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Contemporary English Version

Leviticus 2:1

The Lord said: When you offer sacrifices to give thanks to me, you must use only your finest flour. Put it in a dish, sprinkle olive oil and incense on the flour,

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Frankincense;   Scofield Reference Index - Christ Types of;   Meat-Offering;   Salt;   Thompson Chain Reference - Dedication;   Meal-Offerings;   Meat-Offerings;   Offerings;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Incense;   Meat-Offerings;   Offerings;   Sacrifices;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Bread;   Meats;   Sacrifice;   Wheat;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Mediator, Mediation;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Frankincense;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Barley;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Flour;   Leviticus;   Oil;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Incense;   Oil;   Priests and Levites;   Propitiation;   Sacrifice and Offering;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Oil ;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Anointing;   Frankincense,;   Oil;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Flour;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Meat meats;   Meat-offering;   Offering;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Meat Offering;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Christ;   Offering;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Barley;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Tabernacle, the;   Worship, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Bread;   Fine;   Frankincense;   Leviticus;   Oil;   Sacrifice;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Alms;   Commandments, the 613;   Meal-Offering;   New Testament;   Sacrifice;   Yiẓḥaḳ Nappaḥa;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
"'When anyone offers an offering of a meal offering to the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil on it, and put frankincense on it.
King James Version
And when any will offer a meat offering unto the Lord , his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon:
Lexham English Bible
"‘When a person brings a grain offering to Yahweh, his offering must be finely milled flour, and he must pour out oil on it and place frankincense on it.
New Century Version
"‘When anyone offers a grain offering to the Lord , it must be made from fine flour. The person must pour oil on it, put incense on it,
New English Translation
"‘When a person presents a grain offering to the Lord , his offering must consist of choice wheat flour, and he must pour olive oil on it and put frankincense on it.
Amplified Bible
'When anyone presents a grain offering to the Lord, his offering shall be of fine flour, and he shall pour [olive] oil over it and put frankincense on it.
New American Standard Bible
'Now when anyone presents a grain offering as an offering to the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour, and he shall pour oil on it and put frankincense on it.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And when any will offer a meate offering vnto the Lorde, his offering shall be of fine floure, and he shall powre oyle vpon it, and put incense thereon,
Legacy Standard Bible
‘Now when anyone brings near a grain offering as an offering to Yahweh, his offering shall be of fine flour, and he shall pour oil on it and put frankincense on it.
Complete Jewish Bible
"‘Anyone who brings a grain offering to Adonai is to make his offering of fine flour; he is to pour olive oil on it and put frankincense on it.
Darby Translation
And when any one will present an oblation to Jehovah, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil on it, and put frankincense thereon.
Easy-to-Read Version
"When you give a grain offering to the Lord , your offering must be made from fine flour. You must pour oil on this flour and put frankincense on it.
English Standard Version
"When anyone brings a grain offering as an offering to the Lord , his offering shall be of fine flour. He shall pour oil on it and put frankincense on it
George Lamsa Translation
WHEN any person shall offer a meal offering to the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it and put frankincense thereon;
Good News Translation
When any of you present an offering of grain to the Lord , you must first grind it into flour. You must put olive oil and incense on it
Christian Standard Bible®
“When anyone presents a grain offering as an offering to the Lord, it is to consist of fine flour. He is to pour olive oil on it, put frankincense on it,
Literal Translation
And when a person brings near an offering, a food offering to Jehovah, his offering shall be of flour. And he shall pour oil on it; and he shall put frankincense on it.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Whan a soule wyll offre a meatofferynge vnto the LORDE, then shal it be of fyne floure, and he shal poure oyle vpon it, and put frankencense theron,
American Standard Version
And when any one offereth an oblation of a meal-offering unto Jehovah, his oblation shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon:
Bible in Basic English
And when anyone makes a meal offering to the Lord, let his offering be of the best meal, with oil on it and perfume:
Bishop's Bible (1568)
The soule that will offer a meate offeryng vnto the Lorde, his offering shalbe of fine flowre: and he shall poure oyle vpon it, and put frankensence theron:
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And when any one bringeth a meal-offering unto the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon.
King James Version (1611)
And when any will offer a meate offering vnto the Lord, his offring shall be of fine flowre: and hee shall powre oyle vpon it, and put frankincense thereon.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And if a soul bring a gift, a sacrifice to the Lord, his gift shall be fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and shall put frankincense on it: it is a sacrifice.
English Revised Version
And when any one offereth an oblation of a meal offering unto the LORD, his oblation shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon:
Berean Standard Bible
When anyone brings a grain offering to the LORD, his offering must consist of fine flour. He is to pour olive oil on it, put frankincense on it,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Whanne a soule offrith an offryng of sacrifice to the Lord, flour of wheete schal be his offring. And he schal schede oile ther onne,
Young's Literal Translation
`And when a person bringeth near an offering, a present to Jehovah, of flour is his offering, and he hath poured on it oil, and hath put on it frankincense;
Update Bible Version
And when any one offers an oblation of a meal-offering to Yahweh, his oblation shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil on it, and put frankincense thereon:
Webster's Bible Translation
And when any will offer a meat-offering to the LORD, his offering shall be [of] fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense upon it.
World English Bible
"'When anyone offers an offering of a meal offering to Yahweh, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil on it, and put frankincense on it.
New King James Version
"When anyone offers a grain offering to the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour. And he shall pour oil on it, and put frankincense on it.
New Living Translation
"When you present grain as an offering to the Lord , the offering must consist of choice flour. You are to pour olive oil on it, sprinkle it with frankincense,
New Life Bible
‘When anyone gives a grain gift to the Lord, it should be of fine flour. He should pour oil on it and put special perfume on it.
New Revised Standard
When anyone presents a grain offering to the Lord , the offering shall be of choice flour; the worshiper shall pour oil on it, and put frankincense on it,
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But, when any person would bring near as an oblation, a meal-offering, unto Yahweh, of fine meal, shall be his oblation, - and he shall pour out thereon oil, and place thereon, frankincense;
Douay-Rheims Bible
When any one shall offer an oblation of sacrifice to the Lord, his offering shall be of fine flour: and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense,
Revised Standard Version
"When any one brings a cereal offering as an offering to the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour; he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense on it,
THE MESSAGE
"When you present a Grain-Offering to God , use fine flour. Pour oil on it, put incense on it, and bring it to Aaron's sons, the priests. One of them will take a handful of the fine flour and oil, with all the incense, and burn it on the Altar for a memorial: a Fire-Gift, a pleasing fragrance to God . The rest of the Grain-Offering is for Aaron and his sons—a most holy part of the Fire-Gifts to God .
New American Standard Bible (1995)
'Now when anyone presents a grain offering as an offering to the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour, and he shall pour oil on it and put frankincense on it.

