Exodus 30:4

30:1-10 The altar of incense represented the Son of God in his human nature, and the incense burned thereon typified his pleading for his people. The continual intercession of Christ was represented by the daily burning of incense thereon, morning and evening. Once every year the blood of the atonement was to be applied to it, denoting that the intercession of Christ has all its virtue from his sufferings on earth, and that we need no other sacrifice or intercessor but Christ alone.

And two golden rings shalt thou make to it under the crown of it,.... The crown was on the top of the altar, at the edge of it all around; and just underneath it were two rings of gold, two on each side: by the two corners thereof, upon the two sides of it shall thou make them; at each corner a ring, and at each side; the use of them follows: and they shall be for places for the staves to bear it withal; these rings were for the staves to be put into when the altar was to be carried from place to place, as it was in the wilderness, during the travels of Israel there; and this signifies that Christ never leaves his people; when they are in the wilderness he is with them, interceding for them, providing all things necessary for their food, safety, and protection, Revelation 12:14.

(4) Two golden rings. —The golden altar was so much smaller and lighter than the brazen one that two rings only were required for carrying it, instead of the “four rings” needed by the brazen altar ( Exodus 27:4 ). By the two corners thereof.—Rather, on the two sides thereof. The word used means, literally, “ribs,” and is explained in the clause which follows.

Verse 4. - By the two corners . Rather, "on its two sides." The ensuing clause is redundant. All that is meant is, that the altar should have two rings only - not four - one at each side, directly below the moulding. As it was so small, two rings were enough. For the staves . Rather, "for staves." Exodus 30:4

4 . upon the two ribs thereof ] i.e. upon its flanks or sides, a common metaph. sense of ‘rib’ in Heb. (see on Exodus 25:12 ). The words seem tautologous beside the following ‘upon the two sides of it’; either they have come in here by error, through a recollection of Exodus 27:12 , or (Di.) the expression denotes the extreme ends of the two sides, near the corners. sides ] not as v. 3, but the usual word for ‘side,’ Exodus 26:13 , &c. 4, 5 . The rings and acacia-wood poles, for the transport of the altar, as in the case of the ark ( Exodus 25:12-15 ), the table of Presence bread ( Exodus 25:26-28 ), and the Bronze altar ( Exodus 27:4-7 ).

2-4. foursquare—the meaning of which is not that it was to be entirely of a cubical form, but that upon its upper and under surface, it showed four equal sides. It was twice as high as it was broad, being twenty-one inches broad and three feet six inches high. It had "horns"; its top or flat surface was surmounted by an ornamental ledge or rim, called a crown, and it was furnished at the sides with rings for carriage. Its only accompanying piece of furniture was a golden censer or pan, in which the incense was set fire to upon the altar. Hence it was called the altar of incense, or the "golden altar" [Ex 39:38; 40:26], from the profuse degree in which it was gilded or overlaid with the precious metal. This splendor was adapted to the early age of the church, but in later times, when the worship was to be more spiritual, the altar of incense is prophetically described as not of gold but of wood, and double the size of that in the tabernacle, because the church should be vastly extended (Mal 1:11).

The Altar of Incense and Incense-Offering bring the directions concerning the sanctuary to a close. What follows, from Exodus 30:11-31:17 , is shown to be merely supplementary to the larger whole by the formula "and Jehovah spake unto Moses," with which every separate command is introduced (cf. Exodus 30:11 , Exodus 30:17 , Exodus 30:22 , Exodus 30:24 , Exodus 31:1 , Exodus 31:12 ). Exodus 30:1-6 (cf. Exodus 37:25-28). Moses was directed to make an altar of burning of incense (lit., incensing of incense), of acacia-wood, one cubit long and one broad, four-cornered, two cubits high, furnished with horns like the altar of burnt-offering (Exodus 27:1-2), and to plate it with pure gold, the roof (גּג) thereof (i.e., its upper side or surface, which was also made of wood), and its walls round about, and its horns; so that it was covered with gold quite down to the ground upon which it stood, and for this reason is often called the golden altar (Exodus 39:38; Exodus 40:5, Exodus 40:26; Numbers 4:11).

Moreover it was to be ornamented with a golden wreath, and furnished with golden rings at the corners for the carrying-poles, as the ark of the covenant and the table of shew-bread were (Exodus 25:11., Exodus 25:25.); and its place was to be in front of the curtain, which concealed the ark of the covenant (Exodus 26:31), "before the capporeth" (Exodus 40:5), so that, although it really stood in the holy place between the candlestick on the south side and the table on the north (Exodus 26:35; Exodus 40:22, Exodus 40:24), it was placed in the closest relation to the capporeth, and for this reason is not only connected with the most holy place in 1 Kings 6:22, but is reckoned in Hebrews 9:4 as part of the furniture of the most holy place (see Delitzsch on Hebrews 9:4).