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135. Beaten Oil

From: Manners and Customs of the Bible

By: James M. Freeman

Narrator: Chris Genthree

Exodus 27:20 • 1 min. read • grade level: 9

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Exodus 27:20²⁰And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always. (Exodus 27:20). Pure oil-olive beaten for the light.

This is supposed to have been oil which was obtained from olives not fully ripe, and pounded in a mortar instead of being put into a press. It was considered the best and purest, having a whiter color and better flavor, and yielding a clearer light than the ordinary oil from the press. Solomon made an annual present of this sort of oil to Hiram. 1 Kings 5:11¹¹And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat for food to his household, and twenty measures of pure oil: thus gave Solomon to Hiram year by year. (1 Kings 5:11). It is also mentioned in Exodus 29:40⁴⁰And with the one lamb a tenth deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of beaten oil; and the fourth part of an hin of wine for a drink offering. (Exodus 29:40); Leviticus 24:2²Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually. (Leviticus 24:2); Numbers 28:5⁵And a tenth part of an ephah of flour for a meat offering, mingled with the fourth part of an hin of beaten oil. (Numbers 28:5). It may have been what is known as “cold drawn oil.” See note on Psalm 92:10¹⁰But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil. (Psalm 92:10) (#446).

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