An expensive resin from southern Arabia and the fragrant aroma it emits when offered in worship ritual. It is also called frankincense.

2 Chronicles 13:11

Regulations governing the offering of incense

See also

The priest was to keep incense burning on the altar daily

Exodus 30:7-9
Numbers 4:16
Deuteronomy 33:10
1 Samuel 2:28
1 Chronicles 6:49; 9:29
Luke 1:9
Numbers 16:16-18,35,40,46-47

Only the priests were to burn incense

2 Chronicles 26:16-19

Korah, Dathan and Abiram:

2 Chronicles 29:7-8

Uzziah's pride

Failure to burn incense is disobedience

Exodus 30:34-38

See also

The blending of the incense

Exodus 25:6
Exodus 35:28

pp Ex 35:8

Exodus 39:38; 40:5,26-27

Occasions for offering incense

At the setting up of the tabernacle:

Leviticus 2:1-2,15-16; 6:15
Leviticus 5:11

To accompany sacrifices:

Leviticus 16:12

not to accompany a sin offering

Leviticus 24:7

on the Day of Atonement

Numbers 7:86

to accompany bread and oil

As part of the offerings at the dedication of the tabernacle, each leader presented a golden incense dish.

Exodus 30:1

The altar of incense

See also

Exodus 30:27; 31:8,11; 35:15; 37:25-29
1 Chronicles 28:18
Jeremiah 11:12; 44:23

Burning incense to foreign gods

Incense offered to other gods will not bring answers to prayer

Jeremiah 7:9-10

See also

Israel disobeyed the LORD's commands

Jeremiah 18:15; 19:13; 32:29; 44:5
Ezekiel 16:18-19; 20:28
Hosea 11:2
1 Kings 3:3; 11:8

The practice continued under successive kings

1 Kings 22:43

In the early days of Solomon's reign:

2 Kings 12:3

Jehoshaphat

2 Kings 14:4

Joash

2 Kings 15:4

Amaziah

2 Kings 15:35

Azariah

2 Kings 16:4

Jotham

pp 2Ch 28:4

Jeremiah 44:3

Ahaz

See also

It provoked God's anger

2 Kings 22:17
Isaiah 65:3
Jeremiah 1:16; 11:17; 44:5,8,21; 48:35
Hosea 2:13
Leviticus 26:30

The destruction of pagan incense altars

Ezekiel 6:4,6,13

As part of God's punishment for disobedience

2 Kings 18:4

Their destruction in religious reformations

2 Kings 23:5,8

under Hezekiah

2 Chronicles 34:4,7

Under Josiah:

Nehemiah 13:5,9

Nehemiah restored the storage rooms for incense:

Isaiah 27:9

Their destruction brought God's blessing and deliverance

Isaiah 66:3

The significance of incense

Jeremiah 6:20

A right heart attitude is more important to God

Psalms 141:2
Revelation 5:8; 8:3-4

It both accompanies and symbolises prayer

2 Chronicles 2:4
Daniel 2:46

It symbolises worship

Malachi 1:11
Matthew 2:11
Hebrews 9:4
Proverbs 27:9
Songs 3:6; 4:6

It brings pleasure

Ezekiel 20:41

See also

1045 God, glory of
1065 God, holiness of
4468 horticulture
4498 ploughing
4849 snow
5184 standing
7302 altar
7308 Atonement, Day of
7328 ceremonies
7422 ritual
7435 sacrifice, in OT
7459 tabernacle, in OT