The big picture
Exodus 30 opens in verse 1 with “And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it.”, reaches its middle movement near verse 19 with “For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat:”, and closes in verse 38 with “Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall even be cut off from his…” Repeated or prominent terms include LORD, holy, offering, incense, shekel. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Exodus · King James Version · 38Exodus 30:1-8
1–8: Thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt…
Exodus 30:1–8 opens with “And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it.” and reaches “And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Exodus 30 develops its own movement around LORD, holy, offering, incense, shekel, with particular weight carried by incense, burn, gold.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it.” The line’s distinctive content terms include altar, burn, incense. Its relationship to verses 2 shows what work it does in this passage.
“And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof…” The line’s distinctive content terms include gold, round, crown. Its relationship to verses 2 and 4 shows what work it does in this passage.
“And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.” The line’s distinctive content terms include gold, overlay, shittim. Its relationship to verses 4 and 6 shows what work it does in this passage.
Exodus 30:1-8
King James Version1And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it.
2A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be: and two cubits shall be the height thereof: the horns thereof shall be of the same.
3And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about.
4And two golden rings shalt thou make to it under the crown of it, by the two corners thereof, upon the two sides of it shalt thou make it; and they shall be for places for the staves to bear it withal.
5And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.
6And thou shalt put it before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee.
7And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it.
8And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations.
Exodus 30:9-16
9–16: Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat…
Exodus 30:9–16 opens with “Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall…” and reaches “And thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Exodus 30 develops its own movement around LORD, holy, offering, incense, shekel, with particular weight carried by LORD, offering, atonement.
Context that brings the passage to life
“Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,” Naming Moses keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Exodus 30:9-16
King James Version9Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon.
10And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the LORD .
11And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
12When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD , when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them.
13This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the LORD .
14Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD .
15The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the LORD , to make an atonement for your souls.
16And thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before the LORD , to make an atonement for your souls.
Exodus 30:17-24
17–24: The LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
Exodus 30:17–24 opens with “And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,” and reaches “And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin:” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Exodus 30 develops its own movement around LORD, holy, offering, incense, shekel, with particular weight carried by shekels, wash, LORD.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,” Naming Moses keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
“For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat:” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.
“So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a statute for ever to them, even to…” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.
Exodus 30:17-24
King James Version17And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
18Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein.
19For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat:
20When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto the LORD :
21So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a statute for ever to them, even to him and to his seed throughout their generations.
22Moreover the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
23Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels,
24And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin:
Exodus 30:25-32
25–32: Thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after…
Exodus 30:25–32 opens with “And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the…” and reaches “Upon man’s flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make any other like it, after the…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Exodus 30 develops its own movement around LORD, holy, offering, incense, shekel, with particular weight carried by holy, vessels, altar.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“And the table and all his vessels, and the candlestick and his vessels, and the altar of incense,” The line’s distinctive content terms include vessels, altar, candlestick. Its relationship to verses 26 and 28 shows what work it does in this passage.
Exodus 30:25-32
King James Version25And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil.
26And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony,
27And the table and all his vessels, and the candlestick and his vessels, and the altar of incense,
28And the altar of burnt offering with all his vessels, and the laver and his foot.
29And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy.
30And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office.
31And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall be an holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations.
32Upon man’s flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make any other like it, after the composition of it: it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you.
Exodus 30:33-38
33–38: Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a…
Exodus 30:33–38 opens with “Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, shall even be…” and reaches “Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall even be cut off from his people.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Exodus 30 develops its own movement around LORD, holy, offering, incense, shekel, with particular weight carried by holy, LORD, people.
Context that brings the passage to life
“Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, shall even be cut off from his…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“And the LORD said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Exodus 30:33-38
King James Version33Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, shall even be cut off from his people.
34And the LORD said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight:
35And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy:
36And 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 shall be unto you most holy.
37And as for the perfume which thou shalt make, ye shall not make to yourselves according to the composition thereof: it shall be unto thee holy for the LORD .
38Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall even be cut off from his people.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Exodus 30:1 begins with “And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it.”
Where the chapter turns
Exodus 30:19 forms a natural hinge: “For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat:”
The final note
Exodus 30:38 leaves the reader with “Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall even be cut off from his people.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words LORD, holy, offering, incense, shekel, Aaron help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
Who receives too little attention in a simplified family tree?
Bilhah and Zilpah, named women whose children are counted in Jacob's family.
How does the narrator explain Rachel's conception?
God remembers and hears her in verse 22, rather than attributing the result to the mandrakes.
KJV words made clear
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- spake
- spoke
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.