smoke or steam, is not only applied to the lighting of incense, but also to the lighting and burning of the bleeding and bloodless sacrifices upon the altar of incense. Lastly, the connection between the incense-offering and the burnt-offering is indicated by the rule that they were to be offered at the same time. Both offerings shadowed forth the devotion of Israel to its God, whilst the fact that they were offered every day exhibited this devotion as constant and uninterrupted. But the distinction between them consisted in this, that in the burnt or whole offering Israel consecrated and sanctified its whole life and action in both body and soul to the Lord, whilst in the incense-offering its prayer was embodied as the exaltation of the spiritual man to God (cf. Psa 141:2; Rev 5:8; Rev 8:3-4); and with this there was associated the still further distinction, that the devotion was completed in the burnt-offering solely upon the basis of the atoning sprinkling of blood, whereas the incense-offering presupposed reconciliation with God, and on the basis of this the soul rose to God in this embodiment of its prayer, and was thus absorbed into His Spirit. In this respect, the incense-offering was not only a spiritualizing and transfiguring of the burnt-offering, but a completion of that offering also.

Exo 30:10

Once a year Aaron was to expiate the altar of incense with the blood of the sin-offering of atonement, because it was most holy to the Lord, that is to say, as is expressly observed in the directions concerning this expiatory act (Lev 16:18-19), to purify it from the uncleannesses of the children of Israel. כּפּר, with על objecti constr., signifies literally to cover over a thing, then to cover over sin, or make expiation. In the second clause we have “upon it” (the altar) instead of “upon the horns of it,” because the altar itself was expiated in its horns. The use of מן in מדּם is to be explained on the ground that only a part of the blood of the sin-offering was smeared with the finger upon the horns. (For further remarks, see at Lev 16:18-19.) The term “most holy” is not only applied to this altar, in common with the inner division of the tabernacle (Exo 26:33), but also to the altar of burnt-offering (Exo 29:37; Exo 40:10), and all the vessels of the sanctuary (Exo 30:29), which were anointed with holy oil; then to the whole of the tabernacle in its holiest aspect (Num 18:10); and lastly, to all the sacrifices, which were given up entirely to Jehovah (see at Lev 2:3); - consequently to everything which stood in so intimate a relation to Jehovah as to be altogether removed, not only from use and enjoyment on the part of man, but also from contact on the part of unsanctified men. Whoever touched a most holy thing was sanctified thereby (compare Exo 30:29 with Exo 29:37).

The Atonement-Money, which every Israelite had to pay at the numbering of the people, has the first place among the supplementary instructions concerning the erection and furnishing of the sanctuary, and serves to complete the demand for freewill-offerings for the sanctuary (Exo 25:1-9).

Exo 30:12-15

“When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel according to them that are numbered, they shall give every one an expiation for his soul to the Lord at their numbering, that a plague may not strike them (happen to them) at their numbering.” פּקד, lit., adspexit, then inspexit explorandi causa, hence to review, or number an army or a nation, for the purpose of enrolling for military service. לפקדיהם with reference to the numbered, qui in censum veniunt. כּפר (expiation, expiation-money, from כּפּר to expiate) is to be traced to the idea that the object for which expiation was made was thereby withdrawn from the view of the person to be won or reconciled. It is applied in two ways: (1) on the supposition that the face of the person to be won was covered by the gift (Gen 32:21; 1Sa 12:3); and (2) on the supposition that the guilt itself was covered up (Psa 32:1), or wiped away (Jer 18:23), so far as the eye of God was concerned, as though it had no longer any existence, and that the sinful man was protected from the punishment of the judge in consequence of this covering. In this way כּפר has acquired the meaning λύτρον, a payment by which the guilty are redeemed (Exo 21:30; Num 35:31); and this is the meaning which it has in the passage before us, where the soul is said to be protected by the copher, so as to be able to come without danger into the presence of the holy God (Num 8:19. See Oehler in Herzog's Cycl.). Such an approach to God took place at the numbering of the people for the purpose of enrolling them in the army of Jehovah (Num 1:3, cf. Exo 7:4; Exo 12:41). Hence “every one who passed over to those that were numbered,” who was enrolled among them, i.e., in the army of Jehovah, - that is to say, every male Israelite of 20 years old and upwards (Exo 30:14), - was to pay half a shekel of the sanctuary as atonement-money; the rich no more, the poor no less (Exo 30:15), because all were equal in the sight of Jehovah; and this payment was to be a “heave” (terumah, see Exo 25:2) for Jehovah for the expiation of the souls. The shekel of the sanctuary, which contained 20 gerahs, was no doubt the original shekel of full weight, as distinguished from the lighter shekel which was current in ordinary use. In Exo 38:26 the half shekel is called בּקע, lit., the split, i.e., half, from בּקע to split; and we find it mentioned as early as the time of the patriarchs as a weight in common use for valuing gold (Gen 24:22), so that, no doubt, even at that time there were distinct silver pieces of this weight, which were probably called shekels when employed for purposes of trade, since the word shekel itself does not denote any particular weight, as we may perceive at once form a comparison of 1Ki 10:17 and 2Ch 9:16, at least so far as later times are concerned. The sacred shekel, to judge from the weight of Maccabean shekels, which are in existence still, and vary from 256 to 272 Parisian grains, weighed 274 grains, and therefore, according to present valuation, would be worth 26 groschen (about 2s. 7d.), so that the half-shekel of bekah would be 13 groschen (1s. 3 1/2d.).

Exo 30:16

This atonement-money Moses was to appropriate to the work of the sanctuary (cf. Exo 38:25-28, where the amount and appropriation are reported). Through this appropriation it became “a memorial to the children of Israel before the Lord to expiate their souls,” i.e., a permanent reminder of their expiation before the Lord, who would henceforth treat them as reconciled because of this payment. It was no ordinary tribute, therefore, which Israel was to pay to Jehovah as its King, but an act demanded by the holiness of the theocratic covenant. As an expiation for souls, it pointed to the unholiness of Israel’s nature, and reminded the people continually, that by nature it was alienated from God, and could only remain in covenant with the Lord and live in His kingdom on the ground of His grace, which covered its sin. It was not till this sinful nature had been sanctified by a perfect atonement, and servitude under the law had been glorified and fully transformed into that sonship to which Israel was called as the first-born son of Jehovah, that as children of the kingdom they had no longer to pay this atonement-money for their souls (Mat 17:25-26). - According to Num 1:1, Num 1:18, as compared with Exo 40:17, the census of the nation was not taken till a month after the building of the tabernacle was completed, and yet the atonement-money to be paid at the taking of the census was to be appropriated to the purpose of the building, and must therefore have been paid before. This apparent discrepancy may be reconciled by the simple assumption, that immediately after the command of God had been issued respecting the building of the tabernacle and the contributions which the people were to make for the purpose, the numbering of the males was commenced and the atonement-money collected from the different individuals, that the tabernacle was then built and the whole ceremonial instituted, and that, after all this had been done, the whole nation was enrolled according to its tribes, fathers’ houses, and families, on the basis of this provisional numbering, and thus the census was completed. For this reason the census gave exactly the same number of males as the numbering (cf. Exo 38:26 and Num 1:46), although the one had been carried out nine months before the other.

