Leviticus 2 Study Notes
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2:1 By the grain offering (or cereal offering) the worshiper acknowledged God as the source of provision and prosperity. The Hebrew word minchah has the general meaning of gift (cp. Gn 32:13) and could refer to grain or animal offerings (Gn 4:3-5) or “sacrifices” in general (Is 19:21); it has the technical sense of “grain” offering in cultic texts. It was grain derived from wheat that produced a fine, white flour (Ex 29:2). This could be offered in raw, cooked, ground (into flour), and baked forms. Typically, it accompanied animal offerings (Lv 7:12-13; 14:20; Nm 28:4-15), but it could be presented independently (Lv 5:11; 7:12-14). For the very poor it was offered in place of a bird offering (5:11). The priests relied largely on grain offerings for their daily sustenance (2:3,10).
Frankincense, a white resin of pleasant fragrance, was widely valued in the ancient world (Mt 2:11). Tabernacle worship required its pure form in the incense for anointing (Ex 30:34) and the bread loaves (Lv 24:7). Although frankincense typically accompanied grain offerings, it was specifically prohibited in cases of offerings for sin and jealousy (5:11; Nm 5:15). Its association with joy may explain its customary use (Sg 3:6; 4:14; Is 60:6; Jr 17:26).
qorban
| Hebrew pronunciation | [kor BAN] |
| CSB translation | offering, gift |
| Uses in Leviticus | 40 |
| Uses in the OT | 80 |
| Focus passage | Leviticus 3:1-2,6-8,12,14 |
Qorban is a liturgical noun that appears in only three books, Leviticus (40x), Numbers (38x), and Ezekiel (2x). The setting is always that of worship and offerings presented to God. Qorban can signify either offering or gift (Lv 1:2-3). The noun derives from a verb meaning draw near (qarav, see p. 158), and the verb’s causative form (bring near, present) often takes qorban as its object. So the qorban is what someone brings to God as an offering, usually an animal sacrifice. This word appears once in the NT transliterated as corban (Mk 7:11). The Gospel of Mark defines corban as a gift committed to the temple. Even in the OT the gift was not always a sacrificial animal, for the offerings by Israel’s leaders in Nm 7 include a silver dish, and people once presented God with articles of gold jewelry to make atonement for their sin (Nm 31:50).
2:2 The memorial portion, given to God, was a representative handful of the treated flour and all of the frankincense (v. 16).
2:3-10 What the priests, as consecrated persons (lit “holy of holies,” i.e., “especially holy,” Ex 30:29), consumed was considered the holiest part (lit “holy of holies”); only a ritually clean priest could eat the holiest part and only in a ritually clean place (probably near the altar).
2:11-12 Yeast had a corrupting influence and thus could symbolize evil (Mk 8:15; 1Co 5:8). Perhaps honey was prohibited because it was used in pagan rites.
2:13-14 Yeast and honey could be offered as firstfruits although not burned on the altar (23:17). Firstfruits, the first portion of the harvest, were viewed as the choice part that belonged to God as the source of all blessing (Festival of Harvest, 23:10; Ex 23:16; 34:26; 1Co 15:20). The permanent quality of salt indicates the eternality of the relationship between the Lord and his people (Nm 18:19). Fresh heads describes the first ripening sheaves, indicating the best produce (Ex 23:19). The general principle was to give the Lord the first and best of a person’s livelihood (2Co 8:5; 9:7).