Exodus 30 - Introduction

Contents: The altar of Incense, Exodus 30:1; the maintenance of public service, Exodus 30:11; the Bronze Laver, Exodus 30:17; the composition of the holy Anointing Oil, Exodus 30:22; the composition of the Incense, Exodus 30:24; the nomination of Bĕẓal"çl and Oholiab to construct, or take the chief part in constructing, the Tabernacle, and its appurtenances, Exodus 31:1; the observance of the Sabbath, Exodus 31:12; Moses receives from God the two tables of stone, preparatory to descending from the mount, Exodus 31:18. The whole, except Exodus 31:18 b, belongs to P. There are, however, strong reasons for holding that it does not belong to P proper, but to a posterior and secondary stratum of P (P 2 [211]), of which there are indications also in other parts of the Pentateuch. It is surprising to find the Altar of Incense, which from its importance might have seemed to demand a place in ch. 25, among the other sacred vessels of the Tabernacle, mentioned for the first time in Exo Exodus 30:1, when the directions respecting the Tabernacle seem to be complete, and brought to a solemn close by the promise in Exodus 29:43 that Jehovah will take up His abode in the sanctuary so constructed: even in Exodus 26:34 f., where the position of the vessels in the Tabernacle is defined, the Altar of Incense is not named. In Exodus 10 an annual rite of atonement is prescribed to be performed upon it; but in Leviticus 16, where the ceremonial of the day of atonement is described in detail, no notice of such a rite is to be found; and only one altar, the altar of Burnt-offering, is mentioned throughout the chapter (on v.18 see Dillm. and Keil, who agree that the orderof the ceremonial in vv.16b 18 shews the altar of Burnt-offering to be here meant). Further, a number of passages occur, in which the altar of Burnt-offering is referred to as - thealtar," implying apparently that there was no other (e.g. chs. 27 29; Leviticus 1-3, Leviticus 1:5; Leviticus 1:8; Leviticus 1:9; Leviticus 1:16). Hence it seems that the Tabernacle, as pictured in the original legislation of P, contained no incense altar (incense being offered on pans or censers, Leviticus 10:1; Leviticus 16:12; Numbers 16:6-7, &c.), and that both this and other passages in which it is spoken of (Exodus 30:27; Exodus 31:8; Exodus 35:15; Exodus 37:25; Exodus 39:38; Exodus 40:5; Exodus 40:26; Leviticus 4:7; Leviticus 4:18; Numbers 4:11), or which term -the Altar" of Exodus 27:1, &c., as though for distinction, -the altar of Burnt-offering" (as Exodus 30:28; Exodus 31:9; Exodus 35:16; Exodus 38:1; Exodus 40:6; Exodus 40:10; Exodus 40:29; Leviticus 4), or -the Bronze altar" (Exodus 38:30; Exodus 39:39), belong to a secondary stratum of P. The other subjects treated in chs. 30 31 are such as would naturally find place in an Appendix, or (remarkably enough) occasion similar difficulties. Thus in Exodus 29:7 (cf. 29), Leviticus 8:12, the ceremony of anointing is confined to the high priest (Aaron): in Exodus 30:30 it is extended to the priests (his -sons"). The same extension recurs in Exodus 28:41; Exodus 40:15; Leviticus 7:36; Leviticus 10:7; Numbers 3:3. That the ceremony was regarded originally as limited to the high priest seems, however, to be confirmed by the title -the anointedpriest" applied to him (Leviticus 4:3; Leviticus 4:5; Leviticus 4:16; Leviticus 6:22; cf. Leviticus 16:32; Leviticus 21:10; Leviticus 21:12; Numbers 35:25), which, if the priests generally were anointed, would be destitute of any distinctive significance.

[211] Secondary strata of P (see p. xii top; pp. 328f., 378).