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Leviticus
Chapter Two
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO LEVITICUS 2
This
chapter contains the law of the meat offering
and gives an account of what it
was made of
fine flour
with oil poured
and frankincense put upon it
Leviticus 2:1 what
was done with it; part of it burnt upon the altar
and the rest was the
property of the priests
Leviticus 2:2 how
it was to be when baked in an oven
or in a pan
or fried in a frying pan
Leviticus 2:4 what
was prohibited in it
leaven and honey
Leviticus 2:11 what
was to be used in it
salt
Leviticus 2:13 and
what was to be the oblation and meat offering of the first fruits
and what to
be done with it
Leviticus 2:12.
Leviticus 2:1. ‘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.
YLT 1`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;
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 LordF19Jarchi
Aben
Ezra
& Baal Hatturim
in loc. : 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 henceF20Misn. Menachot
c. 8. sect. 1. ; and
according to the Jewish writersF21Jarchi & Gersom in loc. ; 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
Psalm 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 broughtF23Misn.
Menachot
c. 8. sect. 3. ; 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 MaimonidesF24Hilchot Maaseh
Hakorbanot
c. 13. sect 5.
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
Psalm 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 itF26Vid T. Bab. Sotah
fol. 14. 2. ;
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 himF1T. Bab. Menachot
fol. 9. 1. & 18. 2. &
Pesachim
fol. 36. 1. & Jarchi in loc. .
Leviticus 2:2.
2 He shall bring it to
Aaron’s sons
the priests
one of whom shall take from it his handful of fine
flour and oil with all the frankincense. And the priest shall burn it as
a memorial on the altar
an offering made by fire
a sweet aroma to the Lord.
YLT 2and he hath brought it in unto the sons of
Aaron
the priests
and he hath taken from thence the fulness of his hand of
its flour and of its oil
besides all its frankincense
and the priest hath
made perfume with its memorial on the altar
a fire-offering of sweet fragrance
to Jehovah;
And he shall bring it to Aaron's sons
the priests
.... And this
is all that he did with it; he left it with the priest
who carried it to the
altar
to the southwest horn of itF2T. Bab. Sotah
ib. &
Meaachot
fol. 8. 2. : the order of bringing it
according to MaimonidesF3Hilchot
Maaseh Hakorbanot
c. 13. sect. 12.
was this
"a man brings fine flour
from his house in baskets of silver or of gold or of other kind of metals
in a
vessel fit to be a ministering vessel; and if it is a meat offering of fine
flour
he puts it into a ministering vessel
and sanctifies it in a ministering
vessel;'then did what follows:
and he shall take thereout his handful of the flour thereof
and
of the oil thereof; as mixed together: the Jews sayF4Misn. Menachot
c.
1. sect. 2.
this was done with the right hand
which is very likely
that
being generally used in this way: the Talmudists thus describe the manner in
which the handful was taken; the priest stretched out his three fingers over
the palm of his hand
and gathered the handful in the plate or pan
and parted
it off with his thumb above
and with his little finger below; and this was the
most difficult piece of service in the sanctuaryF5T. Bab. Menachot
fol. 11. 1. : though MaimonidesF6In Misn. Menachot
ib. rejects this
notion of difficulty
and says it was done in the common way
in which men take
up a handful of anything: but Bartenora saysF7In ib.
it was not in
the usual way
but much as before described: the priest put the sides of his
fingers into the flour
and gathered the flour with the sides of his fingers
within his hand
and took of the flour only three fingers' full
upon the palm
of his hand
and no more; and that it might not be heaped or go out
he pared
it off
above with his thumb
and below with his little finger; and this he
affirms
according to the Gemara
and what his masters had taught him
was one
of the hardest pieces of service in the sanctuary:
with all the frankincense thereof; this was not taken along
with the handful of flour and oil; for if there was ever so small a quantity of
frankincense in the handful it was not rightF8Misn. ib. & Jarchi
in loc. ; for the frankincense
when brought
was put on one side of the fine
flour
and when the handful was taken
then that was taken altogether
and put
upon it:
and the priest shall burn the memorial of it upon the altar: that is
he
was to burn the handful of fine flour and oil with the frankincense
as a
"memorial"; either to put the Lord in mind of his lovingkindness to
his people
and of his covenant with them
and promises unto them
to which the
allusion is
Psalm 20:3 or to put
the offerer in mind of the great sacrifice of Christ
who was to be offered for
his sins
and to be a meat offering to him: this was the part the Lord had in
this offering
and which related to his worship
as the word used sometimes
signifies
as De Dieu has observed:
to be an offering
made by fire
of a sweet savour unto the Lord; See Gill on Leviticus 1:9.
