Reference: Censer
American
A vessel in which fire and incense were carried, in certain parts of the Hebrew worship. Little is known of its form. The censer for the daily offering was at first made of copper, Nu 16:39. That used on the great Day of Atonement, (and perhaps others also,) was made of pure gold, 1Ki 7:50; Heb 9:4. In the daily offering, the censer was filled with coals from the perpetual fire, and placed on the altar of incense, where the incense was thrown upon the coals, Ex 30:1,7-10. On the day of atonement, in the Holy of Holies, the censer must have been held in the hand, and probably by a handle, Le 16:12-13.
There are two Hebrew words, which are translated censer in our English Bibles. The one signifies strictly fire-pan. The other signifies incense-pan, a vessel for burning incense; but we do not know its exact shape.
The censers of the Egyptians had long handles, like a human arm and hand, upon the palm of which the incense-cup stood. Those of the Greeks and Romans had chains, by which they were carried, like those now used in the Romish service.
In the New Testament, where the twenty-four elders are said to have golden "vials" full of odors, Re 5:8, the meaning is vessels of incense, censers, not vials in the present sense of the word.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And thou shalt make an altar, for burning incense, of acacia wood, shalt thou make it:
And Aaron shall burn thereon fragrant incense, - morning by morning, when he trimmeth the lamps, shall he burn it; and, when Aaron lighteth the lamps, between the evenings, shall he burn it, - a continual incense before Yahweh, to your generations. read more. Ye shall not cause to ascend thereupon strange incense, nor an ascending-sacrifice, nor a meal-offering, - and a drink offering, shall ye not pour out thereupon. But Aaron shall put a propitiatory-covering upon the horns thereof, once in the year: of the blood of the sin-bearer for propitiatory-coverings, once in the year, shall he put a propitiatory-covering thereupon to your generations, most holy, it is to Yahweh.
and shall take the censer-full of burning coals of fire from off the altar from before Yahweh, and his hands full of fragrant incense, beaten small, - and bring within the veil; and shall put the incense upon the fire before Yahweh, - and the cloud of incense shall cover the propitiatory which is over the testimony, and he shall not die.
And Eleazar the priest took the censers of bronze, which the consumed men had brought near, - and heat them out into plates for overlaying the altar:
and the bowls, and the snuffers, and the tossing bowls, and the spoons, and the censers, of pure gold, - and the hinge-holes, for the doors of the inner house, the holy of holies, and for the doors of the house itself, the temple, of, gold.
Having a golden altar of incense, and the ark of the covenant covered around on every side with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and the rod of Aaron that sprouted, and the tables of the covenant;
And, when he took the scroll, the four living creatures, and the four-and-twenty elders, fell down before the Lamb, having, each one, a harp, and bowls of gold full of incense, - which are the prayers of the saints;
Easton
the vessel in which incense was presented on "the golden altar" before the Lord in the temple (Ex 30:1-9). The priest filled the censer with live coal from the sacred fire on the altar of burnt-offering, and having carried it into the sanctuary, there threw upon the burning coals the sweet incense (Le 16:12-13), which sent up a cloud of smoke, filling the apartment with fragrance. The censers in daily use were of brass (Nu 16:39), and were designated by a different Hebrew name, miktereth (2Ch 26:19; Eze 8:11): while those used on the day of Atonement were of gold, and were denoted by a word (mahtah) meaning "something to take fire with;" LXX. pureion = a fire-pan. Solomon prepared for the temple censers of pure gold (1Ki 7:50; 2Ch 4:22). The angel in the Apocalypse is represented with a golden censer (Re 8:3,5). Paul speaks of the golden censer as belonging to the tabernacle (Heb 9:4). The Greek word thumiaterion, here rendered "censer," may more appropriately denote, as in the margin of Revised Version, "the altar of incense." Paul does not here say that the thumiaterion was in the holiest, for it was in the holy place, but that the holiest had it, i.e., that it belonged to the holiest (1Ki 6:22). It was intimately connected with the high priest's service in the holiest.
