Matthew Poole and continuators on Exodus 30

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.