Leviticus 2:3.
3 The rest of the grain
offering shall be Aaron’s and his sons’. It is most holy of the
offerings to the Lord
made by fire.
YLT 3and the remnant of the present [is] for Aaron
and for his sons
most holy
of the fire-offerings of Jehovah.
And the remnant of the meat offering shall be Aaron's and his
sons'
.... Which not only shows the care taken by the Lord for the
maintenance of the priests
from whence the apostle argues for the support of ministers
of the Gospel
1 Corinthians 9:13
but denotes that such who are made priests unto God by Christ
have a right to
feed upon Christ the meat offering by faith; who is that altar and meat
offering
which none but such have a right to eat of:
it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the Lord made by fire; some
offerings with the Jews were only holy things
or
as they call them
"light" holy things
comparatively speaking; others were heavy holy
things
or most holy; or
as it is in the original
"holiness of
holiness"
the most holy of all.
Leviticus 2:4. 4 ‘And
if you bring as an offering a grain offering baked in the oven
it shall be
unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with oil
or unleavened wafers anointed
with oil.
YLT 4`And when thou bringest near an offering
a
present baked in an oven
[it is of] unleavened cakes of flour mixed with oil
or thin unleavened cakes anointed with oil.
And if thou bring an oblation of a meat offering baken in an oven
.... This is
another kind of meat offering
or in another form; the former was only fine
flour and oil mixed together
and frankincense put on it
but this was made up
into cakes
and baked in an oven
and not in anything else
according to the
Jewish traditionF9Misn. Menachot
c. 5. sect. 9. Maimon. &
Bartenora in. ib. ; he that says
lo
upon me be a meat offering baked in an
oven
he may not bring that baked otherwise; and this meat offering was made
into cakes and wafers
and then baked
as follows: and
it shall be unleavened
cakes of fine flour mingled with oil
or unleavened wafers anointed with oil; which
according to the Jews were made after this mannerF11T. Bab.
Menachot
fol. 75. 1. ; the priest put the oil into a vessel before the making
of it
then put the fine flour to it
and put oil upon it
and mixed it
and
kneaded it
and baked it
and cut it in pieces
and put oil upon it
and mixed
it
and again put oil upon it
and took the handful
and it was the fourth part
of an hin of oil that was divided into the several cakes; the cakes
they say
were obliged to be mixed
and the wafers to be anointed; the cakes were mixed
but not the wafers the wafers were anointed
and not the cakes. The oil denoted
the grace of the Spirit of God in Christ
and in his people; and being
unleavened
the sincerity and truth with which the meat offering
Christ
is to
be upon.
Leviticus 2:5. 5 But
if your offering is a grain offering baked in a pan
it shall
be of fine flour
unleavened
mixed with oil.
YLT 5`And if thine offering [is] a present [made]
on the girdel
it is of flour
mixed with oil
unleavened;
And if thy meat offering be an oblation baken on a pan
.... Which had
no edge or covering
and the paste on it hard
that it might not run out:
it shall be of fine flour unleavened
mingled with oil; signifying
the same as before.
Leviticus 2:6. 6 You
shall break it in pieces and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering.
YLT 6divide thou it into parts
and thou hast
poured on it oil; it [is] a present.
Thou shalt part it in pieces
.... This answered to the
dividing of the pieces of the burnt offering
Leviticus 1:6 and
signified the same thing; See Gill on Leviticus 1:6
Leviticus 1:12 All
meat offerings
it is saidF12Misn. Menachot
c. 6. sect. 4. Maimon.
