Leviticus 2:1-12

Introduction to Leviticus 2
In this chapter we have the law concerning the meat-offering. I. The matter of it; whether of raw flour with oil and incense (Lev_2:1), or baked in the oven (Lev_2:4), or upon a plate (Lev_2:5, Lev_2:6), or in a frying pan (Lev_2:7). II. The management of it, of the flour (Lev_2:2, Lev_2:3), of the cakes (Lev_2:8-10). III. Some particular rules concerning it, That leaven and honey must never be admitted (Lev_2:11, Lev_2:12), and salt never omitted in the meat-offering (Lev_2:13). IV. The law concerning the offering of firstfruits in the ear (Lev_2:14, etc.).

The meat-offering of flour with oil and incense, Lev_2:1-3. The oblation of the meat-offering baked in the oven and in the pan, Lev_2:4-6. The meat-offering baked in the frying-pan, Lev_2:7-10. No leaven nor honey to be offered with the meat-offering, Lev_2:11. The oblation of the first-fruits, Lev_2:12. Salt to be offered with the meat offering, Lev_2:13. 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, Lev_2:14-16.

Lev 2:1 And when anyone will offer a food offering to Jehovah, his offering shall be of fine flour. And he shall pour oil on it and put frankincense on it.

A meat offering –qorban A feminine noun meaning a gift, a tribute, an offering. From an unused root meaning to apportion, that is, bestow; a donation; euphemistically tribute; specifically a sacrificial offering (usually bloodless and voluntary): - gift, oblation, (meat) offering, present, sacrifice. This word is used to signify a gift as in the peace gifts that Jacob presented to Esau Genesis 32:13 And he lodged there that night. And he took of that which came to his hand, a present for Esau his brother. Secondly, it signifies a tribute. An example of the use of this word is Judges 3:15 But when the sons of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for them, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. And the sons of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab where Ehud was sent from Israel to Moab on the pretense of bringing a tribute. Perhaps the most frequent use of this word is to denote a grain offering. Grain offerings were brought on pans, suggesting cakes Leviticus 2:5 And if your offering is a food offering on the griddle, your offering shall be of fine flour unleavened, mixed with oil and mixed with oil and other substances Numbers 6:15 and a basket of unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with oil and unleavened wafers spread with oil, along with their grain offering and their drink offering.

A meat offering –mînchāh signifies literally a “gift”; (compare to qorban for offering seen in Leviticus 1) and it appears to have been applied especially to what was given by an inferior to a superior Gen_32:18-20; Gen_43:11; Jdg_3:15; 1Sa_10:27 : but in the technical language of the Law, it regularly denoted the vegetable offerings as distinguished from the animal offerings. KJV 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 and is written that way in the more modern translations.

The order in which the kinds of offering are named agrees with their development in order of time. The burnt-offering and the mînchāh answer to the first two offerings on record Genesis 4:3-4 So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the LORD of the fruit of the ground. Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering; Amos 5:22 "Even though you offer up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings, I will not accept them; And I will not even look at the peace offerings of your fatlings."

Three kinds of mînchāh are here mentioned (or 5 according to another commentary as noted in the next paragraph); (1) Lev_2:1-3; (2) Lev_2:4-7; (3) Lev_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, Lev_7:9-10.

Calmet has remarked that there are five kinds of the minchah mentioned in this chapter.
1.soleth, simple flour or meal, Lev_2:1.
2.Cakes and wafers, or whatever was baked in the oven, Lev_2:4.
3.Cakes baked in the pan, Lev_2:5.
4.Cakes baked on the frying-pan, or probably, a gridiron, Lev_2:7.
5.Green ears of corn parched, Lev_2:14.

Fine flour - finely bolted flour of wheat. It was possibly always presented in a bowl. See Numbers 7:13 and his offering was one silver dish whose weight was one hundred and thirty shekels, one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering.

Oil - For the purpose of anointing and as food; in both senses a symbol of divine grace. Oil symbolically means the influences of the Spirit, of which oil was the emblem, as incense was of prayer.

Meat-offerings seem to denote our obligation to God for the blessings of providence, and those good works which are acceptable to God.

These meat-offerings are mentioned after the burnt-offerings. Carried into typology and symbolism, without an interest in the sacrifice of Christ, and devotedness of heart to God, such services cannot be accepted.

Leaven is the emblem of pride, malice, and hypocrisy, and honey of sensual pleasure. The former are directly opposed to the graces of humility, love, and sincerity, which God approves; the latter takes men from the exercises of devotion, and the practice of good works. Christ, in his character and sacrifice, was wholly free from the things denoted by leaven; and his suffering life and agonizing death were the very opposites to worldly pleasure. His people are called to follow, and to be like him.

Lev 2:2 And he shall bring it to Aaron's sons, the priests. And he shall take out of it his handful of flour and its oil, with all its frankincense. And the priest shall burn the memorial of it on the altar, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor to Jehovah.

