Incense — Meaning in the Bible
Spices burned to make a sweet-smelling smoke. Priests burned incense daily in the holy place; the Bible links it with prayer.
What it means
The priests burned a special incense on the golden altar every morning and evening. Zechariah was burning incense when the angel appeared to him. Exodus 30:7–8Exodus 30:34–38Luke 1:8–11
A psalm asks "Let my prayer be set before you like incense". In Revelation the incense is the prayers of the saints. The Magi brought frankincense to Jesus. Psalm 141:2Revelation 5:8Matthew 2:11
Key passages
- Exodus 30:1–10 — The altar of incense.
- Psalm 141:2 — Prayer like incense.
- Luke 1:8–11 — Zechariah offers incense.
- Matthew 2:11 — Gold, frankincense and myrrh.
- Revelation 8:3–4 — Incense with prayers.
Original language
קְטֹ֫רֶת qe.to.ret
Hebrew · Strong’s H7004 · gloss: “incense”
The Hebrew word qetoreth, incense. Exodus 30:7
A Strong’s number is a reference identifier, not a complete definition: what a word means in a passage depends on its context. Lexical data: STEPBible.org, based on work at Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).