Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall even be cut off from his people.
Parallel translations
- WEB Whoever shall make any like that, to smell of it, he shall be cut off from his people.”
- BSB Anyone who makes something like it to enjoy its fragrance shall be cut off from his people.”
- NKJV Whoever makes any like it, to smell it, he shall be cut off from his people.”
- NASB Whoever makes any like it, to use as perfume, shall be cut off from his people.”
- NLT Anyone who makes incense like this for personal use will be cut off from the community.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Anyone making the incense to enjoy its scent would be cut off from the people. Profaning the holy incense brought severe consequences.
Overview
As with the anointing oil, misusing the holy incense for personal pleasure incurred the penalty of being cut off. This guarded the sacred distinction of what belonged to God. The seriousness of these laws magnifies God's holiness and our need of Christ, the one acceptable approach to the Father (Hebrews 10:31; John 14:6).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 1
- Exod 30:33Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, shall even be cut off from his people.
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Christ at the center
The Passover lamb whose blood turns away death, the exodus through the sea, the manna, the rock, and the tabernacle where God dwells with his people all foreshadow Jesus — our Passover, our redemption, the bread from heaven, and God-with-us in the flesh.
How Exodus 30:38 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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