You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy. Whatever touches them will become holy.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse isn't just about things being set apart; it emphasizes a powerful transfer of holiness. Anything that physically touches these consecrated items doesn't just become holy itself, it's essentially claimed by God, signifying that its use or purpose is now entirely surrendered to Him. This highlights that holiness isn't just a state, but an active force that imparts itself and demands absolute devotion.
You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy. Whatever touches them will become holy.
English Standard Version (ESV)
God has just instructed Moses to create a special anointing oil, detailing its precious ingredients and specific proportions. This sacred oil is to be used to consecrate the Tabernacle, the Ark, and all the furniture within it, setting them apart for God's exclusive use. Following this, Moses will anoint Aaron and his sons, formally commissioning them as priests to serve before the Lord.
Why did God instruct Moses to create a special anointing oil and incense for the Tabernacle? It wasn't just about pleasant smells; it was about marking things as uniquely His.
In Exodus 30, God gives detailed instructions for the holy anointing oil and the incense. These aren't just any spices; they are specifically formulated for use in His dwelling place, the Tabernacle.
A Holy Distinction
The key idea here is 'sanctify,' meaning to set apart, to make distinct and dedicated solely for God. When the oil and incense were used, they marked the Tabernacle, its furniture, and eventually the priests themselves, as belonging to God and being set apart from common use. This 'most holy' status communicated that these elements were not ordinary but were permeated with God's own holiness.
Beyond Ceremony
This ceremonial holiness points to a deeper truth. Just as the oil and incense consecrated the physical items, so God's Spirit consecrates believers. We are set apart by Him, not for our own glory, but to be used for His purposes. This consecration means our lives, like the Tabernacle, are meant to reflect His presence and be distinct from the world.
What happens when something holy comes into contact with the ordinary? This verse reveals a powerful principle about how God’s holiness transforms what it touches.
Exodus 30:29 makes a striking claim: 'Whatever touches them will become holy.' This speaks to the pervasive nature of God's holiness once it is established in a place or on an object through divine appointment and consecration.
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Contagious Consecration
The anointing oil didn't just sit on the surface; its sacredness was so profound that anything or anyone coming into contact with the anointed objects (like the altars, the Ark, etc.) was rendered holy. This wasn't about making ordinary things divine, but about transferring the sacred status given by God. If a priest accidentally touched the altar, for example, that priest was considered set apart for God’s service, perhaps even forfeiting his ordinary life for sacred duty, as some interpretations suggest.
Reflecting God's Presence
This principle illustrates how God’s presence, once manifest, has a transforming effect. His holiness is not contained but overflows, influencing and consecrating everything within its sphere. For us, this means that as we encounter God through His Word, prayer, and worship, His holiness can begin to permeate our lives, changing our perspective and our actions.
Understand the original words
qadash · Hebrew Verb
To set apart as sacred or dedicated for exclusive use by God; it involves a transition from common/profane to holy status.
qodesh qodashim · Hebrew Adjective/Noun phrase
A superlative designation denoting that which is exclusively set apart for God's presence and use; it cannot be treated as common without profanation.
qadosh · Hebrew Adjective
A state of being separated from the profane and dedicated to God; it implies divine purity and a requirement for moral or ritual cleanliness.
This passage directly parallels Exodus 30:29 by describing the act of anointing Aaron and his sons, consecrating them and the Tabernacle, which signifies their state of being 'most holy'.
1 Samuel 10:6This verse shows the spiritual transformation that occurs when someone is touched by the Holy Spirit after an anointing, illustrating the principle that contact with the consecrated brings about a significant change, similar to how touching the anointing oil's recipients or objects made them holy.
Matthew 13:15Jesus quotes Isaiah 6:10, stating that hearts have become dull and ears are hard of hearing, with eyes closed lest they should see or hear; this passage highlights how holiness, or its absence, affects perception and receptivity, echoing the idea that contact with the holy can 'make holy'.
Hebrews 9:22This verse states that 'without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins,' connecting the concept of purification and holiness to blood atonement, which can be seen as a deeper, antitypical fulfillment of the ritualistic holiness achieved through anointing in the Old Testament.
1 Corinthians 1:30Paul describes Jesus as our righteousness, holiness, and redemption, showing that true and complete holiness, which was foreshadowed by the anointing oil, is found in Christ Himself and is imparted to believers through Him.
gillExodus 30:29: "And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy."
And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy,.... By anointing them, and so be set apart for sacred uses only; as by the grace of the Holy Spirit, the people of God, the vessels of mercy, are really sanctified, and made meet for the master's use; and therefore it is called the sanctification of the Spirit, which is true holiness, in opposition to typical or ceremonial ho…
calvinExodus 30:22-33: "Moreover the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,"
Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels,
Tu sume tibi aromata optima: myrrhae fluidae ad quingentos siclos, cinnamomi aromatici dimidium ipsius, ducentos et quinquaginta: et calami atomatici ducentos et quinquaginta:
And of cassia five hundred shekels, after t…
This verse isn't just about things being set apart; it emphasizes a powerful transfer of holiness. Anything that physically touches these consecrated items doesn't just become holy itself, it's essentially claimed by God, signifying that its use or purpose is now entirely surrendered to Him. This highlights that holiness isn't just a state, but an active force that imparts itself and demands absolute devotion.
God has just instructed Moses to create a special anointing oil, detailing its precious ingredients and specific proportions. This sacred oil is to be used to consecrate the Tabernacle, the Ark, and all the furniture within it, setting them apart for God's exclusive use. Following this, Moses will anoint Aaron and his sons, formally commissioning them as priests to serve before the Lord.
God has just instructed Moses to create a special anointing oil, detailing its precious ingredients and specific proportions. This sacred oil is to be used to consecrate the Tabernacle, the Ark, and all the furniture within it, setting them apart for God's exclusive use. Following this, Moses will anoint Aaron and his sons, formally commissioning them as priests to serve before the Lord.
"You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy. Whatever touches them will become holy." — This verse isn't just about things being set apart; it emphasizes a powerful transfer of holiness. Anything that physically touches these consecrated items doesn't just become holy itself, it's essen…
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Last reviewed October 2026