Contextual Overview

1 The Lord said: When you offer sacrifices to give thanks to me, you must use only your finest flour. Put it in a dish, sprinkle olive oil and incense on the flour, 2 and take it to the priests from Aaron's family. One of them will scoop up the incense together with a handful of the flour and oil. Then, to show that the whole offering belongs to me, the priest will lay this part on the bronze altar and send it up in smoke with a smell that pleases me. 3 The rest of this sacrifice is for the priests; it is very holy because it was offered to me. 4 If you bake bread in an oven for this sacrifice, use only your finest flour, but without any yeast. You may make the flour into a loaf mixed with olive oil, or you may make it into thin wafers and brush them with oil. 5 If you cook bread in a shallow pan for this sacrifice, use only your finest flour. Mix it with olive oil, but do not use any yeast. 6 Then break the bread into small pieces and sprinkle them with oil. 7 If you cook your bread in a pan with a lid on it, you must also use the finest flour mixed with oil. 8 You may prepare sacrifices to give thanks in any of these three ways. Bring your sacrifice to a priest, and he will take it to the bronze altar. 9 Then, to show that the whole offering belongs to me, the priest will lay part of it on the altar and send it up in smoke with a smell that pleases me. 10 The rest of this sacrifice is for the priests; it is very holy because it was offered to me.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

meat offering: Minchah, from the Arabic manacha, to give, especially as a reciprocal gift, a gift, oblation, or eucharistical or gratitude offering, for the bounties of providence displayed in the fruits of the earth. It is termed a meat offering by our translators, because the term meat in their time was the general name for food. Leviticus 6:14-18, Leviticus 6:20-23, Leviticus 9:17, Numbers 15:4-21, Isaiah 66:20, John 6:35

