Exodus 30:25

Verse 25. After the art of the apothecary] The original, רקח rokeach, signifies a compounder or confectioner; any person who compounds drugs, aromatics, &c.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(25) After the art of the apothecary.—Skill was to be called in. The spices were not to be pounded and mixed with the oil in a rude and unscientific way, but the best art of the time was to be employed in effecting the composition. Jewish tradition says that its essence was first extracted from each of the spices, and then the oil mingled with the essences.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

25. it] i.e. the olive oil of v. 24, by mixing it viz. with the other ingredients specified. ‘According to the Rabbis, the essences of the different spices were first extracted, and then mixed with the oil’ (Kn.).

a perfume, &c.] lit. a perfume of perfumery, the work of the perfumer (like the ‘work of the weaver,’ &c., see on Exo_26:1 : so v. 35, Exo_37:29). 1Ch_9:30 (render ‘compounding the perfume of the spices’) shews that in the age of the Chronicler (c. 300 b.c.) the anointing oil was made by the ‘sons of the priests.’ For other allusions to perfumers or perfumery, see 1Sa_8:13 (RVm.), Isa_57:9, Neh_3:8 (RVm.), Son_5:13 (RVm.).

26–28 (cf. Lev_8:10 b–11). The Tent of meeting, the ark and other articles belonging to it, with their various vessels, to be all anointed with the aromatic oil thus produced. The command is repeated in Exo_40:9-11 : cf. also Lev_8:10 b–11, Num_7:1, and (specially of the altar) Exo_29:36, Num_7:10; Num_7:84; Num_7:88.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment,.... All the above spices and oil being put together, an ointment was to be made out of them, not thick, as ointments usually are, but a liquid to be poured, and therefore called an "oil of ointment", and "holy", because devoted only to sacred uses:

an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: or confectioner; the spices bruised, and pounded, and mixed together, and boiled or distilled, and so an oil or ointment extracted from them:

it shall be an holy anointing oil; for the uses next mentioned: it signified the Holy Spirit of God, and his graces, that oil of gladness with which Christ and his people are anointed; and is that anointing which teacheth all things, see Psa 45:7 Jo1 2:20 comparable to these several spices, and oil olive, for their sweet smell, cheering and reviving nature, and supplying quality, and for their valuableness and preciousness, and of which there was a certain weight and measure; for though Christ received this unction without measure, yet there is a certain measure of grace and gifts bestowed upon his people, and by which they are made holy and fit for their master's use.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

25. Compound after the art of the apothecary — In the times after the exile some of the priest’s sons were intrusted with the preparation of the ointment of spices. 1Ch_9:30. As it was made the special care of the high priest to guard it, (Num_4:16,) we may naturally suppose that he was charged with the duty of either compounding it himself or employing some competent person to assist him. The original preparation of it would seem, from Exo_37:29, to have been intrusted to Bezaleel, the architect. Being of a special character, and known as an oil of holy ointment, or a holy anointing oil, it might not be used for ordinary purposes, such as anointing one’s flesh, (Exo_30:32,) or using it on a foreigner, (Exo_30:33,) and any attempt to make any other oil like it was strictly forbidden. The ceremony of anointing with oil denoted the setting apart and consecrating to a holy purpose, and accordingly this holy ointment was to be used solely for such consecration of the priests and the tabernacle and its sacred vessels. Exo_30:26-30.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

An oil of holy ointment. Literally, "an oil of holy anointing," or "a holy anointing oil," as our translators render in ver. 31, and also in the last clause of the present verse. An ointment compound after the art of the apothecary. Not a simple mixture of the ingredients mentioned, but the product of trained skill and knowledge applied to the materials. Jewish tradition says that the essence of each spice was extracted from it, and only these essences mingled with the olive oil. We are told later (Exo_37:29) that the task of preparing the holy oil was committed to Bezaleel.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

רקח מרקחת A COMPOUND COMPOUNDED — רקח is a noun and its accent proves it, for it is on the first syllable, on the ר, so that it is a noun just as are רֶקַח in (Song 8:2) “I would cause thee to drink of the mixed wine (מיין הרקח)” and רֶגַע in (Exodus 33:5) “one moment (רֶגַע אחד)”, and it is not a participle like (Isaiah 51:15) “[I am the Lord] who stireth up (רוֹגַע) the sea”, or (Isaiah 42:5) “Who spreadeth forth (רֹקַע) the earth”, where the accent is on the last syllable. Any thing (ingredient) which is mixed with another so thoroughly that one becomes impregnated with the other as regards the smell or the taste is called a מרקחת.

Thus רקח מרקחת (lit., a mixing of a mixture) means a compounding effected by skilled art and perfect mixing.

מעשה רקח THE WORK OF A COMPOUNDER — רֹקֵחַ is the name given to a workman skilled in this matter.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

AND THOU SHALT MAKE IT A HOLY ANOINTING OIL, A PERFUME COMPOUNDED AFTER THE ART OF THE PERFUMER. In line with the simple meaning of Scripture, the preparation of the Oil of Anointment was in accordance with the view of Rabbi Yehudah, who said that they first soaked the spices in water in order that they would not absorb the oil which was poured upon them Now this soaking [of which Rabbi Yehuda speaks] was not mere soaking in water alone. Rather, they put ground spices in a vessel full of water and then they poured upon them a hin of olive oil. Then they placed this vessel upon another vessel full of water, and put it over a low flame with embers, and boiled it until the water [in the upper vessel] evaporated, and they retained the oil which was upon it. Such indeed is the way that perfumers make all aromatic oils. This is why Scripture shortened the explanation and commanded merely that they make this oil a perfume compounded after the art of the perfumer, without explaining the process by which it is to be made, for the way of the perfumers was known among them. And so I found in Tractate Shekalim of the Yerushalmi: “Rabbi Yehudah says: They boiled [the spices] in water and put the oil on top of it; as soon as [the oil] retained the odor [of the spices] they would take off the oil, just as druggists do, for it is said, And thou shalt make it a holy anointing oil, a perfume compounded after the art of the perfumer.”

Ramban (Nachmanides) on the Tanakh — English translation: “Commentary on the Torah by Ramban (Nachmanides). Translated and annotated by Charles B. Chavel. New York, Shilo Pub. House, 1971-1976” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.