Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 30:6
And thou shalt put it before the veil that [is] by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that [is] over the testimony, where I will meet with thee.
6. the veil, &c.] See Exo 26:31; Exo 26:33.
by ] before (as Exo 27:21 for the same Heb.) would be clearer: in front of might then be used instead of ‘before’ (twice).
the testimony ] i.e. the commandments written on the two tables of stone: see on Exo 25:16.
meet with thee ] cf. Exo Exo 25:22, Exo Exo 29:42.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 6. Before the mercy-seat that is over the testimony] These words in the original are supposed to be a repetition, by mistake, of the preceding clause; the word happarocheth, the veil, being corrupted by interchanging two letters into haccapporeth, the mercy-seat; and this, as Dr. Kennicott observes, places the altar of incense before the mercy-seat, and consequently IN the holy of holies! Now this could not be, as the altar of incense was attended every day, and the holy of holies entered only once in the year. The five words which appear to be a repetition are wanting in twenty-six of Kennicott’s and De Rossi’s MSS., and in the Samaritan. The verse reads better without them, and is more consistent with the rest of the account.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Before the veil; before the second veil, in the holy place, and near to the holy of holies, and consequently to the ark and mercy-seat.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
6. thou shalt put it before the veilthat is by the ark of the testimonywhich separated the holyfrom the most holy place. The altar was in the middle between thetable of showbread and the candlestick next the holy of holies, atequal distances from the north and south walls; in other words, itoccupied a spot on the outside of the great partition veil, butdirectly in front of the mercy seat, which was within that sacredenclosure; so that although the priest who ministered at this altarcould not behold the mercy seat, he was to look towards it, andpresent his incense in that direction. This was a specialarrangement, and it was designed to teach the important lesson that,though we cannot with the eye of sense, see the throne of grace, wemust “direct our prayer to it and look up” [Ps5:3] (compare 2Co 3:14;Heb 10:20; Rev 4:1).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Thou shalt put it before the vail,…. That divides between the holy and the most holy place; not within the vail in the holy of holies, but before it at the holy place, for there the altar of incense stood: Josephus o says, between the candlestick and the table, i.e. of shewbread, stood the altar of incense; now the candlestick and shewbread were in the holy place; and with this account the Talmudists p agree, who say, that the table was in the north, distant from the wall two cubits and a half, and the candlestick on the south, distant from the wall two cubits and a half, and the altar was in the middle, and stood between them: and Maimonides q gives the like account of its situation, which is here further described:
that is by the ark of the testimony; which vail was by it, before which the altar was placed; the ark of the testimony was the chest or coffer in which the law was put, and which was the testimony of the will of God, from whence it had this name; and it stood in the most holy place; and not by it in the same place, but over against it, in the holy place stood the altar of incense:
before the mercy seat, that is over the testimony; the mercy seat that was over the ark, a lid or cover to it, where the testimony was; and towards this, before the face of it, was the altar of incense, where the priest officiating, looked directly towards it; having that in view for the acceptance of the people’s prayers to God through Christ, which they were making while he was burning the incense:
where I will meet thee; as he had before promised, Ex 25:22.
o Antiqu. l. 3. c. 6. sect. 8. p T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 33. 2. q Hilchot Beth. Habechirah, c. 1. sect. 7.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Verses 6-10:
The text does not clearly define where the altar of incense was to be placed, whether in the “holy place” or in the “most holy place.” This is clarified in Ex 40:21-29. This altar was placed in the sanctuary, the holy place, along with the table of shewbread and the golden lampstand. It was directly in front of the veil separating the holy place from the holy of holies, likely in the center of the room.
Aaron was to offer incense upon this altar each morning when he entered the sanctuary to trim the lamps He was to offer again each evening when he lit the lamps for the night.
“Perpetual incense” does not mean that the incense was to be kept burning continuously. It was perpetual in the sense that it was to be offered twice daily in perpetuity.
“Strange incense” denotes any incense not compounded according to the instructions in verses 34-38.
This altar was to be used exclusively for the purpose of offering incense. Once a year on the tenth day of the seventh month, “Yom Kippur,” the “Day of Covering (Atonement), the high priest was to put the blood of the ram of consecration upon the horns of the altar of incense. The purpose: renewing of consecration of the altar.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(6) Before the vail.The ark was behind the vail (Exo. 26:33; Exo. 40:3), the altar of incense directly in front of it, nearer to the vail than either the golden candlestick or the table of shewbread. Hence the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews speaks of it as belonging, in a certain sense, to the Holy of Holies (Heb. 9:4; see Kay, in Speakers Commentary). The vail that is by the ark of the testimony is distinguished here from the vail, or curtain, at the entrance to the holy place.