fine flour: Exodus 29:2, Numbers 7:13, Numbers 7:19, Joel 1:9, Joel 2:14

pour oil: Leviticus 2:4-8, Leviticus 2:15, Leviticus 2:16, Leviticus 7:10-12, 1 John 2:20, 1 John 2:27, Jude 1:20

frankincense: Malachi 1:11, Luke 1:9, Luke 1:10, Revelation 8:3

Reciprocal: Genesis 4:3 - the fruit Exodus 30:34 - frankincense Leviticus 2:7 - of fine Leviticus 5:11 - fine flour Leviticus 7:37 - meat Leviticus 9:4 - and a meat Leviticus 10:12 - Take Leviticus 14:10 - a meat offering Numbers 8:8 - his meat Numbers 28:5 - General Judges 9:9 - wherewith 2 Chronicles 13:11 - sweet incense Ezra 6:9 - wheat Matthew 2:11 - frankincense

Cross-References

Genesis 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:10
God named the dry ground "Land," and he named the water "Ocean." God looked at what he had done and saw that it was good.
Genesis 2:3
God blessed the seventh day and made it special because on that day he rested from his work.
Genesis 2:4
That's how God created the heavens and the earth. When the Lord God made the heavens and the earth,
Genesis 2:5
no grass or plants were growing anywhere. God had not yet sent any rain, and there was no one to work the land.
Genesis 2:8
The Lord made a garden in a place called Eden, which was in the east, and he put the man there.
Genesis 2:11
The first one is the Pishon River that flows through the land of Havilah,
Genesis 2:13
The second is the Gihon River that winds through Ethiopia.
Exodus 20:11
In six days I made the sky, the earth, the oceans, and everything in them, but on the seventh day I rested. That's why I made the Sabbath a special day that belongs to me.
Exodus 31:17
This day will always serve as a reminder, both to me and to the Israelites, that I made the heavens and the earth in six days, then on the seventh day I rested and relaxed.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And when any man will offer a meat offering unto the Lord,.... Or, "when a soul", and which Onkelos renders "a man", so called from his more noble part; and, as the Jews say, this word is used because the Minchah, or meat offering here spoken of, was a freewill offering, and was offered up with all the heart and soul; and one that offered in this manner, it was all one as if he offered his soul to the Lord s: there were some meat offerings which were appointed and fixed at certain times, and were obliged to be offered, as at the daily sacrifice, the consecration of priests, the waving of the sheaf, c.

Exodus 29:40 but this was a freewill offering wherefore it is said, "when any man will offer"; the Hebrew word

מנחה, "a meat offering", may be derived from נחה, "to bring" or "offer", and so is a name common to offerings of any sort; or from

הניח, to "recreate" and delight, it being of a sweet savour to the Lord, as other offerings were; others derive it from מנח, a root not in use, and in the Chaldee language signifies a gift or present, in which sense this word is used, Genesis 32:13

his offering shall be of fine flour; of flour of wheat,

Exodus 29:2 for, as the Jews say, there is no fine flour but wheat, and this was for the meat offering, 1 Chronicles 21:23 and this was to be of the finest of the wheat; for all offerings, whether private or public, were to be of the best, and to be brought from those places which were noted for having the best; and the best places for fine flour were Mechmas and Mezonicha, and the next to them were Caphariim, in the valley; and though it might be taken out of any part of the land of Israel and used, yet it chiefly came from hence t; and according to the Jewish writers u; the least quantity of fine flour used in a meat offering was the tenth part of an ephah, which was about three pints and a half, and a fifth part of half a pint: Christ was prefigured by the meat offering; his sacrifice came in the room of it, and put an end to it, Psalms 40:7 whose flesh is meat indeed, the true meat or bread, in distinction from this typical meat offering, John 6:55 the fine flour denotes the choiceness, excellency, and purity of Christ; the dignity of his person, the superiority of him to angels and men, being the chiefest, and chosen out of ten thousand; the purity of his human nature being free from the bran of original corruption, and the spotlessness of his sacrifice: and fine flour of wheat being that of which bread is made, which is the principal part of human sustenance, and what strengthens the heart of man, and nourishes him, and is the means of maintaining and supporting life; it is a fit emblem of Christ, the bread of life, by which the saints are supported in their spiritual life, and strengthened to perform vital acts, and are nourished up unto everlasting life, and who, as the meat offering, is called the bread of God, Leviticus 21:6 John 6:33