Exo 30:17-21 (cf. Exo 38:8). The Brazen Laver, and its use. - The making of this vessel is not only mentioned in a supplementary manner, but no description is given of it because of the subordinate position which it occupied, and from the fact that it was not directly connected with the sanctuary, but was only used by the priests to cleanse themselves for the performance of their duties. כּיּור: a basin, a round, caldron-shaped vessel. כּגּו (its support): by this we are not to understand the pedestal of the caldron, but something separate from the basin, which was no doubt used for drawing off as much water as was required for washing the officiating priests. For although כּן belongs to כּיּור, the fact that it is always specially mentioned in connection with the basin necessarily leads to the conclusion, that it had a certain kind of independence (cf. Exo 31:9; Exo 35:16; Exo 39:39; Exo 40:11; Lev 8:11). These two vessels were to be made of brass or copper, like the other things in the court; and, according to Exo 38:8, they were made of the brass of the mirrors of the women who served before the door of the tabernacle. הצּבאת בּמראת does not mean either “provided with mirrors of the women” (Bähr, i. pp. 485-6), or ornamented “with forms, figures of women, as they were accustomed to appear at the sanctuary” (Knobel). But these views are overthrown by the fact, that ב never signifies with in the sense of an outward addition, but always denotes the means, “not an independent object, but something accompanying and contributing to the action referred to” (Ewald, §217, f. 3). In this case ב can only apply to the material used, whether we connect it with ויּעשׂ as in Exo 31:4, or, what seems decidedly more correct, with נחשׁת as a more precise definition; so that ב would denote that particular quality which distinguished the brass of which the basin was made (Ewald, §217 f.), - apart altogether from the fact, that neither the mirrors of women, nor the figures of women, would form a fitting ornament for the basin, as the priests did not require to look at themselves when they washed their hands and feet; and there is still less ground for Knobel's fiction, that Levitical women went to the sanctuary at particular times, forming a certain procession, and taking things with them for the purpose of washing, cleaning, and polishing. The true meaning is given by the Septuagint, ἐκ τῶν κατόπτρων. According to 1Sa 2:22, the צבאת were women, though not washer-women, but women who dedicated their lives to the service of Jehovah, and spent them in religious exercises, in fasting and in prayer, like Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, mentioned in Luk 2:37.Knobel's objection to this explanation, viz., that “at a time when the sanctuary was not yet erected, the author could not speak of women as coming to the door of the sanctuary, or performing religious service there,” would contain its own refutation, if there were any ground for it at all. For before the sanctuary was erected, the author could not speak of Levitical women as coming at particular times to the sanctuary, and bringing things with them for the purpose of washing and cleaning. But the participle צבאת does not imply that they had served there before the erection of the sanctuary, but only that from that time forward, they did perform service there. צבא denotes spiritual warfare, and is accordingly rendered by the lxx νηστεύειν, by Onkelos, orare, with which the Rabbins agree. The mirrors of the women had been used for the purpose of earthly adorning. But now the pious Israelites renounced this earthly adorning, and offered it to the Lord as a heave-offering to make the purifying laver in front of the sanctuary, in order that “what had hitherto served as a means of procuring applause in the world might henceforth be the means of procuring the approbation of God” (Hengstenberg, Dissert. vol. ii.). - The laver was to be placed between the tabernacle, i.e., the dwelling, and the altar in the court (Exo 30:18), probably not in a straight line with the door of the dwelling and the altar of burnt-offering, but more sideways, so as to be convenient for the use of the priests, whether they were going into the tabernacle, or going up to the altar for service, to kindle a firing for Jehovah, i.e., to offer sacrifice upon the altar. They were to wash their hands, with which they touched the holy things, and their feet, with which they trod the holy ground (see Exo 3:5), “that they might not die,” as is again emphatically stated in Exo 30:20 and Exo 30:21. For touching holy things with unclean hands, and treading upon the floor of the sanctuary with dirty feet, would have been a sin against Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, deserving of death. These directions do not imply “that, notwithstanding all their consecration, they were regarded as still defiled by natural uncleanness” (Baumgarten), but rather that consecration did not stamp them with a character indelebilis, or protect them from the impurities of the sinful nation in the midst of which they lived, or of their own nature, which was still affected with mortal corruption and sin.

Exo 30:22-25

The Holy Anointing Oil. - This was to be prepared from the best perfumes ראשׁע בּשׂמים, where ראשׁע, caput, the principal or chief, is subordinate to בּשׂמים), viz., of four fragrant spices and olive-oil. The spices were, (1) liquid myrrh, as distinguished from the dry gum; - (2) קנּמן־בּשׂם, cinnamon of fragrance, the name having been introduced to the Semitic nations along with the thing itself, and then by the Phoenicians to the Greeks and Romans (κίνναμον, cinnamum): whether it came from Ceylon, the great mart of cinnamon, is very doubtful, as there is not word that can be discovered in the Indian dialects corresponding to cinnamon; - (3) cane of fragrance, the κάλαμος ἀρωματικός, calamus odoratus, of the Greek sand Romans, i.e., the scented calamus which is imported from India; - and (4) kiddah, probably cassia, and possibly the species called κιττώ in Dioscor. 1, 12, in which case קציעה (Psa 45:9) is either the generic name for cassia, or else refers to a different species. The proportion in which these spices were to be taken was 500 shekels or 14 1/2 lbs. of myrrh, half the quantity, i.e., 7 lbs, of cinnamon, and the same of calamus and cassia; in all, therefore, 21 lbs. of dry spices, which were to be mixed with one hin of oil (about 5 quarts) and 14 lbs. of liquid myrrh. These proportions preclude the supposition, that the spices were pulverized and mixed with the oil and myrrh in their natural condition, for the result in that case would have been a thick mess: they rather favour the statement of the Rabbins, that the dry spices were softened in water and boiled, to extract their essence, which was then mixed with oil and myrrh, and boiled again until all the watery part had evaporated. An artificial production of this kind is also indicated by the expressions מרקחת רקח “spice-work of spice-mixture,” and רקח מעשׂה “labour (work) of the perfumer or ointment-maker.”

Exo 30:26-33 (see at Lev 8:10.). This anointing oil was holy, either because it was made from the four fragrant substances according to the proportions commanded by Jehovah, or because God declared this kind of mixture and preparation holy (cf. Exo 30:32), and forbade for all time, on pain of death (Exo 30:31), not only the use of ointment so prepared for any ordinary anointings, but even an imitation of it. “Upon man’s flesh shall it not be poured,” i.e., it is not to be used for the ordinary practice of anointing the human body (Exo 30:32). “Man,” i.e., the ordinary man in distinction from the priests. בּמתכּנתּו according to its measure, i.e., according to the proportions prescribed for its manufacture. זר (Exo 30:33) a stranger, is not only the non-Israelite, but laymen or non-priests in general. On the expression, “cut off from his people,” see at Gen 17:14.

Exo 30:34-38

The Holy Incense was also to be made of four ingredients, viz., (1) nataph (στακτή, stacte), i.e., not the resinous myrrh, or sap obtained from the fragrant myrrh and dried, but a kind of storax gum resembling myrrh, which was baked, and then used, like incense, for fumigating; - (2) shecheleth (ὄνυξ, ungius odoratus), the shell of a shell-fish resembling the purpura, of an agreeable odour; - (3) chelbenah (χαλβάνη), a resin of a pungent, bitter flavour, obtained, by means of an incision in the bark, from the ferula, a shrub which grows in Syria, Arabia, and Abyssinia, and then mixed with fragrant substances to give greater pungency to their odour; - and (4) lebonah (λίβανος or λιβανωτός), frankincense, a resin of a pleasant smell, obtained from a tree in Arabia Felix or India, but what tree has not been discovered. זכּה pure, i.e., unadulterated. The words יהיה בּבד בּד “part for part shall it be,” are explained by the lxx as meaning ἴσον ἴσῳ ἔσται, Vulg. aequalis ponderis erunt omnia, i.e., with equal parts of all the different substances. But this is hardly correct, as בּד literally means separation, and the use of ב in this sense would be very striking. The explanation given by Aben Ezra is more correct, viz., “every part shall be for itself;” that is to say, each part was to be first of all prepared by itself, and then all the four to be mixed together afterwards.

