Bible Commentaries

The Meal Offering

The rendering of AV meat offering is liable to misunderstanding, as meat now suggests flesh meat. But this is a vegetable, or bloodless, sacrifice, a consecration to God of the produce of the field. Its principal constituent is fine flour, which may be presented either raw (Leviticus 2:1-3), or baked into cakes in the oven (Leviticus 2:4), or in a pan (Leviticus 2:5-6), or boiled in a pot (Leviticus 2:7). The meal is mixed with oil and salt, as when used for food, but no leaven or honey must be used, as these cause fermentation and are symbolical of uncleanness (Leviticus 2:11). As an offering of firstfruits, parched ears of wheat or barley are presented along with oil (Leviticus 2:14-15). Incense is always an accompaniment of a meal offering (Leviticus 2:2, Leviticus 2:15). Part of the meal offering and all the incense are burned upon the altar (Leviticus 2:2, Leviticus 2:9, Leviticus 2:16). What remains becomes the portion of the priests, and is eaten by them in the sanctuary (Leviticus 2:3, Leviticus 6:16). A meal offering might be presented independently, but was frequently an accompaniment of an animal sacrifice (Exodus 29:40; Numbers 15:1-15). A meal offering might be used as a substitute for a sin offering in the case of a poor person, but without oil or frankincense (Leviticus 5:11-13). A special form of meal offering is the Shewbread: see Leviticus 24:5-9; Exodus 25:30.

1. Frankincense] see on Exodus 30:1-10, Exodus 30:34-38.

2. Memorial of it] The term applied to that part of a meal offering burned upon the altar (cp. Leviticus 24:7), so called probably as intended to bring the offerer to the favourable remembrance of God. But the exact meaning is doubtful: cp. Psalms 20:3; Acts 10:4

3. A thing most holy] The materials of the offerings are of two degrees of holiness. Some, as e.g. the peace offerings, are 'holy' (Leviticus 23:20) and may be eaten in any clean place by the priests and their families (Leviticus 10:14; Leviticus 22:10-13; Numbers 18:11); others, as the sin and guilt offerings (Leviticus 6:17, Leviticus 6:25-28; Leviticus 7:1-6;) and the shewbread (Leviticus 24:9), are 'most holy,' and may only be eaten in the court of the tabernacle by the priests alone (Numbers 18:9-10). The latter, moreover, communicate 'holiness' to whatever comes in contact with them: cp. Exodus 29:37; Leviticus 6:18, Leviticus 6:27-29.

13. Salt of the covenant] see on Exodus 30:35.