Exodus 30:3

Exo 30:3 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.

Ver. 3. Overlay it with pure gold.] Shadowing Christ’s deity, yielding glory to his humanity.

A crown of gold round about.] To show that devotion is a rich royal virtue, best beseeming the best princes.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Or, a circle and border.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

(3) Thou shalt overlay it with pure gold.—Next to the Ark of the Covenant the most holy article of furniture contained either in the sanctuary or in its court was the altar of incense. It symbolised prayer in its general use (Psa_141:2; Luk_1:10), and it symbolised expiation in the purpose whereto it was to be applied on certain occasions, as when the high priest had sinned in his official capacity (Lev_4:3-12), or when the whole congregation had sinned through inadvertence (Lev_4:13-21). It was, therefore, “most holy to the Lord.” Hence, its materials were to be the same with those of the ark of the covenant, and its place was to be directly opposite the ark, near to it, but on the outer side of the vail (Exo_40:5).

A crown of gold round about.—Comp. what is said of the table of shewbread (Exo_25:24). In both cases a raised rim or edging is meant, which would prevent what was on the top from falling off.

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

3. pure gold] see on Exo_25:3. From being thus overlaid wholly (except at the bottom) with gold, it was also called the golden altar (Exo_39:38, Exo_40:5; Exo_40:26, Num_4:11).

sides] Heb. walls: so of the Bronze altar, Lev_1:15; Lev_5:9.

a crown] a rim or moulding: see on Exo_25:11, and cf. Exo_25:24.

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 overlay it with pure gold,.... Hence this altar is sometimes called the golden altar, Num 4:11 this may figure the deity of Christ, whose head is as the most fine gold, and is in the divine nature, in the form of God, and is the brightness of his glory, and possessed of the same perfections; or rather the glorification of his human nature in heaven, where he is highly exalted, and the preciousness of his intercession, which is always powerful and prevalent, and the duration of it:

the top thereof, and the sides thereof, round about, and the horns thereof: all and each of them were covered with gold; this altar had a top, when the altar of burnt offering had none, but its hollow place was filled up with earth at every encampment; so Jarchi observes: this was not a grate, as the Vulgate Latin version renders it, for here were neither blood nor ashes to be let through; but it was a flat covering like the roof of a house, as the word signifies, on which was set a golden dish, with live coals and incense burning on them; and which, when burnt, was carried away: and the sides are the four sides of the frame, it being a square, or the two sides and two ends of it; and the horns, the four horns at each corner, all were covered with plates of gold; so that this altar was a richer and more excellent one than that of burnt offering; and may signify the superior excellency of Christ's state of exaltation to that of his humiliation: in the latter, which the altar of burnt offering respected, he was made of no reputation, and became obedient to the death of the cross, yea, was made sin, and a curse for his people; but in the former, which the altar of incense respected, he was raised from the dead, and had glory given him; he was raised for the justification of his people, and was himself justified in the Spirit, ascended on high, was received into glory, sat down at the right hand of God, making continual intercession for his saints:

and thou shall make unto it a crown of gold round about; which was partly to keep from slipping what was put upon it, but chiefly for ornament; and plainly points at the exaltation of Christ in our nature in heaven, as our interceding high priest, where he is a priest upon his throne; and is crowned with glory and honour.

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

Grate, or covering. Some think the fire and incense were placed on this grate, and the ashes fell under the altar. But fire was taken hence, and put in the thuribles; (Numbers xvi. 17; Calmet) or a brazen thurible was placed on the fire, Leviticus x. 1. (Menochius) --- Walls, or sides, of setim-wood. --- Crown, cornice or moulding. See chap. xxv. 25.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

The top was made hollow like a grate, that the ashes might fall through it. The

crown was a border which encompassed the altar, that the things laid on it might not fall off.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Thou shalt make unto it a crown of goldi.e. , a border, or moulding, all round the top, to prevent anything from falling off. Compare what is said of the table of shew-bread, Exo_25:24.

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

General Information:

Yahweh continues telling Moses what the people must do.

the incense altar

"an altar to burn incense"

to be attached to it

This can be stated in active form. AT: "which you will attach to the altar" (See: Active or Passive)

translationWords

altar of incense

pure

gold

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

את גגו THE ROOF THEREOF — This altar had a top but the altar of burnt-offering had no top, but they filled in the hollow space enclosed by its sides with earth wherever they encamped (cf. Mekhilta).

זר זהב A CROWN OF GOLD — an emblem of the crown of priesthood (Yoma 72b).

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.