1 Andthou shalt make an Altar to burne incense vpon: of Shittim wood shalt thou make it.
2 A cubite shall bee the length thereof, and a cubite the breadth thereof, (foure square shall it bee) and two cubits shalbe the height thereof: the hornes thereof shalbe of the same.
3 And thou shalt ouerlay it with pure gold, the top therof, and the sides thereof round about, and the hornes thereof: and thou shalt make vnto it a crowne of gold round about.
4 And two golden rings shalt thou make to it vnder the crowne of it, by the two corners thereof, vpon the two sides of it shalt thou make it: and they shalbe for places for the staues to beare it withall.
5 And thou shalt make the staues of Shittim wood, and ouerlay them with gold.
6 And thou shalt put it before the Uaile, that is by the Arke of the Testimonie before the Mercie-seat, that is, ouer the Testimonie where I will meet with thee.
7 And Aaron shall burne thereon sweet incense euery morning: when he dresseth the lamps he shal burne incense vpon it.
8 And when Aaron lighteth the lampes at euen, he shall burne incense vpon it, a perpetuall incense before the Lord,throughout your generations.
9 Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meate offering, neither shall ye powre drinke offering thereon.
10 And Aaron shall make an atonement vpon the hornes of it once in a yeere, with the blood of the sinne offering of atonements: once in the yeere shall hee make atonement vpon it, throughout your generations: it is most holy vnto the Lord.
11 ¶ And the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying,
12 When thou takest the summe of the children of Israel, after their number, then shall they giue euery man a ransome for his soule vnto the Lord, when thou numbrest them, that there be no plague amongst them, when thou numbrest them.
13 This they shall giue, euery one that passeth among them that are numbred: halfe a shekel after the shekel of the Sanctuary: A shekel is twenty gerahs: an halfe shekel shall be the offering of the Lord.
14 Euery one that passeth among them that are numbred from twentie yeeres old and aboue, shall giue an offering vnto the Lord.
15 The rich shal not giue more, and the poore shall not giue lesse then halfe a shekel, when they giue an offering vnto the Lord, to make an atonement for your soules.
16 And thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the seruice of the Tabernacle of the Congregation, that it may be a memoriall vnto the children of Israel before the Lord, to make an atonement for your soules.
17 ¶ And the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying,
18 Thou shalt also make a Lauer of brasse, and his foote also of brasse, to wash withall, and thou shalt put it betweene the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein.
19 For Aaron and his sonnes shall wash their hands and their feet thereat.
20 When they goe into the Tabernacle of the Congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not: or when they come neere to the altar to minister, to burne offering made by fire vnto the Lord.
21 So they shall wash their handes and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a statute for euer to them, euen to him and to his seed throughout their generations.
22 ¶ Moreouer the Lord spake vnto Moses, saying,
23 Take thou also vnto thee principall spices, of pure myrrhe fiue hundred shekels, and of sweet cinamon halfe so much, euen two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fiftie shekels,
24 And of Cassia fiue hundred shekels, after the shekel of the Sanctuary, and of oyle oliue an Hin.
25 And thou shalt make it an oyle of holy oyntment, an oyntment compound after the arte of the Apothecarie: it shalbe an holy anointing oyle.
26 And thou shalt anoint the Tabernacle of the Congregation therewith, and the Arke of the Testimonie:
27 And the Table and all his vessels, and the Candlesticke, and his vessels, and the Altar of incense:
28 And the Altar of burnt offering with all his vessels, and the Lauer and his foot.
29 And thou shalt sanctifie them, that they may bee most holy: whatsoeuer toucheth them, shall be holy.
30 And thou shalt annoint Aaron and his sonnes, and consecrate them, that they may minister vnto mee in the priests office.
31 And thou shalt speake vnto the children of Israel, saying, This shall bee an holy anointing oile vnto mee, throughout your generations.
32 Upon mans flesh shall it not bee powred, neither shall ye make any other like it, after the composition of it: it is holy, and it shall be holy vnto you.
33 Whosoeuer compoundeth any like it, or whosoeuer putteth any of it vpon a stranger, shall euen be cut off from his people.
34 ¶ And the Lord said vnto Moses, Take vnto thee sweete spices, Stacte, and Onicha, and Galbanum: these sweete spices with pure frankincense, of each shall there be a like weight.
35 And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the arte of the Apothecarie, 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 shalbe vnto you most holy.
37 And as for the perfume which thou shalt make, you shall not make to your selues, according to the composition thereof: it shall be vnto thee holy for the Lord.
38 Whosoeuer shall make like vnto that, to smell thereto, shall euen bee cut off from his people.
The altar of incense. (1-10) The ransom of souls. (11-16) The brazen laver. (17-21) The holy anointing oil, The perfume. (22-38)1-10 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.
11-16 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.
17-21 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.
22-38 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.
Commentary by Matthew Henry, 1710.