--- title: "Harmony of the Law, Volume 2" author: "John Calvin" translator: "Charles William Bingham" languages: [en] shelf: "Commentaries" section: 18 of 44 url: https://scriptura.si/works/john-calvin-harmony-of-the-law-volume-2/18/ cite: "John Calvin, tr. Charles William Bingham, Harmony of the Law, Volume 2, section 18. Scriptura (scriptura.si), https://scriptura.si/works/john-calvin-harmony-of-the-law-volume-2/18/" --- # Harmony of the Law, Volume 2 *John Calvin, tr. Charles William Bingham* Calvin's harmony of the last four books of Moses, volume 2 of 4. ## 18. Exodus 30:1-10 Source: https://scriptura.si/works/john-calvin-harmony-of-the-law-volume-2/18/ · cite a paragraph as https://scriptura.si/works/john-calvin-harmony-of-the-law-volume-2/18/#p-N [¶0] Exodus 30 [¶1] Exodus 30:1-10 1. And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it. 1. Facies et altare suffimenti suffitus, ex lignis Sittim facies illud. 2. A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; four-square shall it be: and two cubits shall be the height thereof; the horns thereof shall be of the same. 2. Cubitus longitudo ejus, et cubitus latitudo ejus, quadratum erit: et duo cubiti altitudo ejus: ex ipso cornua ejus. 3. And 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. 3. Teges illud auto puro, tectum ejus vel parietes ejus per circuitum, et cornua ejus: faciesque ei coronam auream per circuitum. 4. And 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. 4. Duos etiam annulos aureos facies ei infra coronam ejus, in duobus angulis ejus, in utroque latere ejus: et per illos trajicientur vectes ad illud cum ipsis portandum. 5. And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold. 5. Facies autem vectes illos ex lignis sittim, et teges eos auro. 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. 6. Et pones illud ante velum, quod erit juxta aream testimonii, ante propitiatorium, quod erit super testimonium, ubi conveniam tecum. 7. And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it. 7. Et adolebit super illud Aharon suffitum aromatum singulis matutinis, quando aptabit lucernas adolebit illum. 8. And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations. 8. Et quando accendet Aharon lucernas inter duas vesperas, adolebit suffitum illum jugiter coram Jehova in generationibus vestris. 9. Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon. 9. Non offeretis super illud suffitum alium, neque holocaustum, neque minha: sed nec libamen libabitis super illud. 10. And 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. 10. Et expiabit Aharon super cornua ejus semel in anno sanguine oblationis pro peccato expiationum: semel in anno expiabit super illud in generationibus vestris. Sanctitas sanctitatum est Jehovae. [¶2] 1. And thou shalt make an altar. God now issues His commands respecting the altar of burnt incense, whereby the people were assured that the odor of the worship under the Law was sweet to Him. This ceremony indeed also prevailed among the Gentiles; whence there is frequent mention made by heathen authors of incense-burning; but what its object was they knew not themselves, nor did they care to reflect upon its proper intention, since they conceived themselves to have done all that was required of them, by the bare sign itself. In this way, however, God would encourage His believing people, by giving them to know that the worship which they offered at this command sent up to him a sweet savor. Meanwhile He admonished them diligently to beware lest any uncleanness should profane their sacrifices, but that they should come cleansed and pure into His sight. And David applies this type specially to prayer, when he says: [¶3] "Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense.” (Psalm 131:2.) [¶4] Therefore, as the other altar of which we have been hearing, was devoted to the victims for the purpose of propitiating God, so also this altar perfumed the sacrifices with the odor of its incense, that they might be acceptable to God. Hence it was placed near the ark of the testimony, though with the vail between, that its savor might ascend directly to God without any let or hindrance. There is no ambiguity in the words, except that some think there is a repetition where it is said, “every morning,” and “between the two evens;” others suppose that there are two separate oblations, and this latter view is the more probable, i.e., that the incense was offered morning and evening. He afterwards forbids either the altar itself to be transferred to other uses, or any other kind of incense to be burnt upon it; of this he will speak elsewhere. [¶5] 10. And Aaron shall make an atonement. We should observe here the correspondence between the two altars; for, as the Israelites were admonished that the sacrifices would not please God, unless all uncleanness were wiped away by pure and holy prayers, so also the altar of incense was purified by the sprinkling of blood, that they might learn that their prayers obtained acceptance through sacrifices. Although this was only done once a year, yet it was daily to be called to mind, in order that they might offer the death of Christ by faith and prayer, and yet might know that their prayers had no sweet savor, unless in so far as they were sprinkled with the blood of atonement. ### Exodus 30:34-38 [¶7] Exodus 30:34-38 34. And 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: 34. Et dixit Jehova ad Mosen, Accipe tibi aromata, stacten, et onychen, et galbanum, aromata, et thus purum: ut pondus ponderi respondeat. 