Exodus 30:32

Upon 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.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(32) Upon man’s flesh shall it not be poured—i.e., it shall not be in ordinary use as an unguent—a mere “man,” who is not a priest, shall not apply it to his private use. It shall be reserved altogether for holy purposes.

Neither shall ye make any other like it, after the composition of it—i.e., after the recipe given in Exodus 30:23-25. The ingredients might be used in unguents separately—they might even be so used when united in some different proportions from those laid down for the “holy ointment”—but in the proportions fixed for the holy oil they must have no secular employment.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

30:22-38 Directions are here given for making the holy anointing oil, and the incense to be used in the service of the tabernacle. To show the excellency of holiness, there was this spiced oil in the tabernacle, which was grateful to the sight and to the smell. Christ's name is as ointment poured forth, So 1:3, and the good name of Christians is like precious ointment, Ec 7:1. The incense burned upon the golden altar was prepared of sweet spices. When it was used, it was to be beaten very small; thus it pleased the Lord to bruise the Redeemer, when he offered himself for a sacrifice of a sweet-smelling savour. The like should not be made for any common use. Thus God would keep in the people's minds reverence for his own services, and teach us not to profane or abuse any thing whereby God makes himself known. It is a great affront to God to jest with sacred things, and to make sport with his word and ordinances. It is most dangerous and fatal to use professions of the gospel of Christ to forward wordly interests.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Upon man's flesh - i. e. on the persons of those who were not priests who might employ it for such anointing as was usual on festive occasions (Psalm 104:15; Proverbs 27:9; Matthew 6:17, etc.).

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

24. cassia—from the same species of tree as the cinnamon—some think the outer bark of that tree. All these together would amount to one hundred twenty pounds, troy weight.

hin—a word of Egyptian origin, equal to ten pints. Being mixed with the olive oil—no doubt of the purest kind—this composition probably remained always in a liquid state, and the strictest prohibition issued against using it for any other purpose than anointing the tabernacle and its furniture.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Upon man’s flesh shall it not be poured, except those whom God himself, the author of this law, excepts, to wit, the high priests, of which see Exodus 30:30; and some of the kings, of which see 1 Kings 1:39 Psalm 89:20, though others think the kings were only anointed with common oil.

It shall be holy unto you, as it is unto me, Exodus 30:31; you shall account it holy, as I do.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

Upon man's flesh shall it not be poured,.... That is, not upon common men, or on men's flesh in common, as was usual at feasts and entertainments in the eastern countries, see Psalm 23:5 but this was not to be used on such occasions, otherwise it was poured on the flesh of some men, as Aaron and his sons, on whose head it was poured and ran down to the beard:

neither shall ye make any other like it, after the composition of it; for private uses:

it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you; it was set apart for sacred use by the Lord, and so it was to be reckoned by them, and not to be used in any way, or for any other purpose than he had directed: all which shows, that the grace of the Spirit belongs to the Lord's people, his priests; other men are carnal, and have no lot or part in this matter, and are not to be admitted to holy ordinances, as if they were holy persons; nor is fellowship in holy things to be allowed them; nor is counterfeit grace of any avail, which, though it may bear a likeness to true grace, is not that, nor to be so accounted, nor rested on, as feigned faith, the hypocrite's hope, dissembled love, and pretended humility.

Geneva Study Bible

Upon {p} 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.

(p) Neither at their burials nor otherwise.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

32. of man] i.e. of ordinary men (cf. Psalm 82:7, Isaiah 8:1, Hosea 6:7 [2nd marg.]).

poured] poured for anointing, viz. for the toilet; the Heb. word (sûk) being the one used distinctively in this connexion (footnote, p. 337).

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 32 - Upon man's flesh shall it not be poured - i.e., "it shall not be used by any privately as a mere unguent, but shall be reserved wholly for sacred purposes." Neither shall ye make any other like it, after the composition of it. Rather, "after its proportion." The Israelites were not forbidden the use of the different materials in their unguents, or even the combination of the same materials, provided they varied the proportions. The object is simply that the holy oil should remain a thing separate and apart, never applied to any but a holy use. Exodus 30:32

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

(see at Leviticus 8:10.). This anointing oil was holy, either because it was made from the four fragrant substances according to the proportions commanded by Jehovah, or because God declared this kind of mixture and preparation holy (cf. Exodus 30:32), and forbade for all time, on pain of death (Exodus 30:31), not only the use of ointment so prepared for any ordinary anointings, but even an imitation of it. "Upon man's flesh shall it not be poured," i.e., it is not to be used for the ordinary practice of anointing the human body (Exodus 30:32). "Man," i.e., the ordinary man in distinction from the priests. בּמתכּנתּו according to its measure, i.e., according to the proportions prescribed for its manufacture. זר (Exodus 30:33) a stranger, is not only the non-Israelite, but laymen or non-priests in general. On the expression, "cut off from his people," see at Genesis 17:14.