The manner in which the censer is to be used is described in Nu 4:14; Le 16:12.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And thou shalt make an altar, for burning incense, of acacia wood, shalt thou make it: a cubit, the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof four square, shall it be, - and two cubits, the height thereof, of the same, shall be the horns thereof, read more. And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof,-and thou shalt make to it a border of gold round about. And, two rings of gold, shalt thou make to it, under the border thereof upon the two corners thereof, shalt thou make them on the two sides thereof, - so shall they become receptacles for the staves, to lift it therewith. And thou shalt make the staves of acacia wood, - and overlay them with gold. And thou shalt place it before the veil, which is by the ark of the testimony, - before the propitiatory which is upon the testimony, where I will meet thee. And Aaron shall burn thereon fragrant incense, - morning by morning, when he trimmeth the lamps, shall he burn it; and, when Aaron lighteth the lamps, between the evenings, shall he burn it, - a continual incense before Yahweh, to your generations. Ye shall not cause to ascend thereupon strange incense, nor an ascending-sacrifice, nor a meal-offering, - and a drink offering, shall ye not pour out thereupon.
and shall take the censer-full of burning coals of fire from off the altar from before Yahweh, and his hands full of fragrant incense, beaten small, - and bring within the veil;
and shall take the censer-full of burning coals of fire from off the altar from before Yahweh, and his hands full of fragrant incense, beaten small, - and bring within the veil; and shall put the incense upon the fire before Yahweh, - and the cloud of incense shall cover the propitiatory which is over the testimony, and he shall not die.
and put thereupon all the utensils thereof wherewith they minister thereupon - the fire-pans, the flesh-hooks - and the shovels and the tossing-bowls, all the utensils of the altar, - and shall spread over it covering of badgers skin and put in the staves thereof.
And Eleazar the priest took the censers of bronze, which the consumed men had brought near, - and heat them out into plates for overlaying the altar:
yea, all the house, overlaid he with gold, until he had made all the house into one whole, - even all the altar that was by the shrine, overlaid he with gold.
and the bowls, and the snuffers, and the tossing bowls, and the spoons, and the censers, of pure gold, - and the hinge-holes, for the doors of the inner house, the holy of holies, and for the doors of the house itself, the temple, of, gold.
Then was Uzziah wroth, and, in his hand, was a censer, to burn incense, - and, when he was wroth with the priests, a leprosy, shot forth in his forehead, before the priests, in the house of Yahweh, from off the altar of incense.
and seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel with Jaazaniah son of Shaphan, who stood in their midst were standing before them, even every man with his censer in his hand, - and the fragrance of the cloud of incense ascending. le
Having a golden altar of incense, and the ark of the covenant covered around on every side with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and the rod of Aaron that sprouted, and the tables of the covenant;
And, another messenger, came, and took his stand at the altar, having a censer of gold: and there was given unto him much incense, that he might give it unto the prayers of all the saints, upon the altar of gold that is before the throne.
And the messenger at once took the censer, and filled it from the fire of the altar, and cast unto the earth; and there came to be thunderings, and voices, and lightnings, and an earthquake.
Fausets
An instrument to seize or hold burning coals. Latterly the portable metal vessel for receiving from the altar burning coals, on which the priest sprinkled the incense for burning (2Ch 26:16,18-19; Lu 1:9). Korah and his company were told to take censers, with which they had furnished themselves as aspiring to share in Aaron's priesthood. So Uzziah. So Eze 8:11. But Aaron was told to take "the censer" (Hebrew), namely, that of the sanctuary or of the high priest, and make atonement to stay the plague (Nu 16:46). On the day of atonement the high priest was to carry the censer of the golden altar within the most holy place, and put the incense on the fire in the censer "before the Lord" (Le 16:12-13).
Solomon made censers of pure gold, probably to take fire from the brazen altar, and to convey incense to the golden altar on which it was to be offered morning and evening (Ex 30:7-8; 1Ki 7:50). In Re 8:3-4 the "angel" is not Christ, who always has His own title in Revelation, but a ministering spirit. The incense, i.e. Christ's meritorious obedience and death, is given to the angel that he may give it to (so the Greek) the prayers of all saints, to render them a sweet smelling savor to God. "The golden altar," moreover, is Christ Himself (Heb 13:10), resting on whom alone prayer is accepted before God. How the angels' ministry exactly is exercised we know not, but we do know they are not to be prayed to (Re 19:10).
If we send an offering to the King, the King's messenger is not to appropriate what is due to the King alone. In Heb 9:4 "the holiest ... had the golden censer "does not mean it was deposited there, for then the high priest would have had to go in and bring it out before burning incense in it, but that the golden censer was one of the articles belonging to the yearly service in the holiest place; it was taken into the holiest on that anniversary by the high priest. Its shape was probably that of a pan with a handle.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And Aaron shall burn thereon fragrant incense, - morning by morning, when he trimmeth the lamps, shall he burn it;
And Aaron shall burn thereon fragrant incense, - morning by morning, when he trimmeth the lamps, shall he burn it; and, when Aaron lighteth the lamps, between the evenings, shall he burn it, - a continual incense before Yahweh, to your generations.