Maaseh Hakorbanot
c. 13. sect. 10.
that were prepared in a vessel
were
obliged to be cut to pieces; the meat offering of an Israelite
one (cake) was
doubled into two
and two into four
and then divided
each piece was about the
quantity of an olive:
and pour oil thereon; after parted into
pieces; see Gill on Leviticus 2:4.
it is a meat
offering; as well as that of fine flour
or that which was baked in an
oven.
Leviticus 2:7. 7 ‘If
your offering is a grain offering baked in a covered pan
it
shall be made of fine flour with oil.
YLT 7`And if thine offering [is] a present [made]
on the frying-pan
of flour with oil it is made
And if thy oblation be a meat offering baken in the
fryingpan
.... It is askedF13Misn. Menachot. c. 5. sect. 8.
what difference there is between the pan
and the fryingpan? the fryingpan has
a cover
but the pan has no cover; the fryingpan is deep
and its works (or
paste) flow
or are thin
but the pan is extended
and its works (or paste) are
hard or stiff; which MaimonidesF14Misn. ib. & Maaseh Hakorbanot
c. 5. sect. 7. Vid. Jarchi & Gersom & Ben Melech in loc. explains thus
the fryingpan is a deep vessel
which has a lip or edge round about it
and the
paste which is baked in it is thin and flows; the pan is a vessel which has no
lip or edge
and therefore its paste is hard or stiff
that it flow not: now
all these acts of mixing the flour
and kneading
and baking
and frying
and
cutting in pieces
as well as burning part on the altar
signify the dolorous
sufferings of Christ when he was sacrificed for us
to be both an atonement for
our sins
and food for our faith:
it shall be made of fine flour with oil: as the other
sort of meat offerings before mentioned.
Leviticus 2:8. 8 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.
YLT 8and thou hast brought in the present which is
made of these to Jehovah
and [one] hath brought it near unto the priest
and
he hath brought it nigh unto the altar
And thou shalt bring the meat offering
that is made of these
things
unto the Lord
.... Either to the tabernacle
the house of the Lord
or to the
Lord's priest
as it follows:
and when it is presented to the priest; by the owner
of it:
he shall bring it unto the altar; to the south west horn
of the altarF15Jarchi & Gersom in loc. T. Bab. Sotah
fol. 14.
2. Menachot
fol. 8. 2. Zebachim
fol. 63. 1. .
Leviticus 2:9. 9 Then
the priest shall take from the grain offering a memorial portion
and burn it
on the altar. It is an offering made by fire
a sweet aroma to the Lord.
YLT 9and the priest hath lifted up from the
present its memorial
and hath made perfume on the altar
a fire-offering of
sweet fragrance to Jehovah;
And the priest shall take from the meat offering a memorial
thereof
.... That is
an handful of it; as of the fine flour
Leviticus 2:2 so of
the pieces of that which was baked
whether in the oven
or pan
or fryingpan:
and shall burn it upon the altar; the memorial or handful:
it is an offering
made by fire
of a sweet savour unto the Lord; See Gill on Leviticus 1:9.
Leviticus 2:10. 10 And
what is left of the grain offering shall be Aaron’s and his sons’. It
is most holy of the offerings to the Lord made by fire.
YLT 10and the remnant of the present [is] for Aaron
and for his sons
most holy
of the fire-offerings of Jehovah.
And that which is left of the meat offering
.... Not burnt
with fire:
shall be Aaron's and
his sons'; the high priest took his part first
and then the common
priests:
it is a thing most
holy of the offerings of the Lord made by fire; See Gill on Leviticus 2:3.
Leviticus 2:11. 11 ‘No grain offering which
you bring to the Lord
shall be made with leaven
for you shall burn no leaven nor any honey in any offering
to the Lord
made by fire.
YLT 11No present which ye bring near to Jehovah is
made fermented
for with any leaven or any honey ye perfume no fire-offering to
Jehovah.
No meat offering which ye shall bring unto the Lord shall be made
with leaven
.... It might be used in peace offerings
and in the wave loaves
Leviticus 7:13 but
not in meat offerings; not only in the handful that was burnt
but in the rest
that was eaten by Aaron and his sons; for so is the ruleF16Misn.
Menachot
c. 5. sect. 2.