and he shall pour oil upon it; upon all of it, as Jarchi observes, because it was mingled with it, and it was the best oil that was used; and though it might be brought from any part of the land of Israel, which was a land of oil olive, yet the chief place for oil was Tekoah, and the next to it was Ragab beyond Jordan, and from hence it was usually brought w; and the common quantity was a log, or half a pint, to a tenth deal of fine flour, as Gersom asserts from the wise men, and to which Maimonides x agrees; and Gersom on the place observes, that it is proper that some of the oil should be put in the lower part of the vessel, and after that the fine flour should put in it, and then he should pour some of it upon it and mix it: the oil denotes the grace of the Spirit poured out upon Christ without measure, the oil of gladness, with which he was anointed above his fellows, and from whence he has the name of Messiah or Christ, or Anointed; and with which he was anointed to be prophet, priest, and King, and which renders him very desirable and delightful to his people, his name being as ointment poured forth, Psalms 45:7

and put frankincense thereon; on a part of it, as Jarchi's note is; and according to him, the man that brought the meat offering left an handful of frankincense upon it on one side; and the reason of this was, because it was not to be mixed with it as the oil was, and it was not to be taken in the handful with it z; and the quantity of the frankincense, as Gersom says, was one handful: this denoted the sweet odour and acceptableness of Christ, the meat offering, both to God and to his people: it is an observation of the Jewish writers, that the pouring out of the oil on the fine flour, and mixing it with it, and putting on the frankincense, might be done by a stranger, by any man, by the man that brought the meat offering, but what follows after the bringing of it to the priest were done by him a.

s Jarchi, Aben Ezra, & Baal Hatturim, in loc. t Misn. Menachot, c. 8. sect. 1. u Jarchi & Gersom in loc. w Misn. Menachot, c. 8. sect. 3. x Hilchot Maaseh, Hakorbanot, c. 13. sect 5. z Vid T. Bab. Sotah, fol. 14. 2. a T. Bab. Menachot, fol. 9. 1. & 18. 2. & Pesachim, fol. 36. 1. & Jarchi in loc.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

A meat offering - Better translated in Leviticus 2:4 an oblation of a meat offering קרבן qorbân, see Leviticus 1:2 מנחה mı̂nchāh. signifies literally a “gift”; and it appears to have been applied especially to what was given by an inferior to a superior Genesis 32:18-20; Genesis 43:11; Jdg 3:15; 1 Samuel 10:27 : but in the technical language of the Law, it regularly denoted the vegetable offerings as distinguished from the animal offerings. Our translators have rendered it “meat-offering”, applying the word “meat”, according to old usage, as a general term for food. Vegetable-offering or meal-offering would be a more convenient rendering.

The meaning of the מנחה mı̂nchāh appears to be much more simple than that of the animal sacrifices. The מנחה mı̂nchāh, as a sacrifice, was something surrendered to God, which was of the greatest value to man as a means of living. It might thus seem to be merely eucharistic. But it should not be overlooked that the grain had been modified, and made useful, by man’s own labor. Hence, it has been supposed that the מנחה mı̂nchāh expressed a confession that all our good works are performed in God and are due to Him.

The order in which the kinds of offering are named agrees with their development in order of time. The burnt-offering and the מנחה mı̂nchāh answer to the first two offerings on record Genesis 4:3-4; Amos 5:22.

Three kinds of מנחה mı̂nchāh are here mentioned; (1) Leviticus 2:1-3; (2) Leviticus 2:4-7; (3) Leviticus 2:14-16. Of each of them a small portion was burned on the altar “for a memorial,” and the remainder was given to the priests. The offerings of flour belonged to the priests at large, but those of cakes and wafers to the officiating priests, Leviticus 7:9-10. Instructions to the priests are given in Leviticus 6:14-23.

Fine flour - finely bolted flour of wheat. It was probably always presented in a bowl, compare Numbers 7:13.

Oil - For the purpose of anointing and as food; in both senses a symbol of divine grace.

Frankincense - See the Exodus 30:34 note.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER II

The meat-offering of flour with oil and incense, 1-3.

The oblation of the meat-offering baked in the oven and in

the pan, 4-6.

The meat-offering baked in the frying-pan, 7-10.

No leaven nor honey to be offered with the meat-offering, 11.

The oblation of the first-fruits, 12.

Salt to be offered with the meat offering, 13.