and, when Aaron lighteth the lamps, between the evenings, shall he burn it, - a continual incense before Yahweh, to your generations.
and shall take the censer-full of burning coals of fire from off the altar from before Yahweh, and his hands full of fragrant incense, beaten small, - and bring within the veil;
and shall take the censer-full of burning coals of fire from off the altar from before Yahweh, and his hands full of fragrant incense, beaten small, - and bring within the veil; and shall put the incense upon the fire before Yahweh, - and the cloud of incense shall cover the propitiatory which is over the testimony, and he shall not die.
and shall put the incense upon the fire before Yahweh, - and the cloud of incense shall cover the propitiatory which is over the testimony, and he shall not die.
Then said Moses unto Aaron - Take the censer and place thereon fire, from off the altar, and put incense thereon , and, going quickly into the assembly, put a propitiatory-covering over them, - for wrath hath gone forth from before Yahweh the plague, hath begun.
Then said Moses unto Aaron - Take the censer and place thereon fire, from off the altar, and put incense thereon , and, going quickly into the assembly, put a propitiatory-covering over them, - for wrath hath gone forth from before Yahweh the plague, hath begun.
But, when he became strong, uplifted was his heart, unto ruin, for he acted unfaithfully against Yahweh his God, - and entered into the temple of Yahweh, to burn incense upon the altar of incense.
But, when he became strong, uplifted was his heart, unto ruin, for he acted unfaithfully against Yahweh his God, - and entered into the temple of Yahweh, to burn incense upon the altar of incense.
and they took their stand against Uzziah the king, and said unto him-It is not, for thee, O Uzziah, to burn incense unto Yahweh, but, for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are hallowed, to burn incense. Go forth out of the sanctuary, for thou hast acted unfaithfully, and, not to thee, for an honour, shall it be from Yahweh Elohim.
and they took their stand against Uzziah the king, and said unto him-It is not, for thee, O Uzziah, to burn incense unto Yahweh, but, for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are hallowed, to burn incense. Go forth out of the sanctuary, for thou hast acted unfaithfully, and, not to thee, for an honour, shall it be from Yahweh Elohim. Then was Uzziah wroth, and, in his hand, was a censer, to burn incense, - and, when he was wroth with the priests, a leprosy, shot forth in his forehead, before the priests, in the house of Yahweh, from off the altar of incense.
Then was Uzziah wroth, and, in his hand, was a censer, to burn incense, - and, when he was wroth with the priests, a leprosy, shot forth in his forehead, before the priests, in the house of Yahweh, from off the altar of incense.
and seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel with Jaazaniah son of Shaphan, who stood in their midst were standing before them, even every man with his censer in his hand, - and the fragrance of the cloud of incense ascending. le
and seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel with Jaazaniah son of Shaphan, who stood in their midst were standing before them, even every man with his censer in his hand, - and the fragrance of the cloud of incense ascending. le
according to the custom of his priesthood, it fell to his lot to offer incense, entering into the Temple of the Lord;
according to the custom of his priesthood, it fell to his lot to offer incense, entering into the Temple of the Lord;
Having a golden altar of incense, and the ark of the covenant covered around on every side with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and the rod of Aaron that sprouted, and the tables of the covenant;
Having a golden altar of incense, and the ark of the covenant covered around on every side with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and the rod of Aaron that sprouted, and the tables of the covenant;
We have an altar - to eat out of which, they, have no right, who in the tent are doing divine service;
We have an altar - to eat out of which, they, have no right, who in the tent are doing divine service;
And, another messenger, came, and took his stand at the altar, having a censer of gold: and there was given unto him much incense, that he might give it unto the prayers of all the saints, upon the altar of gold that is before the throne.
And, another messenger, came, and took his stand at the altar, having a censer of gold: and there was given unto him much incense, that he might give it unto the prayers of all the saints, upon the altar of gold that is before the throne. And the smoke of the incense went up, with the prayers of the saints, out of the hand of the messenger before God.
And the smoke of the incense went up, with the prayers of the saints, out of the hand of the messenger before God.
And I fell down at his feet, to do him homage; and he saith unto me - See! thou do it not! A fellow-servant, am I, of thee and of thy brethren who have the witness of Jesus: unto God, do homage! For, the witness of Jesus, is the spirit of the prophecy.
And I fell down at his feet, to do him homage; and he saith unto me - See! thou do it not! A fellow-servant, am I, of thee and of thy brethren who have the witness of Jesus: unto God, do homage! For, the witness of Jesus, is the spirit of the prophecy.
