1Ug magbuhat ka ug usa ka halaran alang sa pagsunog ug incienso: sa kahoy nga acacia buhaton mo kini. 2Ang gitas-on niini usa ka maniko, ug ang gilapdon niini usa ka maniko: kini magaupat ka laro: ug ang gantong niini duruha ka maniko: ug ang mga sungay niini maganayon sa mao gihapon nga bulos. 3Ug hal-upan mo kini ug lunsayng bulawan, ang ibabaw, ug ang mga bungbong niini maglibut, ug ang mga sungay niini; ug buhatan mo kini ug usa ka cornisa nga bulawan maglibut. 4Ug magbuhat ka alang niini ug duruha ka singsing nga bulawan sa ilalum sa cornisa niini; sa duruha ka pandugo sa duruha ka kilid niini pagabuhaton mo aron sa pagsulod sa mga yayongan kong pagadad-on kini. 5Ug buhaton mo ang mga yayongan sa kahoy nga acacia, ug hal-upan mo kini ug bulawan. 6Ug igabutang mo kini sa atubangan sa tabil nga anaa sa duol sa arca sa pagpamatuod, sa atubangan sa halaran-sa-pagpasig-uli nga anaa sa ibabaw sa pagpamatuod, nga didto makigtagbo ako kanimo. 7Si Aaron magasunog sa ibabaw niini ug incienso nga mahumot: sa matagbuntag sa diha nga mag-ayo siya sa mga lamparahan, magsunog siya niana. 8Ug sa diha nga magdagkot si Aaron sa mga lamparahan sa pagkagabii, magsunog usab siya niini: ang incienso nga nagapadayon sa atubangan ni Jehova ngadto sa tibook ninyong mga kaliwatan. 9Dili kamo maghalad sa ibabaw niini ug incienso nga lain, ni halad-nga sinunog, ni halad-nga-kalan-on; ug dili kamo magyabo sa ibabaw niini ug halad-nga-ilimnon. 10Ug sa ibabaw sa iyang mga sungay magabuhat si Aaron ug halad sa pagtabon-sa-sala makausa sa matag-tuig; uban sa dugo sa halad-tungod-sa-sala nga sa mga pagpasig-uli makausa sa matag-tuig magabuhat siya ug halad sa pagtabon-sa-sala alang niini ngadto sa inyong mga kaliwatan. Kini labing balaan alang kang Jehova. 11Ug nagasulti si Jehova kang Moises, nga nagaingon: 12Sa diha nga ikaw magkuha sa padron sa mga anak sa Israel ingon sa mga giisip gikan kanila, unya ang tagsatagsa magahatag kang Jehova ug lukat sa iyang kalag, sa diha nga pagaisipon mo sila; aron wala kanilay kamatay sa diha nga ikaw magaisip kanila. 13Niini sila magahatag bisan kinsa nga nagaagi kanila nga ginaisip, tunga sa siclo sumala sa siclo sa balaang puloy-anan. Ang siclo may kaluhaan ka obolo: ang tunga sa siclo mao ang halad alang kang Jehova. 14Bisan kinsa nga mahiapil sa pag-isip, gikan sa kaluhaan ka tuig ang panuigon ngadto sa itaas, magahatag ug halad kang Jehova. 15Ang dato dili magahatag ug labaw, ug ang kabus dili magahatag ug kubos, sa tunga sa siclo, diha nga maghatag sila ug halad kang Jehova, sa paghalad sa halad sa pagtabon-sa-sala alang sa inyong mga kalag. 16Ug pagakuhaon mo ang salapi nga sa pagtabon-sa-sala gikan sa mga anak sa Israel, ug igahatag mo kini nga sa mga kinahanglanon sa balong-balong nga pagatiguman: aron kini mamahimo nga handumanan sa mga anak sa Israel, sa atubangan ni Jehova, aron matabonan ang sala sa inyong mga kalag. 17Ug si Jehova nagsulti kang Moises, nga nagaingon: 18Magbuhat ka usab ug usa ka dolang nga tumbaga, ug ang tungtunganan niini nga tumbaga, sa paghunaw; ug igabutang mo kini sa kinataliwad-an sa balong-balong nga pagatiguman ug sa halaran; ug butangan mo kini ug tubig sa sulod niini. 19Ug si Aaron ug ang iyang mga anak nga lalake manghunaw diha sa ilang mga kamot ug manghimasa sa ilang mga tiil; 20Ug sa diha nga magasulod sila sa balong-balong nga pagatiguman, manghunaw sila sa tubig, aron dili sila mangamatay: kun sa diha nga magaduol sila sa halaran sa pag-alagad, sa pagsunog ug usa ka halad alang kang Jehova nga pinaagi sa kalayo. 21Busa manghunaw sila sa ilang mga kamot ug maghimasa sila sa ilang mga tiil aron dili sila mamatay. Ug mamahimo kini nga tulomanon nga walay katapusan kanila, bisan kaniya ug sa iyang kaliwatan ngadto na sa tanan nga mga kaliwatan. 22Labut pa si Jehova nagsulti kang Moises, nga nagaingon: 23Magkuha ka usab ug labing mahal nga mga panakot; sa mirra nga nagaagay-ay lima ka gatus ka siclo , ug sa canela nga mahumot ang katunga sa maong gidaghanon nga mao ang duruha ka gatus ug kalim-an ka siclo, ug sa calamo nga mahumot duruha ka gatus ug kalim-an, 24Ug sa cacia lima ka gatus, pinasubay sa siclo sa balaang puloy-anan, ug sa lana sa oliva usa ka hin: 25Ug buhaton mo kini nga lana nga balaan nga igdidihog, ang pahumot, nga binuhat sumala sa kahibalo sa magbubuhat sa mga pahumot: ug kini mamahimo nga lana nga balaan nga igdidihog. 