301 'And thou hast made an altar 'for' making perfume; 'of' shittim wood thou dost make it; 2 a cubit its length, and a cubit its breadth, (it is square), and two cubits its height; its horns 'are' of the same. 3 'And thou hast overlaid it with pure gold, its top, and its sides round about, and its horns; and thou hast made to it a crown of gold round about; 4 and two rings of gold thou dost make to it under its crown; on its two ribs thou dost make 'them', on its two sides, and they have become places for staves, to bear it with them. 5 'And thou hast made the staves of shittim wood, and hast overlaid them with gold; 6 and thou hast put it before the vail, which 'is' by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy-seat which 'is' over the testimony, whither I am met with thee. 7 'And Aaron hath made perfume on it, perfume of spices, morning by morning; in his making the lamps right he doth perfume it, 8 and in Aaron's causing the lamps to go up between the evenings, he doth perfume it; a continual perfume before Jehovah to your generations. 9 'Ye do not cause strange perfume to go up upon it, and burnt-offering, and present, and libation ye do not pour out on it; 10 and Aaron hath made atonement on its horns, once in a year, by the blood of the sin-offering of atonements; once in a year doth he make atonement for it, to your generations; it 'is' most holy to Jehovah.'
11 And Jehovah speaketh unto Moses, saying,
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Exodus 30:1-11
Commentary on Exodus 30:1-10
(Read Exodus 30:1-10)
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.
Commentary on Exodus 30:11-16
(Read Exodus 30:11-16)
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, Acts 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.