"all meat offerings are kneaded in hot water
and are kept that they might not be leavened; and if what is left of them be
leavened
a negative precept is transgressed
Leviticus 2:11.'It
denoted in Christ
the antitype of the meat offering
freedom from hypocrisy
and all false doctrines
which were the leaven of the Scribes and Pharisees
Luke 12:1 and in
his people that feed upon him by faith
that they should be clear of malice and
wickedness
and of communion with profane and scandalous persons
1 Corinthians 5:6
so the JewsF17Baal Hatturim in loc. say
the corruption of nature is
like to leaven
and therefore forbid:
for ye shall burn no leaven
nor any honey
in any offering of the
Lord made by fire; as leaven was used in some offerings
so honey was brought with
the first fruits
2 Chronicles 31:5
but neither of them might be used in offerings made by fire; they are forbidden
to be burnt: the reason why they were forbidden
some think is
because they
were used by the Heathens in their sacrifices
so MaimonidesF18Moreh
Nevochim
par. 3. c. 46
p. 481.
whose customs were not to be followed; and
certain it is that honey was used in Heathen sacrifices: Homer speaks of honey
as the sweet food of the godsF19----- μελι
χλωρον
&c. Hymn. in Mercur. prope finem. χρηστον
μελιτωμα
&c. Batrachomyo.
and what they desire; and so
PausaniasF20Eliac. 1. sive l. 5. p. 316. relates of the Eleans
that
according to an ancient custom
they used to offer on the altar
frankincense
and wheat mixed with honey: PorphyryF21De Abstinentia
l. 2. c. 20
21. observes
that the ancient sacrifices with most were sober
the libations of water; after these
libations of honey
ready prepared by the
bees
the first of moist fruits
next libations of oil
and
last of all
libations of wine; the Egyptians used honey in their sacrificesF23Herodot.
Euterpe
sive l. 2. c. 40. ; or the reason is
because it was much of the same
fermenting nature with leaven
as Aben Ezra
and when burnt gave an ill smell
which was not proper in offerings made by tire
of a sweet savour to the Lord;
or rather because a symbol of sin and sinful pleasures. Baal Hatturim on the
place says
the corruption of nature is sweet to a man as honey
and intimates
that that is the reason of its prohibition: it denotes unto us that such as
would feed by faith on Christ ought to relinquish sinful lusts and pleasures;
and that those that will live godly in Christ Jesus must not expect their
sweets
but bitters
even afflictions
reproaches
and persecutions
for
Christ's sake
in this life.
Leviticus 2:12. 12 As for the offering of the
firstfruits
you shall offer them to the Lord
but they shall not be
burned on the altar for a sweet aroma.
YLT 12`An offering of first-[fruits] -- ye bring
them near to Jehovah
but on the altar they go not up
for sweet fragrance.
As for the oblation of the firstfruits
ye shall offer them unto
the Lord
.... Or "in" or "with the oblation"
as some
render it; that is
along with the oblation of the firstfruits leaven and honey
might be offered: the Arabic version is very express
"but for a sacrifice
of firstfruits ye" shall offer both to God; as they might be
as before
observed; so the Targum of Jonathan
"for the leavened bread of the firstfruits
shall be offered
and dates in the time of the firstfruits; the fruits with
their honey shall be offered
and the priest shall eat them:"
but they shall not be burnt on the altar for a sweet savour; which they
could not make
and besides were to be the portion of the priests.
Leviticus 2:13. 13 And
every offering of your grain offering you shall season with salt; you shall not
allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your grain
offering. With all your offerings you shall offer salt.
YLT 13And every offering -- thy present -- with
salt thou dost season
and thou dost not let the salt of the covenant of thy
God cease from thy present; with all thine offerings thou dost bring near salt.