26Ug pagadihogan mo uban niini ang balong-balong nga pagatiguman, ug ang arca-sa-pagpamatuod, 27Ug ang lamesa ug ang tanan nga mga galamiton niini, ug ang tangkawan ug ang tanang mga galamiton niini, ug ang halaran sa incienso, 28Ug ang halaran sa halad-nga-sinunog, ug ang tanan nga mga galamiton niini, ug ang dolang ug ang gitungtungan niini. 29Ug pagapanalanginan mo kini, aron kini mahimo nga labing balaan: ang tanan nga makadapat kanila pagabalaanon. 30Ug dihogan mo si Aaron ug ang iyang mga anak nga lalake, ug pagabalaanon mo sila aron magaalagad kanako sa katungdanan sa pagka-sacerdote. 31Ug magsulti ka sa mga anak sa Israel nga magaingon: Kini mao ang balaan nga lana nga igdidihog alang kanako ngadto na sa tanan ninyo nga kaliwatan. 32Sa ibabaw sa unod sa tawo kini dili igabubo, ni magbuhat ka ug sama niana, sumala sa panakot niini: kini balaan, ug kini mamahimo nga balaan alang kaninyo. 33Bisan kinsa nga magasakot sama niini, ug magabutang niini sa ibabaw sa dumuloong, pagaputlon, siya gikan sa katawohan niya. 34Ug si Jehova nag-ingon kang Moises: Kumuha ka alang kanimo sa mga mahumot nga panakot, ug sakti, ug onika, ug galbanum; mahumot nga mga panakot uban ang incienso nga lunsay: ngatanan sa sama nga timbang: 35Ug magbuhat ka gikan niini ug usa ka incienso nga mahumot, usa ka pahumot nga binuhat sumala sa kahibalo sa magbubuhat sa mga pahumo nga tinimplahan ug asin, lunsay ug balaan. 36Ug galingon mo ang uban niini nga magagmay kaayo, ug ibutang kini sa atubangan sa pagpamatuod sa balong-balong nga pagatiguman nga didto ako makigtagbo kanimo. Kini mamahimo nga labing balaan alang kaninyo. 37Ug ang incienso nga pagabuhaton mo, sumala sa pagsakot niini dili kamo magbuhat alang sa inyong kaugalingon: kini tungod kaninyo mamahimo nga balaan alang kang Jehova. 38Bisan kinsa nga magabuhat ug sama niana aron sa pagpanimaho niini, pagaputlon siya gikan sa katawohan niya.
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 THE ALTAR OF INCENSE. (Exo. 30:1-38)
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 [
Exod 25:10].
2 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" [
Exod 39:38;
Exod 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" [
Ps 5:3] (compare
2Cor 3:14;
Heb 10:20;
Rev 4:1).
7 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 (
Ps 141:2;
Rev 5:8;
Rev 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 (
Luke 1:10;
Heb 7:25).
every morning . . . at even--In every period of the national history this daily worship was scrupulously observed.
8 Aaron shall burn incense--seemingly limiting the privilege of officiating at the altar of incense to the high priest alone, and there is no doubt that he and his successors exclusively attended this altar on the great religious festivals. But "Aaron" is frequently used for the whole priestly order, and in later times, any of the priests might have officiated at this altar in rotation (
Luke 1:9).
9 Ye shall offer no strange incense--that is, of a different composition from that of which the ingredients are described so minutely.
11 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 (
Num 1:42,
Num 1:45), and the Levites (
Num 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 (
Matt 17:24-
Matt 17:27), and it was usually devoted to repairs and other purposes connected with the services of the sanctuary.
18 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 (
John 13:10;
Heb 10:22).
23 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.
24 cassia--from the same species of tree as the cinnamon--some think the outer bark of that tree. All these together would amount to one hundred twenty pounds, troy weight.
hin--a word of Egyptian origin, equal to ten pints. Being mixed with the olive oil--no doubt of the purest kind--this composition probably remained always in a liquid state, and the strictest prohibition issued against using it for any other purpose than anointing the tabernacle and its furniture.
34 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.