29 and he maketh the holy anointing oil, and the pure spice-perfume -- work of a compounder.
`And thou, take to thyself principal spices, wild honey five hundred `shekels'; and spice-cinnamon, the half of that, two hundred and fifty; and spice-cane two hundred and fifty; and cassia five hundred, by the shekel of the sanctuary, and olive oil a hin; and thou hast made it a holy anointing oil, a compound mixture, work of a compounder; it is a holy anointing oil. `And thou hast anointed with it the tent of meeting, and the ark of the testimony, and the table and all its vessels, and the candlestick and its vessels, and the altar of perfume, and the altar of burnt-offering and all its vessels, and the laver and its base; and thou hast sanctified them, and they have been most holy; all that is coming against them is holy; and Aaron and his sons thou dost anoint, and hast sanctified them for being priests to Me. `And unto the sons of Israel thou dost speak, saying, A holy anointing oil is this to Me, to your generations; on flesh of man it is not poured, and with its proper proportion ye make none like it; it `is' holy; it is holy to you; a man who compoundeth `any' like it, or who putteth of it on a stranger -- hath even been cut off from his people.' And Jehovah saith unto Moses, `Take to thee spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum, spices and pure frankincense; they are part for part; and thou hast made it a perfume, a compound, work of a compounder, salted, pure, holy; and thou hast beaten `some' of it small, and hast put of it before the testimony, in the tent of meeting, whither I am met with thee; most holy it is to you. `As to the perfume which thou makest, with its proper proportion ye do not make to yourselves, holy it is to thee to Jehovah; a man who maketh `any' like it -- to be refreshed by it -- hath even been cut off from his people.'
To the Overseer. -- By David. A fool hath said in his heart, `God is not;' They have done corruptly, They have done abominable actions, There is not a doer of good. Jehovah from the heavens Hath looked on the sons of men, To see if there is a wise one -- seeking God.
and another messenger did come, and he stood at the altar, having a golden censer, and there was given to him much perfume, that he may give `it' to the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar that `is' before the throne, and go up did the smoke of the perfumes to the prayers of the saints out of the hand of the messenger, before God;
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Commentary on Exodus 37 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 37
Ex 37:1-29. Furniture of the Tabernacle.
1. Bezaleel made the ark—The description here given of the things within the sacred edifice is almost word for word the same as that contained in Ex 25:1-40. It is not on that account to be regarded as a useless repetition of minute particulars; for by the enumeration of these details, it can be seen how exactly everything was fashioned according to the "pattern shown on the mount" [Ex 25:40]; and the knowledge of this exact correspondence between the prescription and the execution was essential to the purposes of the fabric.
6-10. made the mercy seat of pure gold—To construct a figure, whether the body of a beast or a man, with two extended wings, measuring from two to three feet from tip to tip, with the hammer, out of a solid piece of gold, was what few, if any, artisans of the present day could accomplish.
17-22. he made the candlestick of pure gold—Practical readers will be apt to say, "Why do such works with the hammer, when they could have been cast so much easier—a process they were well acquainted with?" The only answer that can be given is, that it was done according to order. We have no doubt but there were reasons for so distinctive an order, something significant, which has not been revealed to us [Napier]. The whole of that sacred building was arranged with a view to inculcate through every part of its apparatus the great fundamental principles of revelation. Every object was symbolical of important truth—every piece of furniture was made the hieroglyphic of a doctrine or a duty—on the floor and along the sides of that movable edifice was exhibited, by emblematic signs addressed to the eye, the whole remedial scheme of the gospel. How far this spiritual instruction was received by every successive generation of the Israelites, it may not be easy to determine. But the tabernacle, like the law of which it was a part, was a schoolmaster to Christ [Ga 3:24, 25]. Just as the walls of schools are seen studded with pictorial figures, by which the children, in a manner level to their capacities and suited to arrest their volatile minds, are kept in constant and familiar remembrance of the lessons of piety and virtue, so the tabernacle was intended by its furniture and all its arrangements to serve as a "shadow of good things to come" [Heb 10:1]. In this view, the minute description given in this chapter respecting the ark and mercy seat, the table of showbread, the candlestick, the altar of incense, and the holy oil, were of the greatest utility and importance; and though there are a few things that are merely ornamental appendages, such as the knops and the flowers, yet, in introducing these into the tabernacle, God displayed the same wisdom and goodness as He has done by introducing real flowers into the kingdom of nature to engage and gratify the eye of man.