INCENSE (Tn'sens), (Hebrew usually r7:P., ket o'reth).
A perfume which gives forth its fragrance by burning, and, in particular, that perfume which was burnt upon the altar of incense. (See ALTAR ; CEN SER). Indeed the burning of incense seems to have been considered among the Hebrews so much of an act of worship or sacred offering, that we read not of any other use of incense than this among them. Nor among the Egyptians do we dis cover any trace of burnt perfume but in sacerdotal use ; but in the Persian sculptures we see in cense burnt before the king. The prohibition of the Hebrews to make any perfume for pri vate use—qo smell to'—like that prepared for the altar, merely implies, we apprehend, that the sacred incense had a peculiarly rich fragrance before being burnt, which was forbidden to be imitated in common perfumes.
Incense is denoted by the words •14;,p, kit-tare' (Exod. xxx:i; Jer. xliv:21); and rr..:1.7, ket-o'reth (Exod. xxx:t ; xxxi:t1; Ezek. xvi:18); all of which are equally from the root 7t:i...:,kaw-tor',which in Pihel signifies generally to raise an odor by burn ing, and in the verbal form it is applied not only to the offering of incense, but also of sacrifices, the smoke or effluvium of which is regarded as an acceptable or sweet odor to God. Indeed, the word which denotes an incense of spices in Exod. xxx:t describes an incense of fat in Ps. lxvi;t5.
The ingredients of the sacred incense are enumerated with great precision in Exod. xxx 34, 35. 'Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte (17'.71P.
shekh-ay'leth, netaph), and onycha and galbanum, (n.R.17.1, khel-ben-aw') these sweet spices with pure frankincense (7.1;4, leb-o-naw'); of each shall there be a like weight. And thou shalt make of it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy.'
The furthcr directions are, that this precious compound should be made or broken up into minute particles, and that it should be depos ited, as a very holy thing, in the tabernacle 'be fore the testimony' (or ark ). As the ingredi ents are so minutely specified, there was nothing to prevent wealthy persons from haying a similar perfume for private use ; this, therefore, was for bidden under pain of excommunication: 'Ye shall not make to yourselves according to the composition thereof ; it shall be unto thee holy for the Lord. Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall even be cut off from his people' (Exod. xxx :37, 38).
According to Maimonides the use of incense was to prevent the stench which would otherwise have been occasioned by the number of beasts every day slaughtered in the sanctuary. God or dained that incense should be burned in it every morning and evening, and thereby rendered the odor of the sanctuary, and of the vestments of those that ministered exceedingly grateful.
Figurative. Incense was a symbol of prayer. It was offered at the time when the people were in the posture and act of prayer ; and their ori sons were supposed to be presented to God by the priest, and to ascend to Him in the smoke of odor of that fragrant offering. This beautiful idea of the incense frequently occurs. in Scrip ture (comp. Ps. cxli:2; Mal. i:11; Acts x:4; Rev. v:8; viii:4).
By it was signified Christ's precious, powerful, and constant intercession within the vail, on the ground of his own righteousness, which renders us and our spiritual services acceptable to God (comp. Exod. xxx :34-38 ; Lev. xvi :12-14).