The Meaning of Exodus 30:34 Explained

Exodus 30:34

KJV: 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:

YLT: And Jehovah saith unto Moses, 'Take to thee spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum, spices and pure frankincense; they are part for part;

Darby: And Jehovah said to Moses, Take fragrant drugs stacte, and onycha, and galbanum fragrant drugs and pure frankincense; in like proportions shall it be.

ASV: And Jehovah said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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]: 

What does Exodus 30:34 Mean?

Study Notes

frankincense
Frankincense is not to be confounded with incense (to which it was to be added), as it is often used apart from incense. We are told what composed the incense--never in Scripture what the frankincense was. All speaks of Christ--the sweet spices of those perfections which we may apprehend, the frankincense of that which God saw in Jesus ineffable.

Context Summary

Exodus 30:22-38 - The Anointing Oil And The Incense
The anointing oil was extremely rich and costly. Pure myrrh; sweet cinnamon, imported probably from Sumatra or China; sweet calamus, the product of India or Mesopotamia; cassia, from Java, were the principal ingredients. Such a combination must have produced a delightful fragrance! The use of this oil was restricted to the holy service of the Tabernacle, and reminds us of "the unction of the Holy One"-i.e., the anointing by the Holy Spirit. See Leviticus 8:10-12 and 1 John 2:20.
Christ is the Anointed, and He sheds the oil of joy on our heads, as one by one we yield ourselves to His service. See Acts 2:33. The oil was not to be poured on "the flesh of man." We must deny the flesh, with its affections and lusts, that we may be filled with the Spirit. Calvary before Pentecost!
The incense also was carefully prepared, and thus we are taught that prayers should not be uttered rashly or lightly; but with reverence, deliberation and forethought. [source]

Chapter Summary: Exodus 30

1  The altar of incense
11  The ransom of souls
17  The bronze basin
22  The holy anointing oil
34  The composition of the incense

What do the individual words in Exodus 30:34 mean?

And said Yahweh to Moses take to you sweet spices stacte and onycha and galbanum [these] sweet spices and frankincense pure equal amounts of each there shall be
וַיֹּאמֶר֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֶל־ מֹשֶׁ֜ה קַח־ לְךָ֣ סַמִּ֗ים נָטָ֤ף ׀ וּשְׁחֵ֙לֶת֙ וְחֶלְבְּנָ֔ה סַמִּ֖ים וּלְבֹנָ֣ה זַכָּ֑ה בַּ֥ד בְּבַ֖ד יִהְיֶֽה

וַיֹּאמֶר֩  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָ֨ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
מֹשֶׁ֜ה  Moses 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹשֶׁה  
Sense: the prophet and lawgiver, leader of the exodus.
קַח־  take 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
לְךָ֣  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
סַמִּ֗ים  sweet  spices 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: סַם  
Sense: spice.
נָטָ֤ף ׀  stacte 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: נָטָף 
Sense: drop.
וּשְׁחֵ֙לֶת֙  and  onycha 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שְׁחֵלֶת  
Sense: onycha.
וְחֶלְבְּנָ֔ה  and  galbanum 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶלְבְּנָה  
Sense: galbanum.
סַמִּ֖ים  [these]  sweet  spices 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: סַם  
Sense: spice.
וּלְבֹנָ֣ה  and  frankincense 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: לְבֹונָה 
Sense: frankincense.
זַכָּ֑ה  pure 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: זַךְ  
Sense: clean, pure.
בַּ֥ד  equal  amounts 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּד 
Sense: alone, by itself, besides, a part, separation, being alone.
בְּבַ֖ד  of  each 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּד 
Sense: alone, by itself, besides, a part, separation, being alone.
יִהְיֶֽה  there  shall  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.