29. compare xxiii. 29.
30.
A Priestly Duty.
³⁰And some of the sons of the priests prepared the confection of the spices.
30. the sons of the priests] i.e. “members of the priesthood, priests.” Compare 2 Chronicles xxv. 13, “the soldiers of the army” (literally “the sons of the troop”) and the common expression “the sons of the prophets.”
confection] (For the word, compare 1 Samuel viii. 13, Revised Version text and margin) This “ointment” was peculiarly holy (Exodus xxx. 23–25). The Levites might have charge of the oil and spices (verse 29), but only the priests might make the confection.
31, 32.
Other Levitical Duties.
³¹And Mattithiah, one of the Levites, who was the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, had the set office over the things that were baked in pans.
31. who was the firstborn of Shallum] In xxvi. 2 the firstborn of Meshelemiah (= Shallum) is called Zechariah. Probably Mattithiah and Zechariah represent each a household belonging to an elder branch of the great family of Shallum.
³²And some of their brethren, of the sons of the Kohathites, were over the shewbread, to prepare it every sabbath.
32. the shewbread] Literally the bread of the Row (or of the Pile), for it had to be arranged in order before the Lord (Leviticus xxiv. 6). The Chronicler prefers this term to the older “Bread of the Presence” (i.e. of Jehovah). See more fully Driver, Exodus, pp. 274, 275, in this series.