Before the mercy seat.The altar bore a close relation to the mercy seat. It was the instrument by which the mercy there enthroned was made available to the penitent sinner.
Where I will meet with thee.Comp. Exo. 25:22; Exo. 29:42-43.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
6. Put it before the vail Thus it seems to have had a more direct relation to the most holy place than either the table of showbread or the golden candlestick . The offering of incense was symbolical of the prayers of saints, (Psa 141:2; Rev 8:3-4,) and the people were accustomed to pray without when the priest was offering the incense. Luk 1:10. The priest, standing before this altar of incense, would have the ark directly in front of him, within the vail, the table of showbread at his right, and the candlestick at his left.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Exo 30:6 And 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.
Ver. 6. Where I will meet with thee. ] To give oracles and answers of mercy. God still “meeteth him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness.” Isa 64:5
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
mercy seat. See note on Exo 25:17.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
veil: Exo 26:31-35, Exo 40:3, Exo 40:5, Exo 40:26, Mat 27:51, Heb 9:3, Heb 9:4
before the mercy seat that is over the testimony: The words , liphney haccapporeth asher al haaiduth, “before the mercy-seat that is over the testimony,” are thought to be a repetition of the preceding clause, , liphney happarocheth asher al aron haaiduth, “before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony; the word , [Strong’s H6532], happarocheth, “the vail,” being corrupted, by transposing the letters into , [Strong’s H3727], hacapporeth, “the mercy-seat,” and the word , [Strong’s H727], aron, “ark,” omitted. This repetition, as Dr. Kennicott observes, places the altar of incense before the mercy-seat, and consequently in the Holy of Holies! Now this could not be, as the altar of incense was attended every day, and the Holy of Holies entered only once in the year. The five words which appear to be a repetition are wanting in twenty-six of Kennicott’s and Rossi’s manuscripts and in the Samaritan Text. Exo 25:21, Exo 25:22, Lev 16:13, 1Ch 28:11, Heb 4:16, Heb 9:5
I will: Exo 30:36, Exo 29:42, Exo 29:43, Num 17:4
Reciprocal: Exo 3:18 – met Exo 16:34 – General Exo 25:16 – General Exo 36:35 – veil of blue Lev 21:23 – go in 1Ki 6:22 – also 1Ch 23:13 – to burn incense Isa 64:5 – meetest
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
THE ALTAR OF INCENSE
And thou shalt put it [the altar of incense] before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony, etc.
Exo 30:6-10
The altar of incense was made of acacia wood, and stood about a yard high and eighteen inches square. Incense was burnt upon it every morning and evening, and it was used for this purpose only. The altar and incense were symbolic
I. Of the prayers of Gods people.(1) In prayer we speak to God and tell Him the thoughts of our minds, the feelings of our hearts, the desires of our spirits. The incense smoke ascended, arrow-like, in a straight and most direct column to heaven. Our prayers ascend immediately and in the directest way to the heart and ear of God. (2) In prayer we stand very near God. The altar of incense was placed before the mercy-seat. (3) The pleasant odour of the incense is symbolic of the acceptableness of prayer.
II. Of intelligent, unceasing, and reverent prayer.(1) The burning of incense is intelligent prayer. It took place in the light, and our prayers should be presented to God intelligently. (2) Unceasing prayer. It was a perpetual incense before the Lord. (3) Reverent prayer. Ye shall burn no strange incense thereon; it is most holy unto the Lord.
III. Of prayer offered in Christs name.Aaron sprinkled the golden horns with the blood of atonement. This act is typical of the offering of prayer in the name of Christ.
IV. Of the power of prayer.The horns of the altar symbolise power. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Illustration
(1) What a lovely, significant, and instructive symbol of prayer the incense is! That that was the meaning, and was recognised to be the meaning of the incense in the old worship, there are plenty of illustrations in the Old Testament itself. Isaiah 6. contains one of them, where, in the vision of the higher temple, we find that the consequence of the praise, the adoring prayer,not the supplicatory one,of the higher seraphim, was, that at the voice of him that cried the house was filled with smoke. As if the voice was transubstantiated, so to speak, into the curling spires of the wreathing incense that went up and filled the sanctuary.
And then there is a still distincter proof of it in one of the old psalms. Let my prayer be set forth before Thee as incense, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. So that the devouter spirits in these old times apprehended the meaning of the symbolism and felt the beauty of it.
(2) The very altar of incense needs to have an atonement made for it once in the year throughout their generations with the blood of the sin offering of atonement. The prayer of every heart which knows its own secret will be this:
Forgive what seemed my sin in me,
What seemed my worth since I began;
For merit lives from man to man,
And not from man, O Lord, to Thee
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
30:6 And thou shalt put it {c} 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.
(c) That is, in the sanctuary, and not in the holiest of all.