Exodus 30:9

Exo 30:9 Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon.

Ver. 9. No strange incense.] So may we not pray, but according to God’s revealed will. {1Jn 5:14}

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.

Otherwise made them this, which is described.

But it must only serve to burn perfume.

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

Ye shall offer no strange incense--that is, of a different composition from that of which the ingredients are described so minutely.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 9. No strange incense] None made in any other way.

Nor burnt-sacrifice] It should be an altar for incense, and for no other use.

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

(9) Ye shall offer no strange incense.—By “strange incense” is meant any that was composed differently from that of which the composition is laid down in Exo_30:34-35.

Nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither . . . drink offering.—All these were to be offered on the brazen altar, not on the altar of incense, which was in no way suited for them.

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

9. The altar is to be reserved exclusively for incense, and for incense moreover made from the authorized prescription (v. 34 ff.).

strange] i.e. strange to the law, unauthorized; cf. ‘strange fire,’ Lev_10:1, Num_3:4; Num_26:61. Comp. on Exo_29:33; and see DB. iv. 623.

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.

Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon,.... Which had not the same, but was made of other materials, or had more or fewer; whatever was not exactly the same was not to be offered; and so to make use of other mediators than Christ, whether angels or men, or to put up prayer to God for the sake of our own righteousness, pleading the merits of our works, and not the blood, righteousness, and sacrifice of Christ, is to offer strange incense, unacceptable to God, and which will be of no avail to men:

nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; these were to be offered and burnt upon the altar of burnt offering:

neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon; as upon the other altar; everything in God's worship and service was to be done in the proper place and order; these offerings and sacrifices, though they were by divine appointment, yet must be offered on that altar which was peculiar for them.

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

Composition, than what is prescribed, ver. 34. (Menochius)

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).

No strange incense, i.e. of any other sort than what I shall here appoint, Exo 30:34, &c.

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

9. Strange incense — Offered with fire other than that which God ordained, on account of which impiety the two elder sons of Aaron were destroyed. Lev_10:1. This altar of incense being set apart for a special use, no burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering, nor drink offering, was to be offered thereon. The offerings made on the great altar, in the court without, effected reconciliation with Jehovah; the incense offering represented a closer approach to the divine glory, based upon previous reconciliation; and hence a bringing of the same offerings within, before the vail, as those offered without, would have been a confusion of distinct symbolical services.

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

By strange incense is meant any which was not prepared according to the directions given in vers. 34-38. None such was ever to be offered. Nor was the altar to be used for burnt-offering, meat-offering, or drink-offering . For burnt-offering it was manifestly unfit; but the prohibition of the others seems to show a determination to keep its use markedly distinct from that of the brazen altar in the court, which was to receive all that was offered either for expiation, or for self-dedication, or in gratitude. On the sole exception made to this general law, see the comment on the next verse.

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

strange

(Cf.) Lev 10:1-3, two prohibitions are given concerning worship:

(1) No "strange" incense is to be offered. This speaks of simulated or purely formal worship.

(2) No "strange" fire was permitted. This refers to the excitation of "religious" feelings by merely sensuous means, and to the substitution for devotion to Christ of any other devotion, as to religious causes, or sects. (Cf) 1Co 1:11-13; Col 2:8; Col 2:16-19. (See Scofield "Exo 30:38").

The Scofield Reference Bible (1917 edition), notes by C. I. Scofield — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

לא תעלו עליו YE SHALL NOT OFFER ON IT — on it, i. e. on this altar, but you may offer on the copper altar (cf. Menachot 50b),

קטרת זרה STRANGE INCENSE — any incense brought as a freewill offering; all of them (all offerings of incense) are “strange” to it (to the altar) except this prescribed here.

ועלה ומנחה means, nor burnt offering nor meal-offering. The עולה is an offering of an animal or bird; מנחה is one of bread.

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.

YE SHALL NOT BRING UP ‘KTORETH ZARAH’ (STRANGE INCENSE) THEREON — “any incense brought as a freewill offering; for all [offerings of incense] are ‘strange’ to [this altar] except this one [prescribed here].” This is Rashi’s language. But Onkelos rendered ktoreth zarah: ktoreth busmin nuchra’in (“the burning of aromatics which are of strange components,”) and he did not translate it nuchritha “strange incense” [as Rashi interpreted it]. By this translation Onkelos wanted to explain that the sense of the verse is that he should not offer an incense of any other components except those prescribed as He commanded. Similarly, if one were to add to the prescribed composition any other components one would transgress this negative commandment.Ki Thisa

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.