Hastings
Morish
A small vessel made of metal, to contain burning coals from the altar, on which incense was sprinkled by the priest, that a cloud of incense might arise therefrom. Le 10:1; 16:12. Solomon made some of gold. 1Ki 7:50; 2Ch 4:22; Heb 9:4; Re 8:3,5. The same word is used when the company of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram were put to the test; the censers were probably hastily constructed ones, for 250 were needed. Aaron ran with a censer and incense between the living and the dead, and the plague was stayed. Nu 16:6-48. The same Hebrew word is translated 'fire-pan' in Ex 27:3; 38:3; 2Ki 25:15; Jer 52:19.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And thou shalt make its pans for removing its ashes, and its shovels and its sprinkling bowls, and its flesh-hooks and its fire-pans, - all its vessels, shalt thou make of bronze.
And he made all the utensils of the altar - the pans and the shovels, and the sprinkling bowls, the flesh-hooks and the fire-pans, - all the utensils thereof, made he of bronze.
Then Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, took each man his censer and placed therein fire, and put thereon incense, - and brought near before Yahweh strange fire, which he had not commanded them.
and shall take the censer-full of burning coals of fire from off the altar from before Yahweh, and his hands full of fragrant incense, beaten small, - and bring within the veil;
This do, - Take to you censers, Korah and all his assembly; and place therein fire, and put thereon incense before Yahweh, to-morrow, So shall it be - that, the man whom Yahweh shall choose, he shall be the holy one. Too much for you ye sons of Levi! read more. And Moses said unto Korah, - Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi! Is it too small a thing for you that the God of Israel hath separated you from the assembly of Israel, to bring you near unto himself, - to do the laborious work of the habitation of Yahweh, and to stand before the assembly, to wait upon them? But having brought thee near, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee, must ye seek priesthood also? Wherefore thou and all thine assembly, are conspiring against Yahweh, - But Aaron, what is he, that ye should murmur against him? Then sent Moses, to call for Dathan and for Abiram sons of Eliab, - and they said We will not come up: Was it, a small thing, that thou didst bring us up out of land flowing with milk and honey, to put us to death in the desert but thou must, continue even to lord it, over us? Certainly not into a land flowing with milk and honey, hast thou brought us, nor given unto us an inheritance of field and vineyard, - The eyes of those men, wilt thou dig out? We will not come up. Then was Moses very angry, and he said unto Yahweh, Do not thou have respect unto their meal-offering. Not one ass, from them, have I taken, neither have I wronged one of them. And Moses said unto Korah, Thou, and all thine assembly, come ye before Yahweh, - thou, and they, and Aaron to-morrow. And take ye each man his censer and put thereon incense, then shall ye bring near before Yahweh, each man his censer, two hundred and fifty Censers, - and, thou and Aaron, each man his censer. So they took each man his censer and put thereon fire, and placed thereon incense, - and took their stand at the entrance of the tent of meeting with Moses and Aaron. And Korah gathered together against them all the assembly, unto the entrance of the tent of meeting, - then appeared the glory of Yahweh, unto all the assembly.
Separate yourselves out of the midst of this assembly, - that I may consume them in a moment. And they fell upon their faces and said, O GOD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, - shall, one man, sin, and against all the assembly, wilt thou he wroth.
Speak unto the assembly, saying, - Get ye up from round about the habitation of Korah, Dathan and Abiram. So Moses rose up, and went, unto Dathan and Abiram, - then went, after him the eiders of Israel. read more. And he spake unto the assembly, saying - Remove I pray you from beside the tents of these lawless men, and do not touch aught that pertaineth unto them, - lest ye be carried off, in all their sins. So they went up from beside the habitation of Korah, Dathan and Abiram on every side, - and, Dathan and Abiram, came out and stationed themselves at the entrance of their tents, with their wives and their sons and their little ones. Then said Moses, Hereby, shall ye know, that, Yahweh hath sent me, to do all these works, - verily, not out of my own heart: If, as all human beings die, these do die, and the visitation of all human beings, be visited upon them, Yahweh, hath not sent me. But, if, a cremation, Yahweh create, and the ground open wide her mouth and swallow them up, with all that pertain unto them, and so they go down alive unto hades, then shall ye know, that these men have despised Yahweh. And it came to pass as he made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground which was under them, clave asunder; and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up them, and their households, - and all the human beings who pertained unto Korah, with all their goods: so, they, and all that pertained unto them, went down, alive unto hades, - and the earth, closed pen them, and they perished out of the midst of the convocation. And, all Israel who were round about them, fled at their cry, - for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up. Fire also came forth, from Yahweh, - and consumed the two hundred and fifty men, who offered the incense.