Memorial - The regular name not only for the portion of the mînchāh which was burned on the altar Lev_2:9, Lev_2:16; Lev_5:12; Lev_6:15; Num_5:26, but for the frankincense which was laid upon the showbread Lev_24:7. It is the word which is applied to the prayers and alms of Cornelius, Acts 10:4 And he was gazing at him, and becoming terrified, he said, What is it, lord? And he said to him, Your prayers and your merciful deeds have come up for a memorial before God. Apparently Cornelius, although he still needed to know Jesus, had offered up his prayers and deeds with the same heart as the offerings of Leviticus 2:2.

Lev 2:3 And the rest of the food offering shall be Aaron's and his sons', most holy of the offerings of Jehovah made by fire.

A thing most holy - literally, a holy of holies. All offerings were holy, including the portions of the peace-offerings which were eaten by the laity; but that was “most holy” of which every part was devoted either to the altar, or to the use of the priests. The most holy food was eaten in “the holy place,” that is the precinct of the tabernacle, probably in the priests’ lodgings; but the priests’ portion of the peace-offerings might be eaten by the priests and their families in any “clean place” Leviticus 10:12-14 And Moses spoke to Aaron, and to Eleazar and to Ithamar, his sons that were left, Take the food offering that remains of the offerings of Jehovah made by fire, and eat it without leaven beside the altar. For it is most holy. And you shall eat in the holy place, because it is your due, and your sons' due, of the fire offerings of Jehovah made by fire. For so I am commanded. And the wave breast and heave shoulder you shall eat in a clean place, you, and your sons and your daughters with you. For they have been given for your portion and the portion of your sons out of the sacrifices of peace offerings of the sons of Israel.

Lev 2:4 And if you bring a sacrifice of a food offering baked in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil.

Lev 2:5 And if your offering is a food offering on the griddle, your offering shall be of fine flour unleavened, mixed with oil.

Baken in a pan - supposed to be a flat iron plate, placed over the fire; such as is called a griddle in some countries.

Lev 2:6 You shall break it in pieces and pour oil on it. It is a food offering.

part it in pieces, and pour oil thereon--Pouring oil on bread is a common practice among Eastern people, who are fond of broken bread dipped in oil, butter, and milk. Oil only was used in the meat offerings, and probably for a symbolic reason. It is evident that these meat offerings were previously prepared by the offerer, and when brought, the priest was to take it from his hands and burn a portion on the altar.

Lev 2:7 And if your offering is a food offering in the frying pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil.

Lev 2:8 And you shall bring the food offering that is made of these things to Jehovah. And when it is presented to the priest, he shall bring it to the altar.

Lev 2:9 And the priest shall take from the food offering a memorial of it, and shall burn it on the altar. It is an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor to Jehovah.

Lev 2:10 And that which is left of the food offering shall be Aaron's and his sons: it is most holy of the offerings of Jehovah made by fire.

Lev 2:11 Any food offering which you shall bring to Jehovah shall not be made with leaven. For you shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of Jehovah made by fire.

As for the oblation of the firstfruits - Rather, As an oblation of firstfruits. The words refer to the leaven and honey mentioned in Lev_2:11 which might be offered among the firstfruits and tithes (Deu_26:2, Deu_26:12; compare 2Ch_31:5). Honey, being used to produce fermentation, and leaven (or, a small piece of fermented dough) were excluded because fermentation was an apt symbol of the working of corruption in the human heart. Or, as leaven was forbidden because producing fermentation, it was considered a species of corruption, and was therefore used to signify hypocrisy, malice, etc., which corrupt the soul; it is possible that honey might have had a moral reference, also, and have signified, as Jerome thought, carnal pleasures and sensual gratifications. Some suppose that the honey mentioned here was a sort of saccharine matter extracted from dates. Leaven and honey might be offered with the first-fruits, as we learn from the next verse; but they were forbidden to be burnt on the altar. If both represent sin, then the type depicted here shows how God cannot abide sin and partly to signify what Christ would be, and what they should be, pure and free from all error in the faith and worship of God, and from all hypocrisy, and malice or wickedness, all which are signified by leaven. One commentator says: honey was forbidden, though Canaan flowed with it, because to eat much honey is not good Proverbs 25:27 It is not good to eat much honey; so for men to search their own glory is not glory.

Lev 2:12 As an offering of the firstfruits, you shall bring them to Jehovah. But they shall not be burned on the altar for a sweet savor.

Directions are given about the first-fruits. 1. The oblation of their first-fruits at harvest, of which we read, Deu_26:2. These were offered to the Lord, not to be burnt upon the altar, but to be given to the priests as perquisites of their office, Lev_2:12. And you shall offer them (that is, leaven and honey) in the oblation of the first-fruits, though they were forbidden in other meat-offerings; for they were proper enough to be eaten by the priests, though not to be burnt upon the altar. The loaves of the first-fruits are particularly ordered to be baked with leaven, Lev_23:17. And we read of the first-fruits of honey brought to the house of God, 2Ch_31:5. 2. A meat-offering of their first-fruits. The former was required by the law; this was a free-will offering, Lev_2:14-16.

Let him be sure to bring the first ripe and full ears, not such as were small and half-withered. We mock God, and deceive ourselves, if we think to put him off with a corrupt thing while we have in our flock a male, Malachi 1:14 "But cursed be the swindler who has a male in his flock and vows it, but sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord, for I am a great King," says the LORD of hosts, "and My name is feared among the nations."