The Tabernacles and Its Furniture. (b. c. 1491.)

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 .

I. The orders given concerning the altar of incense are, 1. That it was to be made of wood, and covered with gold, pure gold, about a yard high and half a yard square, with horns at the corners, a golden cornice round it, with rings and staves of gold, for the convenience of carrying it, v. 1-5. It does not appear that there was any grate to this altar for the ashes to fall into, that they might be taken away; but, when they burnt incense, a golden censer was brought with coals in it, and placed upon the altar, and in that censer the incense was burnt, and with it all the coals were taken away, so that no coals nor ashes fell upon the altar. The measure of the altar of incense in Ezekiel's temple is double to what it is here (Ezek. xli. 22), and it is there called an altar of wood, and there is no mention of gold, to signify that the incense, in gospel times, should be spiritual, the worship plain, and the service of God enlarged, for in every place incense should be offered, Mal. i. 11. 2. That it was to be placed before the veil, on the outside of that partition, but before the mercy-seat, which was within the veil, v. 6. For though he that ministered at the altar could not see the mercy-seat, the veil interposing, yet he must look towards it, and direct his incense that way, to teach us that though we cannot with our bodily eyes see the throne of grace, that blessed mercy-seat (for it is such a throne of glory that God, in compassion to us, holds back the face of it, and spreads a cloud upon it), yet we must in prayer by faith set ourselves before it, direct our prayer, and look up. 3. That Aaron was to burn sweet incense upon this altar, every morning and every evening, about half a pound at a time, which was intended, not only to take away the ill smell of the flesh that was burnt daily on the brazen altar, but for the honour of God, and to show the acceptableness of his people's services to him, and the pleasure which they should take in ministering to him, v. 7, 8. As by the offerings on the brazen altar satisfaction was made for what had been done displeasing to God, so, by the offering on this, what they did well was, as it were, recommended to the divine acceptance; for our two great concerns with God are to be acquitted from guilt and accepted as righteous in his sight. 4. That nothing was to be offered upon it but incense, nor any incense but that which was appointed, v. 9. God will have his own service done according to his own appointment, and not otherwise. 5. That this altar should be purified with the blood of the sin-offering put upon the horns of it, every year, upon the day of atonement, v. 10. See Lev. xvi. 18, 19. The high priest was to take this in his way, as he came out from the holy of holies. This was to intimate to them that the sins of the priests who ministered at this altar, and of the people for whom they ministered, put a ceremonial impurity upon it, from which it must be cleansed by the blood of atonement.

II. This incense-altar typified, 1. The mediation of Christ. The brazen altar in the court was a type of Christ dying on earth; the golden altar in the sanctuary was a type of Christ interceding in heaven, in virtue of his satisfaction. This altar was before the mercy-seat; for Christ always appears in the presence of God for us; he is our advocate with the father (1 John ii. 1), and his intercession is unto God of a sweet-smelling savour. This altar had a crown fixed to it; for Christ intercedes as king. Father, I will, John xvii. 24. 2. The devotions of the saints, whose prayers are said to be set forth before God as incense, Ps. cxli. 2. As the smoke of the incense ascended, so much our desires towards God rise in prayer, being kindled with the fire of holy love and other pious affections. When the priest was burning incense the people were praying (Luke i. 10), to signify that prayer is the true incense. This incense was offered daily, it was a perpetual incense (v. 8); for we must pray always, that is, we must keep up stated times for prayer every day, morning and evening, at least, and never omit it, but thus pray without ceasing. The lamps were dressed or lighted at the same time that the incense was burnt, to teach us that the reading of the scriptures (which are our light and lamp) is a part of our daily work, and should ordinarily accompany our prayers and praises. When we speak to God we must hear what God says to us, and thus the communion is complete. The devotions of sanctified souls are well-pleasing to God, of a sweet-smelling savour; the prayers of saints are compared to sweet odours (Rev. v. 8), but it is the incense which Christ adds to them that makes them acceptable (Rev. viii. 3), and his blood that atones for the guilt which cleaves to our best services. And, if the heart and life be not holy, even incense is an abomination (Isa. i. 13), and he that offers it is as if he blessed an idol, Isa. lxvi. 3.

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.

Some observe that the repetition of those words, The Lord spoke unto Moses, here and afterwards (v. 17, 22, 34), intimates that God did not deliver these precepts to Moses in the mount, in a continued discourse, but with many intermissions, giving him time either to write what was said to him or at least to charge his memory with it. Christ gave instructions to his disciples as they were able to hear them. Moses is here ordered to levy money upon the people by way of poll, so much a head, for the service of the tabernacle. This he must do when he numbered the people. Some think that it refers only to the first numbering of them, now when the tabernacle was set up; and that this tax was to make up what was deficient in the voluntary contributions for the finishing of the work, or rather for the beginning of the service in the tabernacle. Others think that it was afterwards repeated upon any emergency and always when the people were numbered, and that David offended in not demanding it when he numbered the people. But many of the Jewish writers, and others from them, are of opinion that it was to be an annual tribute, only it was begun when Moses first numbered the people. This was that tribute-money which Christ paid, for fear of offending his adversaries (Matt. xvii. 27), when yet he showed good reason why he should have been excused. Men were appointed in every city to receive this payment yearly. Now, 1. The tribute to be paid was half a shekel, about fifteen pence of our money. The rich were not to give more, nor the poor less (v. 15), to intimate that the souls of the rich and poor are alike precious, and that God is no respecter of persons, Acts x. 34; Job xxxiv. 19. In other offerings men were to give according to their ability; but this, which was the ransom of the soul, must be alike for all; for the rich have as much need of Christ as the poor, and the poor are as welcome to him as the rich. They both alike contributed to the maintenance of the temple-service, because both were to have a like interest in it and benefit by it. In Christ and his ordinances rich and poor meet together; the Lord is the Maker, the Lord Christ is the Redeemer of them both, Prov. xxii. 2. The Jews say, "If a man refused to pay this tribute, he was not comprehended in the expiation." 2. this tribute was to be paid as a ransom of the soul, that there might be no plague among them. Hereby they acknowledged that they received their lives from God, that they had forfeited their lives to him, and that they depended upon his power and patience for the continuance of them; and thus they did homage to the God of their lives, and deprecated those plagues which their sins had deserved. 3. This money that was raised was to be employed in the service of the tabernacle (v. 16); with it they bought sacrifices, flour, incense, wine, oil, fuel, salt, priests' garments, and all other things which the whole congregation was interested in. Note, Those that have the benefit of God's tabernacle among them must be willing to defray the expenses of it, and not grudge the necessary charges of God's public worship. Thus we must honour the Lord with our substance, and reckon that best laid out which is laid out in the service of God. Money indeed cannot make an atonement for the soul, but it may be used for the honour of him who has made the atonement, and for the maintenance of the gospel by which the atonement is applied.

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.

Orders are here given, 1. For the making of a laver, or font, of brass, a large vessel, that would contain a good quantity of water, which was to be set near the door of the tabernacle, v. 18. The foot of brass, it is supposed, was so contrived as to receive the water, which was let into it out of the laver by spouts or cocks. They then had a laver for the priests only to wash in, but to us now there is a fountain open for Judah and Jerusalem to wash in (Zech. xiii. 1), an inexhaustible fountain of living water, so that it is our own fault if we remain in our pollution. 2. For the using of this laver. Aaron and his sons must wash their hands and feet at this laver every time they went in to minister, every morning, at least, v. 19-21. For this purpose clean water was put into the laver fresh every day. Though they washed themselves ever so clean at their own houses, that would not serve; they must wash at the laver, because that was appointed for washing, 2 Kings v. 12-14. This was designed, (1.) To teach them purity in all their ministrations, and to possess them with a reverence of God's holiness and a dread of the pollutions of sin. They must not only wash and be made clean when they were first consecrated, but they must wash and be kept clean whenever they went in to minister. He only shall stand in God's holy place that has clean hands and a pure heart, Ps. xxiv. 3, 4. And, (2.) It was to teach us, who are daily to attend upon God, daily to renew our repentance for sin and our believing application of the blood of Christ to our souls for remission; for in many things we daily offend and contract pollution, John xiii. 8, 10; Jam. iii. 2. This is the preparation we are to make for solemn ordinances. Cleanse your hands and purify your hearts, and then draw nigh to God, Jam. iv. 8. To this law David alludes in Ps. xxvi. 6, I will wash my hands in innocency, so will I compass thine altar, O Lord.

