29 And he made the holy oil and the perfume of sweet spices for burning, after the art of the perfume-maker.
Take the best spices, five hundred shekels' weight of liquid myrrh, and of sweet cinnamon half as much, that is, two hundred and fifty shekels, and two hundred and fifty shekels of sweet calamus, And of cassia, five hundred shekels' weight measured by the scale of the holy place, and of olive oil a hin: And make these into a holy oil, a perfume made by the art of the perfume-maker; it is to be a holy oil. This oil is to be put on the Tent of meeting, and on the ark of the law, And on the table and all its vessels, and on the support for the lights, with its vessels, and on the altar for burning spices, And on the altar of burned offerings with its vessels, and on the washing-vessel and its base. And you are to make them most holy; anything touching them will become holy. And put the oil on Aaron and his sons, making them holy to do the work of priests to me. And say to the children of Israel, This is to be the Lord's holy oil, from generation to generation. It is not to be used for man's flesh, and no other is to be made like it: holy it is, and you are to keep it holy. Whoever makes any like it, or puts it on one who is not a priest, will be cut off from his people. And the Lord said to Moses, Take sweet spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, with the best frankincense, in equal weights; And make from them a perfume, such as is made by the art of the perfume-maker, mixed with salt, and clean and holy. And put some of it, crushed very small, in front of the ark in the Tent of meeting, where I will come face to face with you; it is to be most holy. You are not to make any perfume like it for yourselves: it is to be kept holy to the Lord. Whoever makes any like it, for its sweet smell, will be cut off from his people.
<To the chief music-maker. Of David.> The foolish man has said in his heart, God will not do anything. They are unclean, they have done evil works; there is not one who does good. The Lord was looking down from heaven on the children of men, to see if there were any who had wisdom, searching after God.
And another angel came and took his place at the altar, having a gold vessel for burning perfume; and there was given to him much perfume, so that he might put it with the prayers of all the saints on the gold altar which was before the high seat. And the smoke of the perfume, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel's hand.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » John Gill's Exposition of the Bible » Commentary on Exodus 37
Commentary on Exodus 37 John Gill's Exposition of the Bible
INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 37
This chapter continues the account of the making of the tabernacle, and the furniture of it, particularly the ark, mercy seat, and cherubim, Exodus 37:1 the shewbread table, and what appertained to that, Exodus 37:10 the candlestick, and all the vessels of it, Exodus 37:17 and the altar of incense, together with the anointing oil, and pure incense, Exodus 37:25.
And Bezaleel made the ark of shittim wood,.... Jarchi says, because he gave his mind to this work more than the rest of the wise men, it is called by his name. It is a notion of some Jewish writers that the ark was made by Bezaleel, without the help of others; but there is no sufficient reason to be given for it; for other things are equally ascribed to him in this and the following chapter, as the mercy seat with the cherubim, the shewbread table, the candlestick of pure gold, the two altars, the laver of brass, with other things, which are only said to be made by him, because they were made by his direction, and he having the oversight of them while making; wherefore Aben Ezra observes, that this is particularly said for the glory of the ark. Of the ark, and all other things mentioned in this chapter; see Gill on Exodus 25:1 &c. to end of chapter; see Gill on Exodus 30:1 &c. to end of chapter.