Chapter Two
Regulations Regarding Grain Offerings
2:1 “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 2 and bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests. And he shall take from it a handful of the fine flour and oil, with all of its frankincense, and the priest shall burn this as its memorial portion on the altar, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. 3 But the rest of the grain offering shall be for Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the LORD’s food offerings.
The name “grain offering” is derived from the grain used to make the fine flour, the Hebrew word ‘min·ḥāh’,[1] is similar to ‘qār·bǎn’[2] being a word that refers to any gift, a tribute or an offering. It is most often used in Scripture relating to offerings of fine flour and, as a result, it is used synonymously by some as a reference to a grain offering. However, the word can also be translated as a present (a gift), tribute, oblation, or any type of offering (the word was first seen in Genesis 4:1-7 regarding the offerings made by Cain and Abel).
Some translations refer to it as a meal offering; this comes from translating the Hebrew word ‘qě’·mǎh’,[3] referring to fine flour made of any grain that is often served with a meal, (see Genesis 18:6; Judges 6:19; 1 Samuel 1:24; 28:24; 2 Samual 17:28; 1 Kings 4:22; 17:12-16; 2 Kings 4:41; 1 Chronicles 12:40, see also Considerations under Genesis 18:16-21). However, ‘qě·mǎh’ is not found in Leviticus, the word translated here (and most often in the Old Testament) as ‘flour’ or ‘fine flour’ is the Hebrew word ’sō·lěṯ’,[4] which refers to a higher grade of flour made from the best part of the grain (usually wheat grain). Some early English translations of the Bible used the term “meat offering,” which often confuses readers. When translated, the word ‘meat’ did not mean ‘flesh’ as it does today, it was simply another word for ‘food’ in general.
Grain offerings could be offered in one of several ways. It could be offered uncooked where the person adds olive oil and frankincense to the fine flour and brings everything over to the priests, who then takes a handful (a small portion) of each and burns them as a memorial offering (referring to the person that is making the offering is remembering God, possibly being mindful of God’s mercies, grace, provisions, and love). The result of the offering is, once again, pleasing to God. The remaining portion of the grain offering would then be reserved for the priests to consume. It is considered a most holy offering (same wording found earlier in Exodus 29:37, 40:10).[5]
2:4 “When you bring a grain offering baked in the oven as an offering, it shall be unleavened loaves of fine flour mixed with oil or unleavened wafers smeared with oil.
The grain offering could also be baked in an oven like bread, except with no leaven, either with the oil mixed or made into thin cakes (wafers) and smeared with oil.
2:5 And if your offering is a grain offering baked on a griddle, it shall be of fine flour unleavened, mixed with oil. 6 You shall break it in pieces and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering.
The offering could be prepared on a griddle mixed with oil, then once cooked the offering is to be broken into pieces and oil poured on top.
2:7 And if your offering is a grain offering cooked in a pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil.
Then the fourth and final way to prepare a grain offering was cooked in a pan, a mixture of flour and oil.
2:8 And you shall bring the grain offering that is made of these things to the LORD, and when it is presented to the priest, he shall bring it to the altar. 9 And the priest shall take from the grain offering its memorial portion and burn this on the altar, a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the LORD. 10 But the rest of the grain offering shall be for Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the LORD’s food offerings.
Regardless of how the cooked grain offering was prepared, it was to be given to the priest, who then took a portion of it as a memorial, which was burned in the same way as described for the uncooked grain offering (see verses 2-3). The remainder of the offering was for the priests to consume. Like the uncooked grain offering, it was considered a most holy offering (see verse 3).
2:11 “No grain offering that you bring to the LORD shall be made with leaven, for you shall burn no leaven nor any honey as a food offering to the LORD. 12 As an offering of firstfruits you may bring them to the LORD, but they shall not be offered on the altar for a pleasing aroma. 13 You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt. 14 “If you offer a grain offering of firstfruits to the LORD, you shall offer for the grain offering of your firstfruits fresh ears, roasted with fire, crushed new grain. 15 And you shall put oil on it and lay frankincense on it; it is a grain offering. 16 And the priest shall burn as its memorial portion some of the crushed grain and some of the oil with all of its frankincense; it is a food offering to the LORD.
Chapter two concludes with some general instructions regarding grain offerings. The first instruction clearly states that no grain offering was to ever be offered (one might even say contaminated) with leaven, as discussed earlier, leaven is symbolic of sin.[6]
To the surprise of many, also prohibited in the grain offering was honey (especially since honey was used as a favorable descriptor regarding the Promised Land). The debate as to why the burning of honey at the bronze altar is not allowed has been going on for several centuries, however, it is widely believed that the prohibition was mainly due to it being a common practice among idol worshipers at that time.[7] Both leaven and honey were used in pagan rituals.
Instead of leaven and honey, the grain offerings were to be seasoned with salt (see also Numbers 18:19). Verse 13 adds that all offerings should include salt, not just the grain offerings (see also Ezra 6:9; 7:22; Ezekiel 43:24).
In these verses the word ‘firstfruits’ is used three times, twice translated from the Hebrew word ‘bik·kû·rîm’,[8] in verse 14, referring to the annual first gathering of ripened produce (see also Exodus 23:16-19; 34:23-26; Leviticus 23:17-20; Numbers 13:20; 18:13; 28:26). In verse 12, the Hebrew word translated as ‘firstfruits’ is ‘rē(’)·šîṯ’,[9] a noun meaning beginning, the first or the best (seen 51 times in the Old Testament, including the first verse in the Bible). The word ‘rē(’)·šîṯ’ often precedes ‘bik·kû·rîm’, as it does here, referring to bringing the best of the firstfruits to God (see Exodus 23:19; 34:26).[10]
During the time of offering a ‘firstfruit’ to God, a grain offering of fresh ears (Hebrew word ‘ā·ḇîḇ’,[11] ripe ear of barley, also the name of first month)[12] roasted with fire, may be offered. Oil is to be added, and frankincense placed on top of the crushed grain, then the priest is to take some of the grain and burn it as the memorial portion, as it is a food offering.
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[1] Strong’s Hebrew 4503.
[2] See commentary under Leviticus 1:2.
[3] Strong’s Hebrew 7058.
[4] Strong’s Hebrew 5560.
[5] See also commentary under Exodus 29:35-36.
[6] See Considerations under Genesis 18:16-21 and commentaries under Genesis 19:1-3 and Exodus 12:8.
[7] Moses Maimonides, A Guide for the Perplexed, translated from the original Arabic text by M. Friedländer, 4th revised ed. (p. 360) New York: E.P. Dutton, 1904
[8] Strong’s Hebrew 1061.
[9] Strong’s Hebrew 7225.
[10] See also commentary under Exodus 23:19.
[11] Strong’s Hebrew 24.
[12] See Considerations under Exodus 12:28.