35. And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy: 35. Et facies ex eo suffimentum aromaticum, opus aromatarii, mistum, purum et sanctum. 36. And 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. 36. Et contundes ex eo comminuendo: ponesque ex eo coram testimonio in tabernaculo conventionis, in quo conveniam tecum: sanctitas sanctitatum erit vobis. 37. And 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. 37. Suffimentum quod facies secundum compositionem ejus non facietis vobis: sanctitas tibi erit Jehovae. 38. Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall even be cut off from his people. 38. Quisquis fecerit simile ad adolendum ilhd, excidetur e populis suis. [¶8] 34. Take unto thee sweet spices. This oblation might have been noticed with the others, yet, since it merely describes the composition of the incense, which is connected with the altar of incense, and in fact is but an appendage to it, I have seen no reason why I should separate them. Let the curious subtilely discuss, if they please, the ingredients themselves; it is enough for me that they were chosen at God’s will to make a very sweet smell. For I know not whether it is likely, as some suppose, that galbanum is of a strong and disagreeable savor, and, since they only offer this conjecture in an unknown matter, they deserve little credit. My conviction is that it was sweet, which the words of Moses himself a little further on confirm, where he denounces the penalty of death upon those who should use such perfume for their private gratification; for this prohibition would have been absurd, unless its odor had been very agreeable. Besides, the analogy between the sign and the thing signified would not have held good, unless its sweet savor had testified that God is greatly pleased with the prayers of His people. Moreover, in order that the sacred symbol might be the more reverenced, it was not allowable to transfer this mixture to private use; for since men are rude and earthly-minded, there is nothing they are more prone to than to mix up heavenly things with those of earth. Therefore, to elevate their minds the more, it was necessary that the incense, in which there was a special holiness due to God alone, should be set apart from common use. ### Exodus 30:17-21 [¶10] Exodus 30:17-21 17. And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 17. Loquutus est etiam Jehova ad Mosen, dicendo: 18. Thou 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. 18. Facies et concham aeneam, et basin ejus aeneam ad lavandum, ponesque illam inter tabernaculum conventionis et altare, et pones aquam ill ea. 19. For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat: 19. Lavabuntque ex ea Aharon et filii ejus manus suas et pedes suos. 20. When 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: 20. Quando ingredientur tabernaculum conventionis lavabunt se aqua, ut non moriantur: aut quum appropinquabunt ad altare, ut ministrent, ut incendant oblationem ignitam Jehovae. 21. 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 him and to his seed throughout their generations. 21. Lavabunt inquam manus suas et pedes suos, ne moriantur: eritque illis statutum perpetuum, ei scilicet et semini ejus per generationes suas. [¶11] 18. Thou shalt also make a laver of brass. Although this oblation was a sign of the purity which God required in His priests, yet, inasmuch as this hollow vessel (concha) or laver, which supplied the water, was a part or utensil of the sanctuary, I have thought it best to insert here what is ordained respecting it, not only as to its fashion, but also its use, which could not be well separated: for if bare mention had only been made of a laver or water-vessel, the reader would have received no profit from it. But, when God expressly commands that water should always be ready in this basin for the priests to wash their hands and feet, we gather from hence with what reverence and sanctity God would have His holy service performed. It was, indeed, a common proverb among the Gentiles that they were guilty of impiety who handled holy things with unwashen hands, and they testified in this ceremony that they could not worship God aright except when purified from all pollution and uncleanness. One in Virgil says: — [¶12] "——— donec me flumine vivo Abluero." [¶13] "Till in some living stream I cleanse the guilt Of dire debate and blood in battle spilt.” — Dryden. [¶14] And such expressions are of constant occurrence. Sometimes they even seemed almost to hit the right point; as where the poet commands the ungodly and the criminal to depart from the sacrifices, lest they should contaminate them; but this was only a fleeting imagination, since no anxiety to repent had awakened in them a desire to propitiate God; and so, even whilst they were diligent in performing ablutions, their minds, darkened with error, knew not what it meant. But the Israelites were thus chiefly reminded how unworthy they were to offer sacrifices to God, since the impurity of the very priests, who were chosen to this once, prevented them from exercising it, until they were cleansed with water. The washing of the hands and feet denoted that all parts of the body were infected with uncleanness; for, since Scripture often uses the word “hands” for the actions of life, and compares the whole course of life to a way or journey, it is very suitable to say by synecdoche that all impurity is purged away by the washing of the hands and feet. The comparison with Christ now remains to be considered; but this we shall understand better a little beyond in reference to the sacrifices.