And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with
salt
.... Which makes food savoury
and preserves from putrefaction;
denoting the savouriness and acceptableness of Christ as a meat offering to his
people
he being savoury food
such as their souls love
as well as to God the
Father
who is well pleased with his sacrifice; and also the perpetuity of his
sacrifice
which always has the same virtue in it
and of him as a meat
offering
who is that meat which endures to everlasting life
John 6:27 and also
the grave and gracious conversation of those that by faith feed upon him
Mark 9:50.
neither shall thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to
be lacking from thy meat offering; this seems to suggest
the reason why salt was used in meat offerings
and in all others
because it
was a symbol of the perpetuity of the covenant
which from thence is called a
covenant of salt
Numbers 18:19
namely
the covenant of the priesthood
to which these sacrifices belonged
Numbers 25:13 hence
the Targum of Jonathan
"because the twenty four gifts of the priests are
decreed by the covenant of salt
therefore upon all thine offerings thou shalt
offer salt:"
with all thine offerings thou shall offer salt
even those
that were not to be eaten
as well as those that were; as the burnt offering of
the herd
of the flock
and of fowls
and their several parts; all were obliged
to be salted that were offered
excepting wine
blood
wood
and incenseF24Maimon.
Issure Mizbeach
c. 5. sect. 11. ; hence there was a room in the temple where
salt was laid up for this purpose
called לשכת מלח
"the salt room"F25Misn. Middot
c. 5. sect. 2. ; and which was provided by the congregation
and not by a
private personF26Maimon. Issure Mizbeach
c. 5. sect. 13. ; our Lord
has reference to this law in Mark 9:49 the
Heathens always made use of salt in their sacrificesF1Ante Deos
Homini
&c. Ovid. Fastor. l. 1. Vid. Horat. Carmin. l. 3. Ode 23. .
Leviticus 2:14. 14 ‘If
you offer a grain offering of your firstfruits to the Lord
you shall
offer for the grain offering of your firstfruits green heads of grain roasted
on the fire
grain beaten from full heads.
YLT 14`And if thou bring near a present of
first-ripe [fruits] to Jehovah
-- of green ears
roasted with fire
beaten out
[corn] of a fruitful field thou dost bring near the present of thy first-ripe
[fruits]
And if thou offer a meat offering of thy firstfruits unto the Lord
.... This
according to Aben Ezra
was not any of the offerings of the firstfruits
which
they were obliged to
as at the passover or pentecost
or feast of tabernacles
but a free will offering; but Jarchi thinks it is to be understood of the meat
offering of the Omer
Leviticus 23:13 and
so Gersom
which was offered up on the sixteenth of Nisan; and this is the
general sense of the Jewish writersF2Maimon. & Bartenora in
Misn. Menachot
c. 10. sect. 4. :
thou shalt bring for the meat offering of thy firstfruits green
ears of corn dried by the fire; these were ears of barley
which began to
be ripe in the month Abib
which month had its name from hence
and is the word
here used; these were dried by the fire
being green and moist
or otherwise
they could not have been ground; for
according to Gersom
these were
afterwards ground into fine flour:
even corn beaten
out of full ears; and so made the finest flour: the firstfruits were a type of
Christ
who is so called
1 Corinthians 15:23
the beating of the ears of corn
and drying of them by the fire
and the
grinding of them
denoted the sufferings of Christ.
Leviticus 2:15. 15 And
you shall put oil on it
and lay frankincense on it. It is a grain
offering.
YLT 15and thou hast put on it oil
and laid on it
frankincense
it [is] a present;
And thou shalt put oil upon it
and lay frankincense thereon
.... Either on
the ears of corn dried
or on the fine flour of them when ground; in like manner
as the oil and frankincense were put upon the fine flour of wheat
and upon the
cakes and wafers baked
Leviticus 2:1.
it is a meat offering; one sort of it
and like
the rest.
Leviticus 2:16. 16 Then
the priest shall burn the memorial portion: part of its beaten grain and
part of its oil
with all the frankincense
as an offering made by fire
to the Lord.
YLT 16and the priest hath made perfume with its
memorial from its beaten out [corn]
and from its oil
besides all its
frankincense -- a fire-offering to Jehovah.
The priest shall burn the memorial of it
.... That
which is taken out of it for a memorial
the same with the handful of fine
flour and cakes of the meat offering:
part of the beaten corn thereof; or that which was ground
in a mill:
and part of the oil thereof
with all the frankincense thereof; as was done
in the other meat offerings:
it is an offering made by fire unto the Lord
see Leviticus 2:2.
──《John Gill’s Exposition
of the Bible》