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.

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, v. 23-25. Interpreters are not agreed concerning them; we are sure, in general, they were the best and fittest for the purpose; they must needs be so when the divine wisdom appointed them for the divine honour. It was to be compounded secundum artem—after the art of the apothecary (v. 25); the spices, which were in all nearly half a hundred weight, were to be infused in the oil, which was to be about five or six quarts, and then strained out, leaving an admirable sweet smell in the oil. With this oil God's tent and all the furniture of it were to be anointed; it was to be used also in the consecration of the priests, v. 26-30. It was to be continued throughout their generations, v. 31. The tradition of the Jews is that this very oil which was prepared by Moses himself lasted till near the captivity. But bishop Patrick shows the great improbability of the tradition, and supposes that it was repeated according to the prescription here, for Solomon was anointed with it (2 Kings i. 39), and some other of the kings; and all the high priests with such a quantity of it that it ran down to the skirts of the garments; and we read of the making up of this ointment (1 Chron. ix. 30): yet all agree that in the second temple there was none of this holy oil, which he supposes was owing to a notion they had that it was not lawful to make it up, Providence overruling that want as a presage of the better unction of the Holy Ghost in gospel times, the variety of whose gifts was typified by these several sweet ingredients. To show the excellency of holiness, there was that in the tabernacle which was in the highest degree grateful both to the sight and to the smell. Christ's name is said to be as ointment poured forth (Cant. i. 3), and the good name of Christians better than precious ointment, Eccl. vii. 1. 2. The incense which was burned upon the golden altar was prepared of sweet spices likewise, though not so rare and rich as those of which the anointing oil was compounded, v. 34, 35. This was prepared once a year (the Jews say), a pound for each day of the year, and three pounds over for the day of atonement. When it was used, it was to be beaten very small: thus it pleased the Lord to bruise the Redeemer when he offered himself for a sacrifice of a sweet-smelling savour. 3. Concerning both these preparations the same law is here given (v. 32, 33, 37, 38), that the like should not be made for any common use. Thus God would preserve in the people's minds a reverence for his own institutions, and teach us not to profane nor abuse any thing whereby God makes himself known, as those did who invented to themselves (for their common entertainments) instruments of music like David, Amos vi. 5. It is a great affront to God to jest with sacred things, particularly to make sport with the word and ordinances of God, or to treat them with lightness, Matt. xxii. 5. That which is God's peculiar must not be used as a common thing.

CHAP. XXX

ANd thou shalt make an altar, an incense altar of incense, of Shittim wood shalt thou make it. A cubit [illegible: 1 span] the length thereof, and a cubit the bre[illegible: 3 letters] thereof; fouresqure shall it be, and two [illegible: 1 word] the height thereof▪ the hornes thereof shall be of the same. And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the roofe thereof, and the walls thereof round-about, and the hornes thereof: and thou shalt make unto it a crowne of gold round about. And two rings of gold shalt thou make to it, under the crowne of it; by the two ribbes thereof, upon the two sides of it shalt thou make them: and they shall be for places for the barres to beare it withall. And thou shalt make the [illegible: 2 letters]rres of Shittim wood, and shalt overlay them with gold. And thou shalt put it before the veile, which is by the Arke of the Testimony, before the Coveringmercy-seat which is over the Testimony, where I will meet with thee. And Aaron shall burne thereon incense of sweet-spices every morning when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burne it. And when Aaron causeth the lampes to ascend, betweene the two evenings he shall burne it: a continuall incense before Iehovah, throughout your generations. Ye shall not offer thereon strange incense or burnt-offring, or meat-offring: and drinke-offring, yee shall not poure out thereon. And Aaron shall make-atonement upon the hornes of it, once in the yeere: with the blood of the sinne-offring of atonements, once in the yeere, shall hee make atonement upon it throughout your generations; it is holyes, unto Iehovah. [non-Latin text not transcribed]

And I[illegible: 1 letter]hovah spake unto Moses, saying, When thou takest the Sum of the Sonnes of Israel, by those that are to bee numbred of them; then shall they give every man the ransome of his soule unto Iehovah, when thou numbrest them: that there be no plague amongst them, when thou numbrest them. This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbred; halfe a shekell, by the shekell of the Sanctuary: the shekell is twenty gerahs; an halfe shekell shall be an heave-offring to Iehovah. Every one that passeth among them that are numbred, from twenty yeeres old, and above: hee shall give the heave-offring of Iehovah. The rich shall not give-more, and the poore shall not give-lesse, then halfe a shekell: in giving the heave-offring of Iehovah, to make atonement for your soules. And thou shalt take the silver of the atonements, of the sons of Israel, and shalt give it, for the service of the Tent of the congregation: and it shall be for a memoriall for the Sonnes of Israel before Iehovah; to make atonement for your soules. And Iehovah spake unto Moses, saying; Thou shalt also make a Layer of brasse, and his foot of brasse, to wash: and thou shalt put it betweene the Tent of the congregation, and the altar; and thou shalt put water there in. And Aarō & his sons shal wash therefrom their hands and their feet. When they goe into the Tent of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they dye not: or when they come-neere to the altar, to minister, to burn the Fire-offring, unto Iehovah. And they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they dye not: and it [illegible: 3 letters]ill be unto them, a statute for ever; to him and to his feed throughout their generations.

And Iehovah spake unto Moses, saying; Thou also, take unto thee, the chiefe of spices; of pure Myrrh five hundred (shekels;) and of sweet Cinamon the halfe thereof, two hundred and fifty: and of sweet Calamus, two hundred and fifty. And of Cassia, five hundred, by the shekell of the Sanctuary: and of oyle olive an Hin. And thou shalt make it an oyle of holy anointing; a compound-ointment compounded, after the worke of the Apothecary: it shall be an oyle of holy anointing. And thou shalt anoint therewith, the Tent of the congregation: and the Arke of the Testimony: And the Table, and all the vessels thereof; and the Candlestick, and the vessels thereof: and the Altar of Intense: And the altar of burnt-offring, and all the vessels thereof: and the Laver, and the foot thereof. And thou shalt sanctifie them, and they shall bee holy of holies: whatsoever toucheth them, shall be holy. And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sonnes: and sanctifie them, to minister-in-the-priest-office unto me. And thou shalt speake unto the Sonnes of Israel, saying: This shall be an oyle of holy anointing unto me, throughout your generations. Vpon mans flesh it shall not be poured: and after the composition of it, yee shall not [illegible: 1 span]ke like it: holinesse it is, holinesse shall it be unto you. Any man that shall compoundan-ointment like it, or that shall put thereof upon a stranger; he shall even bee cut-off, from his peoples.