Say unto Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the midst of the burning, and the fire, scatter thou yonder, - for they have been hallowed. As for the censers of these sinners against their own persons, they shall be made into beaten-out plates as an overlay for the altar, for hey had brought them near before Yahweh and hallowed them, - so shall they become a sign unto the sons of Israel. read more. And Eleazar the priest took the censers of bronze, which the consumed men had brought near, - and heat them out into plates for overlaying the altar: a memorial unto the sons of Israel, That no stranger, who is not of the seed of Aaron, shall draw near to offer incense before Yahweh, - lest he become like Korah and like his assembly, As spake Yahweh by the hand of Moses with regard thereto. And all the assembly of the sons of Israel murmured, on the morrow, against Moses and against, Aaron, saying, - Ye, have caused the death of the people of Yahweh. And it came to pass, when the assembly gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, that they turned towards the tent of meeting, and lo! the cloud had covered it: and the glory of Yahweh, appeared. And Moses and Aaron came in, before the tent of meeting.
Lift yourselves up out of the midst o this assembly, that I may consume them, as in a moment, - And they fell upon their faces. Then said Moses unto Aaron - Take the censer and place thereon fire, from off the altar, and put incense thereon , and, going quickly into the assembly, put a propitiatory-covering over them, - for wrath hath gone forth from before Yahweh the plague, hath begun. read more. Then took Aaron, as Moses spake, and ran into the midst of the convocation, and lo! the plague had begun among the people, - so he placed the incense, and put a propitiatory-covering over the people: thus did he take his stand between the dead and the living, - and the plague was restrained.
and the bowls, and the snuffers, and the tossing bowls, and the spoons, and the censers, of pure gold, - and the hinge-holes, for the doors of the inner house, the holy of holies, and for the doors of the house itself, the temple, of, gold.
and the basins and the censers and the dashing bowls and the caldrons and the lamps and the spoons and the cups, which were of gold in gold, and which were of silver in silver, did the chief of the royal executioners, take away.
Having a golden altar of incense, and the ark of the covenant covered around on every side with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and the rod of Aaron that sprouted, and the tables of the covenant;
And, another messenger, came, and took his stand at the altar, having a censer of gold: and there was given unto him much incense, that he might give it unto the prayers of all the saints, upon the altar of gold that is before the throne.
And the messenger at once took the censer, and filled it from the fire of the altar, and cast unto the earth; and there came to be thunderings, and voices, and lightnings, and an earthquake.
Smith
A small portable vessel of metal fitted to receive burning coals from the altar, and on which the incense for burning was sprinkled.
2Ch 26:19; Lu 1:9
The only distinct precepts regarding the use of the censer are found in
and in
Solomon prepared "censers of pure gold" as part of the temple furniture.
The word rendered "censer" in
probably means the "altar of incense."
See Verses Found in Dictionary
and put thereupon all the utensils thereof wherewith they minister thereupon - the fire-pans, the flesh-hooks - and the shovels and the tossing-bowls, all the utensils of the altar, - and shall spread over it covering of badgers skin and put in the staves thereof.
and the bowls, and the snuffers, and the tossing bowls, and the spoons, and the censers, of pure gold, - and the hinge-holes, for the doors of the inner house, the holy of holies, and for the doors of the house itself, the temple, of, gold.
Then was Uzziah wroth, and, in his hand, was a censer, to burn incense, - and, when he was wroth with the priests, a leprosy, shot forth in his forehead, before the priests, in the house of Yahweh, from off the altar of incense.
according to the custom of his priesthood, it fell to his lot to offer incense, entering into the Temple of the Lord;
Having a golden altar of incense, and the ark of the covenant covered around on every side with gold, in which was a golden jar holding the manna, and the rod of Aaron that sprouted, and the tables of the covenant;
Watsons
CENSER, a sacred instrument made use of in the religious rites of the Hebrews. It was a vase which contained incense to be used in sacrifice. When Aaron made an atonement for himself and his house, he was to take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar of the Lord, Le 16:12. And Solomon, when he provided furniture for the temple of the Lord, made, among other things, censers of pure gold, 1Ki 7:50.
See Verses Found in Dictionary
and shall take the censer-full of burning coals of fire from off the altar from before Yahweh, and his hands full of fragrant incense, beaten small, - and bring within the veil;
and the bowls, and the snuffers, and the tossing bowls, and the spoons, and the censers, of pure gold, - and the hinge-holes, for the doors of the inner house, the holy of holies, and for the doors of the house itself, the temple, of, gold.