Esodo 30:13 Commento

Moses is, in this chapter, further instructed, I. Concerning the altar of incense (Exo 30:1-10). II. Concerning the ransom-money which the Israelites were to pay, when they were numbered (Exo 30:11-16). III. Concerning the laver of brass, which was set for the priests to wash in (Exo 30:17-21). IV. Concerning the making up of the anointing oil, and the use of it (Exo 30:22-33). V. Concerning the incense and perfume which were to be burned on the golden altar (Exo 30:34, etc.).

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 30 This chapter treats of the altar of incense, its form and use, Exo 30:1 of the ransom of the Israelites, with the half shekel when numbered, Exo 30:11 of the laver for the priests to wash their hands and feet at before service, Exo 30:17 of the anointing oil, the ingredients of it, and what was to be done with it, Exo 30:22, and of the perfume, the composition and use of it, Exo 30:34.

This they shall give, everyone that passeth among them that are numbered,.... And their number, according to Jarchi, was known by what was paid; for he says the sum was taken not by heads, but everyone gave the half shekel, and by counting them the number was known, as follows: half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary; that is, after the standard of a shekel kept in the sanctuary as a rule for all; and so Jarchi paraphrases it,"according to the weight of a shekel, which I have fixed for thee to weigh, the shekel of the sanctuary.''It was about fourteen pence: a shekel is twenty gerahs; a gerah being the twentieth part of a shekel, it was not quite three halfpence of our money: an half shekel shall be the offering of the Lord; which was to be offered to him for the ransom of souls, whose lives were forfeited by sin; and of the redemption of which this was an acknowledgment; and was typical of the ransom price of souls by Christ, which is not silver or gold, but his precious blood, his life, himself, which is given as an offering and sacrifice to God, in the room and stead of his people; and which is given to God, against whom sin is committed, the lawgiver, whose law is broken, the Judge, whose justice must be satisfied, and the creditor, to whom the price must be paid.

The altar of burnt incense, Exo 30:1. Dimensions, Exo 30:2. Golden crown, Exo 30:3. Rings and staves, Exo 30:4, Exo 30:5. Where placed, Exo 30:6, Exo 30:7. Use, Exo 30:8-10. The ransom price of half a shekel, Exo 30:11-13. Who were to pay it, Exo 30:14. The rich and the poor to pay alike, Exo 30:15. The use to which it was applied, Exo 30:16. The brazen laver, and its uses, Exo 30:17-21. The holy anointing oil, and its component parts, Exo 30:22-25. To be applied to the tabernacle, ark, golden table, candlestick, altar of burnt-offerings, and the laver, Exo 30:26-29. And to Aaron and his sons, Exo 30:30. Never to be applied to any other uses, and none like it ever to be made, Exo 30:31-33. The perfume, and how made, Exo 30:34, Exo 30:35. Its use, Exo 30:36. Nothing similar to it ever to be made, Exo 30:37, Exo 30:38.

Half a shekel - Each of the Israelites was ordered to give as a ransom for his soul (i.e., for his life) half a shekel, according to the shekel of the sanctuary. From this we may learn, 1. That the life of every man was considered as being forfeited to Divine justice. 2. That the redemption money given, which was doubtless used in the service of the sanctuary, was ultimately devoted to the use and profit of those who gave it. 3. That the standard by which the value of coin was ascertained, was kept in the sanctuary; for this appears to be the meaning of the words, after the shekel of the sanctuary. 4. The shekel is here said to be twenty gerahs. A gerah, according to Maimonides, weighed sixteen barleycorns, a shekel three hundred and twenty of pure silver. The shekel is generally considered to be equal in value to three shillings English; the redemption money, therefore, must be about one shilling and sixpence. 5. The rich were not to give more, the poor not to give less; to signify that all souls were equally precious in the sight of God, and that no difference of outward circumstances could affect the state of the soul; all had sinned, and all must be redeemed by the same price. 6. This atonement must be made that there might be no plague among them, intimating that a plague or curse from God must light on those souls for whom the atonement was not made. 7. This was to be a memorial unto the children of Israel, Exo 30:16, to bring to their remembrance their past deliverance, and to keep in view their future redemption. 8. St. Peter seems to allude to this, and to intimate that this mode of atonement was ineffectual in itself, and only pointed out the great sacrifice which, in the fullness of time, should be made for the sin of the world. "Ye know," says he, "that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world," etc.; Pe1 1:18, Pe1 1:19, Pe1 1:20. 9. Therefore all these things seem to refer to Christ alone, and to the atonement made by his blood; and upon him who is not interested in this atonement, God's plagues must be expected to fall. Reader, acquaint now thyself with God and be at peace, and thereby good shall come unto thee.

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 [Exo 25:10].