And Iehovah said unto Moses; Take unto thee sweet-spices, Stacte, and Onycha, and Galbanum, sweet-spices, and pure frankincense: there shall be one alone with another alone. And thou shalt make it an incense, a confection, the worke of the Apothecary: salted, pure, holy. And thou shalt beat of it, pounding-[illegible: 2 letters]-small; and shalt put of it before the Testimony, in the Tent of the congregation, where I will meet with thee; holy of Holies shall it be unto you. And the incense which thou shalt make, after the composition of it, ye shall not make to your selves: it shall be holinesse unto thee, for Iehovah. Any man, that shall make like unto it, to smell thereto, shall even be cut-off, from his peoples.

Annotations. AN incense altar of incense] or, a perfumatorie (a perfuming place) of perfume: where odours were burned daily, and resolved into fume or smoke. In the making, it is called onely an altar of incense, Exod. 37. 25. and so the Greeke translateth it here. But because an Altar, in Hebrew Mizbeach, hath the name of slaine-sacrifices, which were offred thereon; and upon this, there was no such service: therefore it is called for distinction sake, Miktar, a Perfumatory, or Incense altar. The Chaldee expoundeth it, Thou shalt make an Altar, to offer upon it incense of sweet-spices. Shittim] Greeke, incorruptible wood: see Exod. 25. 5. Vers. 2. hornes] sharpe high places in the foure corners: see the notes on Exodus 27. 1. 2. &c. Vers. 3. gold] whereupon it was called the golden altar; Num. 4. 11. Revel. 8. 3. as the other covered with brasse, was the brazen altar, Exodus 38. 30. Of the matter underneath, it is sometime called the altar of wood; as in Ezek. 41. 22. where the measures of it (prophesied to bee under the Gospell) are larger then these under the Law. For this was but one cubit long, that two: this two cubits high, that three. Because the service of God, by Christs comming, should bee inlarged, from East to West, Gods name should be great among the gentiles; and in every place, incense should be offred unto his name, Mal. 1. 11. and the Spirit of grace, and of supplications, should be in larger measure poured out upon the Church, Zach. 12. 10. roofe] by the roofe and wals, are meant the top and sides: a similitude taken from an house. The Greek translateth, hearth, and walls. a crowne] The like was made about the Arke, Exodus 25. 11. and about the Table, Exodus 25. 24. To these the Hebrewes apply the three crownes (as they call them) of Israel: the Crowne of the Law, that is, the Arke, the Crowne of the Priesthood, that is, the golden Altar; and the Crowne of the Kingdome, that is, the Table. R. Elias, in Preface to Sepher Reshith chocmah, page 2. Vers. 4. places] Hebrew, houses: so Exodus 25. 27. By the barres in these, the golden Altar was caried, when the host and tabernacle removed, Num. 4. 5. 11. 25. Vers. 6. [illegible: 1 span]t with thee] to answer by oracle, as before, Exod. 29. 42. The Greeke translateth, I will be knowne unto thee there; the Chaldee saith, I will prepare my word for thee there. This golden Altar figured out Christ in respect of his mediation with God for his Church: by whom, and in whose name, we offer up praises and prayers unto God, [illegible: 1 span]. 3. 15. Ioh. 16. 23. 24. which prayers [illegible: 1 span] unto incense, Psalm. 14[illegible: 1 letter]. [illegible: 2 letters]. There [illegible: 1 span] [illegible: 1 word] the foure hornes of the golden Altar, a [illegible: 2 letters] heard, Revel. 9. 13. as answering to the [illegible: 1 span] Gods people in Christ. [illegible: 1 span]] or, cense, perfume, (of-sweet [illegible: 1 span] [illegible: 1 span], that is, sweet odoriferous in [illegible: 1 span] compounded of sundry things, as after [illegible: 2 words] [illegible: 1 span]. Therefore the Greeke translateth it, [illegible: 1 span] every morning] Hebrew, in [illegible: 1 span] in the morning. dresseth] or, trim [illegible: 1 span], Hebrew maketh well. As the Lamps signified the light of Gods Word, and incense, prayers: so the doing of these both at one time, signified our joyning of prayers with our exercises in the Word[illegible: 1 span] Acts 6. 4. Vers. 8. to ascend] that is, to burne; see Exodus 27. 20. The order of burning incense as the Hebrew Doctors have recorded, was: that one went and gathered the ashes from off the Altar, into a golden vessell; another brought a vessell full of incense, another brought a censer with fire, and put coales on the Altar; and he whose office it was to burne the incense, (when the other, having bowed themselves downe, were gone out,) strowed the incense on the fire; when he was bidden so to doe by the governour. At which time, all the people went out of the Temple from betweene the porch and the Altar (in Solomons Temple.) And every day they burned the weight of an hundred [illegible: 1 word] of incense, fifty at morning, and fifty at evening, [Those 100 denarios were a pound amongst them, and weighed fifty shekels of the Sanctuary, every shekell being in weight 320 Barley cornes]. And when the priest had burned the incense, he bowed him downe, and went his way [illegible: 1 word] Maimony, treat of the Daily service, Chap. 3. so that Zachary, as his lot fell, burned incense in the Temple, the whole multitude of the people were without at prayer, while the incense was burning Luk. 1. 9. 10. By this service, God taught then that the faithfull prayers of his people, are sweet as incense, and acceptable unto him; whiles our priest Christ Iesus, doth by his mediation, put [illegible: 4 words] the prayers of all Saints, Psalm. 141. [illegible: 1 span]. 3. 4. Heb. 8. 1. 2. and 9. 24. Rom. 8. 34. For the Priests in the Law, served unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, Heb. 8. 5. [illegible: 1 span]] Hebrew, incense of continuation, that is which continually every day should be offred. So wee are willed to pray without ceasing, [illegible: 1 span]. and Christ our High Priest, ever liveth, to make intercession for us, Hebrewes 7. 25. and [illegible: 1 span]. [illegible: 1 span] [illegible: 1 word] incense] in Greeke, other incense: the[illegible: 1 span] received from other persons, or made of oth[illegible: 2 letters] composition, then is after commanded, [illegible: 1 span] 34. 35. 36.) The Chaldee translateth it, [illegible: 1 span]. The Hebrew Doctors explaine, If they put honey amongst it, it was all [illegible: 1 span]] if there wanted any one of the sweet spices thereof, he was in danger of death, for loe it [illegible: 1 span] if hee burned other in [illegible: 1 span] or burned upon it incense like this, which was voluntarily brought by any private person, or by many, &c. Maimony, treat of the Implements of the Sanctuary, Chap. 2. Sect. 8. 11. It figured the prayers of the Saints, which must be according to the will of God, by his Spirit, and in faith: not after the tradition of man, or will of the flesh, 1 Ioh. 5. 14. Rom. 8. 26. Matth. 21. 22. and 15. 9. Luke 11. 1. 2. &c. Vers. 10. once] or, one time, which was the tenth day of the seventh moneth, the day of Reconciliation, as Levit. 16. 18. 29. 30. See the annotations there. of the Sinne offring] the Greeke translateth, of the purgation of sinnes: which phrase Paul useth, saying of Christ, that he made a purgation of our sinnes, that is, cleansed us from them, Heb. 1. 3. of atonements] that is, whereby reconciliation was made. Which being a figure of the blood of Christ, reconciling us to God, Heb. 2. 17. signified that the imperfections and sinnes which cleave even to the best prayers of the Saints are to be pardoned and purified by that blood and death. holy of holies] that is, a most holy thing: Hebr. holinesse of holinesses. [non-Latin text not transcribed] Here beginneth the 21 Section of the Law, see Gen. 6. 