Green ears dried by the fire, and corn to be beaten out of

full ears, with oil and frankincense, to be offered as a

meat-offering of first-fruits, 14-16.

NOTES ON CHAP. II

Verse Leviticus 2:1. Meat-offering — מנחה minchah. For an explanation of this word Genesis 4:3, and Lev. vii. Calmet has remarked that there are five kinds of the minchah mentioned in this chapter.

1. סלת soleth, simple flour or meal, Leviticus 2:1.

2. Cakes and wafers, or whatever was baked in the oven, Leviticus 2:4.

3. Cakes baked in the pan, Leviticus 2:5.

4. Cakes baked on the frying-pan, or probably, a gridiron, Leviticus 2:7.

5. Green ears of corn parched, Leviticus 2:14.

All these were offered without honey or leaven, but accompanied with wine, oil, and frankincense. It is very likely that the minchah, in some or all of the above forms, was the earliest oblation offered to the Supreme Being, and probably was in use before sin entered into the world, and consequently before bloody sacrifices, or piacular victims, had been ordained. The minchah of green ears of corn dried by the fire, c., was properly the gratitude-offering for a good seed time, and the prospect of a plentiful harvest. This appears to have been the offering brought by Cain, Genesis 4:3

Genesis 4:3. The flour, whether of wheat, rice, barley, rye, or any other grain used for aliment, was in all likelihood equally proper; for in Numbers 5:15, we find the flour of barley, or barley meal, is called minchah. It is plain that in the institution of the minchah no animal was here included, though in other places it seems to include both kinds; but in general the minchah was not a bloody offering, nor used by way of atonement or expiation, but merely in a eucharistic way, expressing gratitude to God for the produce of the soil. It is such an offering as what is called natural religion might be reasonably expected to suggest: but alas! so far lost is man, that even thankfulness to God for the fruits of the earth must be taught by a Divine revelation; for in the heart of man even the seeds of gratitude are not found, till sown there by the hand of Divine grace.

Offerings of different kinds of grain, flour, bread, fruits, c., are the most ancient among the heathen nations and even the people of God have had them from the beginning of the world. See this subject largely discussed on Exodus 23:29, where several examples are given. Ovid intimates that these gratitude-offerings originated with agriculture. "In the most ancient times men lived by rapine, hunting, c., for the sword was considered to be more honourable than the plough but when they sowed their fields, they dedicated the first-fruits of their harvest to Ceres, to whom the ancients attributed the art of agriculture, and to whom burnt-offerings of corn were made, according to immemorial usages." The passage to which I refer, and of which I have given the substance, is the following: -

"Non habuit tellus doctos antiqua colonos:

Lassabant agiles aspera bella viros.

Plus erat in gladio quam curvo laudis aratro:

Neglectus domino pauca ferebat ager.

Farra tamen veteres jaciebant, farra metebant:

Primitias Cereri farra resecta dabant.

Usibus admoniti flammis torrenda dedere:

Multaque peccato damna tulere suo."

FASTOR., lib. ii., ver. 515.


Pliny observes that "Numa taught the Romans to offer fruits to the gods, and to make supplications before them, bringing salt cakes and parched corn; as grain in this state was deemed most wholesome." Numa instituit deos FRUGE colere, et MOLA SALSA supplicare, atque (ut auctor est Hemina) far torrere, quoniam tostum cibo salubrius esset. - HIST. NAT. lib xviii., c. 2. And it is worthy of remark, that the ancient Romans considered "no grain as pure or proper for divine service that had not been previously parched." Id uno modo consecutum, statuendo non esse purum ad rem divinam nisi tostum. - Ibid.

God, says Calmet, requires nothing here which was not in common use for nourishment; but he commands that these things should be offered with such articles as might give them the most exquisite relish, such as salt, oil, and wine, and that the flour should be of the finest and purest kind. The ancients, according to Suidas, seem to have made much use or meal formed into a paste with milk, and sometimes with water. (See Suidas in Μαζα.) The priests kept in the temples a certain mixture of flour mingled with oil and wine, which they called υγιεια Hugieia or health, and which they used as a kind of amulet or charm against sickness; after they had finished their sacrifices, they generally threw some flour upon the fire, mingled with oil and wine, which they called θυληματα thulemata, and which, according to Theophrastus, was the ordinary sacrifice of the poor.


 
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