John Calvin Commentary Exodus 30:34

"And Jehovah said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight;" — Exodus 30:34 (ASV)

Take unto you sweet spices. This oblation might have been noticed with the others; yet, since it merely describes the composition of the incense, which is connected with the altar of incense and is, in fact, only an appendage to it, I have seen no reason why I should separate them. Let the curious subtly discuss the ingredients themselves, if they wish; it is enough for me that they were chosen at God’s will to make a very sweet smell.

For I do not know whether it is likely, as some suppose, that galbanum¹⁵⁴ has a strong and disagreeable odor; and, since they offer this conjecture only in an unknown matter, they deserve little credit. My conviction is that it was sweet, which the words of Moses himself a little further on confirm, where he denounces the penalty of death upon those who would use such perfume for their private gratification; for this prohibition would have been absurd unless its odor had been very agreeable.

Besides, the analogy between the sign and the thing signified would not have held true, unless its sweet odor had testified that God is greatly pleased with the prayers of His people.

Moreover, so that the sacred symbol might be more reverenced, it was not permissible to transfer this mixture to private use. For since people are unrefined and earthly-minded, there is nothing they are more prone to than to mix up heavenly things with those of earth. Therefore, to elevate their minds further, it was necessary that the incense, in which there was a special holiness due to God alone, should be set apart from common use.

¹⁵⁴ “Not of strong and evil savor, as R. Salomom, for then it had been unfit to make a perfume of.” — for then it had been unfit to make a perfume of.” — Tostatus in Willet. “Willet. “Dioscor. asserit galbanum esse gravis odoris, et Plinius ait galbanum foetere et castorem olere; quod forte intelligit de partibus galbani magis terrestribus — ideoque noster interpres addit τὸ bonis odoris;” ((i.e., V., after LXX. after LXX. Χαλβάνην ἡδυσμῦ·) Corn. a Lapide, ) Corn. a Lapide, in loco.