9. Vers. 12. summe] or compt: in Hebrew head: because the summe is as the head of the number, Therfore the Gr. here interpreteth it computation, and the Chaldee, Compt or Number. So in Numb. 1. 2. by those that are to be numbred] the Greeke saith, in (or by) their visitation; the Chaldee, by their Numbers. of his soule] that is, of his life, which he should now lose, when he was particularly visited and looked unto of God; if hee redeemed not himselfe with money. By this God taught his people to judge themselves for their sinnes, that they might not be judged of him, Ezek. 20. 43. and 36. 31. 1 Cor. 11. 31. And this redeeming of their soules with money, taught them faith in Christ, who was to redeeme his people, not with gold and silver, but with his owne precious blood, 1 Pet. 1. 18. 19. no plague] for their sinnes, if they were not redeemed. When David numbred the people, the Lord sent a pestilence among them, to the death of 70 thousand men, 2 Sam. 24. 9. 15. For plague here, the Greeke translateth fall or ruine, the Chaldee, death. Vers. 13. of the Sanctuary] which was twice so much as the common shekell. See the notes on Gen. 20. 16. twenty gerahs] as if we should say, twenty pence: this summe is also expressed in Levit. 27. 25. Numb. 3. 47. and 18. 16. Ezek. 45. 12. A Gerah (which the Hebrew Doctors name also Megnah) weighed sixteen barley cornes: twenty gerahs made the shekel of the Sanctuary, which was 320 barley cornes weight of pure, silver, as Maimony affirmeth, in treat. of Ualuations, &c. ch. 1. S. 4. Vers. 14. old] Hebr. son of twenty yeeres, that is, going in his twentieth yeere. See Gen. 5. 32. At this age they were also numbred in Num. 1. 3. and 26. 2. and what the number of men, and sum of mony was now at the first count, see in Exod. 38. 25. 26 Vers. 15. give lesse] [illegible: 1 word] [illegible: 1 word] God hereby taught an equality of all men before him in respect of their sinnes, and of their redemption from sinne, by Christ; through whom we have all obtained a likeprecious faith unto salvation, 2 Pet. 1. [illegible: 1 word] So there was an equality in the distribution of Mann[illegible: 1 letter], Exod. 16. 18. The Hebrewes say, Because with these halfe shekels they bought the daily sacrifices every yeere he would have that the hands of all of them should be equall, in the offrings of the congregation. [illegible: 1 word] Menachem, on [illegible: 1 word] 30[illegible: 1 letter]. sol. 116. Vers. 16. service] which is after mentioned in Exod. 38. 25. The Hebrew Doctors have taught this to be a perpetuall ordinance, that every man of Israel [illegible: 1 span]mmanded to give halfe a shekell every yeere: yea though he be a poore man that liveth on almes, hee is bound to begge it of others, or to sell his clothes from his backe, and give halfe a shekel of silver, as it is written (Exodus 30. 15.) The rich shall not give more, and the poore shall not givelesse: and he must not give it some to day and some to morrow, but all of it at once. All are bound to give this halfe shekel, Priests, Levites, Israelites, Proselytes, and servants that are free; but not women, bond men, or children: yet if they will give, they receive it of them, but not of Infidels. This payment is not used but before the Temple, and in the time when the Temple standeth, they give the shekels both within the land of Israel, and without the same: but while the Temple is desolate, they pay▪ them not, though they dwell within the land. On the first day of Adar (that is which we call February) they make proclamation, that every man may be ready to pay his halfe shekel; and on the 25 of the same moneth, they sit in the Temple to receive the same. That which is gathered in other provinces, is sent unto the Temple: there in one of the Chambers, it is land up in coffers. With this money, and other of like nature, they provided the daily sacrifices, and offrings for the congregation, salt for the sacrifices, wood, incense, shew bread, the red Cow, &c. Maimonie in treat. of the shekels, Chap. 1. Sect. 1. 7. 8. 9. and Chap. 2. Sect. 4. and Chap. 4. Sect. 1. Howbeit, some doe thinke this commandement was but for the present building of the Sanctuary; and not to be a yeerly tribute. Compare 2 Chron. 24. 5. 6. and Neh. 10. 32 where the people charged themselves yeerly with the third part of a shekel, for the service of the house of God. Of that, the Hebrewes say, it was over and beside the halfe shekel (here spoken of) for the necessity of the things there mentioned. Aben Ezra on Neh. 10. Vers. 18. Laver,] in Hebrew Cijor, which word sometime is used for a Cauldron. 1 Sam. 2. 16. but commonly a washing vessell, in. Greeke Louter▪ that is, a Laver. When the priests and people were multiplied, Solomon in his Temple made ten Lavers to wash the sacrifices, and one other great vessell, called a Sea, for the priests to wash in, 1 King. 7. 38. 23, 26. 2 Chron. 4. 2. 6. This in the Tabernacle, was made of the brazen looking glasses of the women which assembled at the doore of the Tent, Exod. 38. [illegible: 1 word]. From these; the holy Ghost mentioneth in the Church of Christ, mystically, a sea of glasse like Chrystall before the throne, Rev. 4. 6. and againe, a [illegible: 1 word] sea mingled with fire, Rev. 15. 2. foot] or [illegible: 2 letters]se, (as the Greeke tr[illegible: 1 span] it;) which was to uphold and stablish the [illegible: 1 letter]a[illegible: 2 letters]r. This foot is expressed usually, so [illegible: 1 word] as the L[illegible: 2 letters]er it selfe is mentioned, Exod. [illegible: 1 span] and [illegible: 1 letter]5. 12. and 39. 39: and 40. 1[illegible: 1 letter] Levit. 8. 11. put mater] This (as the Hebrews doe record) was to be done every day, in the morning, for that the water of the Laver, by continuing all the night, became unlawfull for to wash with. And any water might serve to sanctifie with, whether it were living (that is, spring or running) water, or lake water: onely so as it had not changed the colour, but were like water meet for to wash in. Maimony, treat. of [illegible: 1 span]tance into the Sanctuary. Chap. 5. Sect. 12. 14. Vers. 19. therefrom] or, thereat, or, thereof: to wit, in the water that is taken out of the Lav[illegible: 2 letters], into some vessell of the Sanctuarie. For wash the Chaldee translateth sanctifie. Touching this, the Hebrew Doctors say, It is commanded, to sanctifie in the water of the Laver, & if one sanctifie (that is, wash) in any of the vessels of ministery; it is lawfull; but not in any profane vessell. If he sanctifie in a vessell of ministery without (the Court,) or in a profane vessell within, and so performe his service, it is unlawfull. And they sanctifie not within the Laver; or with the ministring vessell, but from the same, as it is written, (Exod. 30. 19.) They shall wash THEREFROM: howbeit, if one sanctifie within it, and serve, he is not polluted. He that washeth his hands and his feet, in a place of waters, though it be in a Well; this is no sanctification at all, untill hee wash in a vessell. And they may sanctifie in any of the vessels of the Sanctuary, &c. Maimony, treat. of Entrance into the Sanctuary, Chap. 5. Sect. 10. 11. feet] because they served alwayes with bare hands, and bare feet in the Sanctuary. Of this also they write; The Priest needeth not sanctifie himselfe betweene every severall service that he [illegible: 1 word]; but bee sanctifieth once in the morning, and so serveth and goeth all that day, and all that night. Provided, that he goe not out of the Sanctuary, nor sleepe, nor make water, nor remove his mind from one businesse to another. For if he doe any one of these foure, he must sanctifie again. This was a generall rule in the Sanctuary, no man [illegible: 1 word] into the Court to serve, although he were cleane, un[illegible: 1 span] he was washed. And who so covered his [illegible: 1 word] (that is, did his easement, as Iudg. 3. 24.) was bound to wash; and who so made-water, was bound to sanctifie bands and feet: If hee sanctified them to day, he must again sanctifie them to morrow yea though he slept not all the night; for, by continuing all night, his hands became disallowable (for service.) If he sanctified them in the night, and burried the fat all night long, yet must [illegible: 1 letter]ee againe sanctifie them in the day, for the service of the day. When he sanctifieth, he layeth his right hand on his right foot, and his left hand on his left foot and boweth himselfe and sanctifieth. And he doth not sanctifie sitting, because it is as a service; and no service is dont but standing; as it is written, (in Deut. 18. 5.) TO STAND TO MINISTER; and who so serveth sitting, is prof[illegible: 2 letters]e, and his service not allowable, &c. Maimony ibidem, Sect. 3. 4. 5. 8. 16. 17. and Thalm[illegible: 1 span] Bab. intreat. Z[illegible: 1 letter]bachim, Chap. 2. Vers. [illegible: 1 word] dye not] by the hand of God, as [illegible: 1 word] Aarons sonnes, in Levit. 10. 1. 2. So Maimony (in the foresaid place, Sect. 1.) saith; The Priest that serveth, and sanctifieth not his hands and his feet in the morning, is in danger of death by the hands of the (God of) heaven: as it is written, They shall wash with water, that they die not, and his service is unlawfull, whether [illegible: 1 letter]e [illegible: 1 span]the high Priest, or an inferiour. This rite did teach them and us, faith in Christ, in whose blood we are washed from our sinnes, and made Kings and Priests unto God. Revel. 1. 5. 6. also sanctification, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the holy Ghost, Tit. 3. 5. that we being sprinkled in our hearts from an evill conscience, and washed in our bodies with pure water, may draw neere with a true heart, in assurance of faith, Heb. 10. 22. and washing our hands in innocencie, may compasse the Altar of the Lord, Psal. 26. 6. to burne the fire offring] which the Greeke explaineth, to offer the Burnt-offrings; and the Chaldee more generally, to offer oblations before the Lord. Vers. 21. wash] in the Chaldee, sanctifie. to his seed] the posteritie of Aaron; the Chaldee expounds it, his sonnes. Vers. 23. chiefe] or head spices, that is, the principall and most excellent: so in Ezek. 27. 22. Song 4. 14. pure myrrh] in Greeke choise myrrh, Hebrew, myrrh of freedome; that is, free, pure, naturall as it floweth. Myrrh (so named of the Hebrew Mor,) is a sweet gumme or moisture, that issueth out of the myrrh tree, and none is preferred before it; as Plinie sheweth in his hist. booke 12. chap. 15. The graces of Christ and of his Church, are often resembled by this myrrh, Song 1. 13. and 3. 6. and 4. 14. and 5. 1. 5. 13. Psal. 45. 9. shekels] this word is added by the Greeke, and the Chaldee in Thargum Ierusalemy, and in the verse following it is here expressed. sweet] or, aromaticall cinamon, which commeth of the Hebrew name Kinnemon, and is the barke of a tree, used for sweet odours: and signified spirituall grace, Prov. 7. 17. Song 4. 14. halfe thereof] that is, halfe the fore-said quantity, (as followeth) 250. shekels weight. But the Hebrew Doctors understand it otherwise, and say there was of this 500. shekels, as of the former; and this which the Law saith, Cinamon the halfe thereof 250. is because they weighed it at two times, 250, at each time: saith Maimony, in treat. of the Implements of the Sanctuarie, chap. 1. Sect. 2. Calamus] or Cane, according to the Hebrew name [illegible: 1 word], for Calamus is after the Greeke name. It is a kinde of sweet reed, bought and brought out of farre Countries; as appeareth by Ieremie 6. 20. Esay. 43. 24. Verse 24. Cassia] or Costus, another sweet cane, called in Hebrew Kiddah, mentioned onely here, and in Ezek. 27. 19. an Hin] whereof see Exod. 29. [illegible: 1 letter]0. Maimony, in the fore-named treatise, chap. 2. Sect. 2. saith, the Hin was twelve logs; (of which measure, see Levit. 14. 10.) and every log, foure qu[illegible: 1 span]ants. Others, more fully thus: a quadrant (or quarter) containeth is much as an egge and a halfe. A [illegible: 1 span]ineth foure quadrants, that is, sixe egges. A Kab containeth foure logs, that 24. egges. A Hin, twelve legs, that is, 72. egges. A Seah (or Pecke, wherof see Gen. 18. 6.) contained sixe Kabs, that is, 24. logs, two Hins, or 144. egges. An Epha was three Seahs, 18. Kabs, sixe Hins, 72. logs, or 432. egges. R. Alphes, in treat. of the Passeover, chap. 5. Vers. 25. make it] The manner is recorded to be thus; Every of those foure spices, was pounded severally: then mixed altogether, and steeped in waier pure and sweet, till all the strength of them was gone out into the water; then they put unto the water, an Hin of oile olive; and boyled all on the fire, till the water was consumed, and the oile left in the vessell for use afterward. Maimony, treat. of the Implements of the Sanctuary, chap. 1. Sect. 3. compound-ointment] or, sweet-consection. Apothecarie] or, compounder of ointments. Such in the ages following, were of the Priests Sonnes, 1 Chron. 9. 30. holy anointing] Hebrew, unction of holinesse] or as the Greek translateth it, an holy chrisme. Vers. 26. anoint therewith the Tent] or, the Tabernacle, with all things about the same; which was performed in Exod. 40. and Lev. 8. 10. &c. These sweet odours, signified the joyfull graces of Gods Spirit, and the anointing with this oile, the pouring out of the holy Spirit upon Christ, his Church and ministers, Acts 10. 38. Esay 61. 1. Psal. 45. 8. 2 Cor. 1. 21. 22. Song 3. 6. Psal. 133. 2. As it is written, Ye have an ointment from him that is holy, and kn[illegible: 1 letter]w all things; and the Anointing that ye have received of him, dwelleth in you, and yee need not that any man teach you, but as the same Anointing teacheth you of all things, &c. 1 Ioh. 2. 20. 27. Vers. 29. whatsoever] or, whosoever: so the Greek saith, every-one that toucheth them, shall be sanctified. Vers. 32. poured] in Greeke, anointed. not make] the Greeke addeth, not make unto your selves. holinesse shall it be unto you] [illegible: 2 letters]e Greeke translateth, holy it is▪ and a sanctification (or sanctified thing) shall it be unto you. Therefore it might not be used unto common [illegible: 1 letter]ffaires: God hereby teaching the holy and reverend use of his graces, and sanctified ordinances; which must not bee communicated with the unregenerate and sensuall, which having not the Spirit, doe turne the grace of God into lasciviousnesse, Matth. 7. 6. 1 Ioh. 2. 19. 20. Iude verse 4. 19. 1 Cor. 2. 6. 14. V. 33. like it] Of this point the Heb. doe record; He that maketh anointing oile, according to the work, & according to the weight of this, without adding or diminishing: if he do it presumptuously, is guilty of cutting off; if ignorantly, he is to bring the sacrifice appointed for it. He that shall anoint any with the anointing oile presumptisously, is guilty of cutting-off; if ignorantly, he is to bring a sacrifice, whether he anoint himselfe, or another man. Maimony, treat. of the Implements of the Sanctuary, chap. 1. Sect. 4. 5. a stranger] whosoever was not Priest, or King. Maimony (in the foresaid place) saith, They anointed none herewith in the generations following, but the high Priests, and him that was anointed for the warre, (Deut. 20. 1. 2.) and the Kings of Davids house onely. Though he be a Priest, and Sonne of a Priest, yet they doe anoint him, Lev. 6. 22. But they anoint not the King that is Sonne of the King, because the kingdome is the Kings inheritance for ever, Deut. 17. 20. But if there be a sedition, they doe anoint him, for to cease the sedition, and to make knowne unto all, who is the right King. Euen as Solomon was anointed, for the sedition of Adonias, 1 King. 1. and I[illegible: 1 letter]ash, because of Athaliah, 2 King. 11. and Ioachaz, because of his brother Iehojakim, 2 King. 23. 30. And whereas Eliseus anointed Iehu, 2 King. 9. hee did not anoint him with the anointing oile, but with the oile of Balsam; at our wise men have said. Vers. 34. Stacte] so called in Greeke, the Hebrew name is Nataph; both of them signifie Dropping: and this Stacte is a fatnesse or gumme that droppeth from the Myr[illegible: 1 letter]h tree, very sweet and precious, as Dioscorides sheweth, lib. 1. chap. 62. The Ierusalemy Thargum calleth it Ketaph, that is, Rosin: and so Maimony, in treat. of the Implements of the Sanctuary, chap. 2. Sect. 4. saith, Nataph is the Rosin tree, out of which baulme (or balsam) issueth. Onycha] this also is the Greeke name, and it signifieth a nayle, or hoofe; to which the Chaldee name Tuphra doth accord: and the Arabick adfar tajab, In Larine it is called Ungula aromatica, or Vng[illegible: 1 letter]is odoratus, or Blatta Byzanti[illegible: 1 letter]: of which Dioscorides in his 2 booke, cap. 7. saith, it is the cover of a shelfish, like the purple; and it is found in the spikenards lakes of India, and doth give a swee[illegible: 1 letter] odour, for that the shelfishes there doe feed upon spikenard. The best is brought from the red sea, white, and fat. Some out of Babylon, which is blackish; both are burnt for sweet savour. The Hebrew name is Shecheleth, and is not found in Scripture, but in this one place: of it Maimony also (in the foresaid place) saith, it is a naile (or shell) which men use to put in perfumes. Galbanum] or Styrax: in Hebrew Ch[illegible: 1 letter]lbenah, in Greek Chalbance. It hath the originall name of fatnesse: and Galbanum is the gumme or liquor of a plant like fenell, growing in Syria, of a strong savour; that when it is burned, the smell of it driveth away serpants; &c. as Dioscorides sheweth, in his 3. booke, cap. 79: and Pli[illegible: 1 letter]ie in his 12. booke, chap. 26▪ The Hebrew Doctors say also, that Chelbenah is like blacke honey, of a strong smell, and is the rosin (or gumme) of trees, in the cities of Greece. In Arabicke it is called Miha. Maim[illegible: 1 letter]ny in the Impl[illegible: 1 letter]ments of the Sanctuarie, chap. 2. Sect. 4. sweet spices] this word some referre to the three before mentioned: the Greeke version referreth it onely to the Galbanum aforesaid, saying Galbanum of sweet smell, as to distinguish it from the common Galbanum, which is of strong savour. Others understand them of those sweet spices spoken of in verse 23. and some, of the leaves of Spikenard; which for excellencie are called by this name. The Hebrewes say, by their traditions, that howsoever foure odours are onely named here, yet there were eleven spoken of to Moses on mount Sinai; Thalmud Bab. tract. Cher. thoth, chap. 1. in Gemara. The same doth Maimony affirme, and nameth them, Stacte, and Onycha, and Galbanum, and Frankincense; of every of these (saith he) there was 70. pound weight. (Their pound weighed 50. shekels of the Sanctuarie, and every shekell 320. graines of barley.) And Myrrh[illegible: 1 letter], and Cassia, and Spikenard, and Saffron, of every of these 16. p[illegible: 2 letters]nd. Of [illegible: 1 letter]ostus twelve pound. Of Cinamen, nine pound; and of sweet barke (or Casia ligne[illegible: 1 letter], in Arabicke, Cashsh[illegible: 1 letter]r [illegible: 1 letter]alicha,) three pound. The weight of all was 368. pound. Every day they burned a pound of this confection, upon the golden altar, 365. pound in the yeere, according to the daies of the Sunne, and the three pound that were over, they did beat (and prepare) in the even of Reconciliation day, &c. Maimony, treat. of the Implements of the Sanctuarie, chap. 2. Sect. 2. 3. Howbeit the Scripture mentioneth but foure species for the perfume, as there were foure for the holy oile: and the Greeke interpretation, may well stand. This rite of burning sweet odours, the Gentiles also used in the service of their gods; Alb. Tibull, lib. 2. saith, Vrantur pia thura focis, urantur odores, &c. alone] every species beaten severall by it selfe, and after that mixed, as Maimony sheweth in the foresaid place, Sect. 5. The Chaldee translateth it, weight with weight, and the Greeke, equall to equall, meaning that there should be an equall weight o[illegible: 1 letter] quantitie of all these fore-named. Vers. 35. shalt make it] Moses made it now [illegible: 1 word] first: after in Israel, there was made every yeere, the quantitie fore-mentioned; Maimony [illegible: 2 letters]idem, chap. [illegible: 1 word]. Sect. 1. an incense] or, a perfume, this signified our prayers; as it is written, they had golden cups full of incense (or perfumes) which are the prayers of the Saints, Revel. 5. [illegible: 1 word]. salted] the Chaldee paraphrase, and Thargum Ierusalemy, translate it mixed, tempered: and the Greeke version favoreth this exposition. But it may be understood properly, for, from the Law in Lev. 2. 13, WITH ALL THINE OFFRINGS▪ SHALT THOV OFFER SALT, the Hebrewes teach, that there was not any thing offred on the Altar, without salt, except the wine of the drinke offrings, and the blood, and the wood: Maimony, treat. of things forbidden to be offred on the Altar, chap. 5. Sect. 11. And of this hee saith, they added to the incense, the fourth part of a Kab of salt: [that is, the quantity of sixe egges:] Maimony, treat. of the Implements of the Sanctuarie, chap. 1, Sect. 3. Our Saviour saith, Every sacrifice shall be salted with salt, and, Have salt in your selves, Mark. 9. 49. 50. If our speech must be alway with grace, se[illegible: 1 letter] soned with salt, as the Apostle teacheth, Colos. 4. 6. how much more should our incense, our prayers unto God, be therewith seasoned? holy] Hebrew holinesse: which the Greeke translateth a holy worke. For it signified the holy mediation of Christ, with the praiers of the Saints; as is before noted, on verse 8. Vers. 36. of it] of these, saith the Greeke, That is, some of this confection, (as it was daily to be used,) was first to be beaten small. Which may signifie unto us, exactnesse in the particularities of things to be prayed for; & how afflictions, and contrition of heart are furtherances in this worke, Act. 4. 24▪ 30. Ioh. 17. Luk. 17. 1. 2. 7. Psal. 51. 19. where I will meet with thee] the Greeke expounds it, whence I will be knowne unto thee; the Chaldee where I will appoint (or prepare) my Word unto thee. Vers. 38. to smell thereto] This Law accordeth with the former of the oile, verse 33. the Hebrew Doctors explaine it thus: He that maketh a perfu[illegible: 2 letters] ▪ according to these weights, for to smell thereto; although he doe not s[illegible: 1 letter]ell, is guilty of cutting-off, for the very making, if he doe it presumptuously. If ignorantly, he is to bring the offring appointed: and this, although hee [illegible: 1 letter]ake not the whole quantitie, but a halfe, or a third part thereof: forasmuch as he hath made it according to these weights, he is guilty of being cut-off. If hee smell thereto, and made it not; hee is guilty of cutting-off, but his doome is like all theirs that use (or make profit of) any of the sanctified things; (to wit, unlawfully,) M[illegible: 1 letter]imony, in treat. of the holy Implements, chap. 2. Sect. 9. 10. be cut off] the Chaldee expoundeth it, be destroied: the Greeke saith, the soule of that man shall perish from his people. God, by this judgment, would keepe men from profaning and abusing the holy exercise of praier, and doctrine of Christs mediation, when the abuse even of the shadow hereof, brought destruction upon the offenders.