SEV Biblia, Chapter 2:1
¶ Y cuando alguna persona ofreciere ofrenda de presente al SEÑOR, su ofrenda será flor de harina, sobre la cual echará aceite, y pondrá sobre ella incienso,
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Leviticus 2:1
Verse 1. Meat-offering] hjnm minchah. For an explanation of this word see the note on "Gen. iv. 3", and chap. vii. Calmet has remarked that there are five kinds of the minchah mentioned in this chapter. 1. tls soleth, simple flour or meal, ver. 1. 2. Cakes and wafers, or whatever was baked in the oven, ver. 4. 3. Cakes baked in the pan, ver. 5. 4. Cakes baked on the frying-pan, or probably, a gridiron, verse 7. 5. Green ears of corn parched, ver. 14. All these were offered without honey or leaven, but accompanied with wine, oil, and frankincense. It is very likely that the minchah, in some or all of the above forms, was the earliest oblation offered to the Supreme Being, and probably was in use before sin entered into the world, and consequently before bloody sacrifices, or piacular victims, had been ordained. The minchah of green ears of corn dried by the fire, &c., was properly the gratitude-offering for a good seed time, and the prospect of a plentiful harvest. This appears to have been the offering brought by Cain, Gen. iv. 3; see the note "Gen. iv. 3". The flour, whether of wheat, rice, barley, rye, or any other grain used for aliment, was in all likelihood equally proper; for in Num. v. 15, we find the flour of barley, or barley meal, is called minchah. It is plain that in the institution of the minchah no animal was here included, though in other places it seems to include both kinds; but in general the minchah was not a bloody offering, nor used by way of atonement or expiation, but merely in a eucharistic way, expressing gratitude to God for the produce of the soil. It is such an offering as what is called natural religion might be reasonably expected to suggest: but alas! so far lost is man, that even thankfulness to God for the fruits of the earth must be taught by a Divine revelation; for in the heart of man even the seeds of gratitude are not found, till sown there by the hand of Divine grace. Offerings of different kinds of grain, flour, bread, fruits, &c., are the most ancient among the heathen nations; and even the people of God have had them from the beginning of the world.
See this subject largely discussed on Exod. xxiii. 29, where several examples are given. Ovid intimates that these gratitude-offerings originated with agriculture. "In the most ancient times men lived by rapine, hunting, &c., for the sword was considered to be more honourable than the plough; but when they sowed their fields, they dedicated the first- fruits of their harvest to Ceres, to whom the ancients attributed the art of agriculture, and to whom burnt- offerings of corn were made, according to immemorial usages." The passage to which I refer, and of which I have given the substance, is the following:- "Non habuit tellus doctos antiqua colonos: Lassabant agiles aspera bella viros.
Plus erat in gladio quam curvo laudis aratro: Neglectus domino pauca ferebat ager.
Farra tamen veteres jaciebant, farra metebant: Primitias Cereri farra resecta dabant.
Usibus admoniti flammis torrenda dedere: Multaque peccato damna tulere suo." FASTOR., lib. ii., ver. 515.
Pliny observes that "Numa taught the Romans to offer fruits to the gods, and to make supplications before them, bringing salt cakes and parched corn; as grain in this state was deemed most wholesome." Numa instituit deos FRUGE colere, et MOLA SALSA supplicare, atque (ut auctor est Hemina) far torrere, quoniam tostum cibo salubrius esset. - HIST. NAT. lib xviii., c. 2. And it is worthy of remark, that the ancient Romans considered "no grain as pure or proper for divine service that had not been previously parched." Id uno modo consecutum, statuendo non esse purum ad rem divinam nisi tostum. - Ibid. God, says Calmet, requires nothing here which was not in common use for nourishment; but he commands that these things should be offered with such articles as might give them the most exquisite relish, such as salt, oil, and wine, and that the flour should be of the finest and purest kind. The ancients, according to Suidas, seem to have made much use or meal formed into a paste with milk, and sometimes with water. (See Suidas in maza.) The priests kept in the temples a certain mixture of flour mingled with oil and wine, which they called ugieia Hugieia or health, and which they used as a kind of amulet or charm against sickness; after they had finished their sacrifices, they generally threw some flour upon the fire, mingled with oil and wine, which they called qulhmata thulemata, and which, according to Theophrastus, was the ordinary sacrifice of the poor.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 1. And when any man will offer a meat offering unto the Lord , etc.] 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 Lord f42 : 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, etc. ( Exodus 29:40,41 Leviticus 6:20 23:13) but this was a freewill offering; wherefore it is said, “when any man will offer”; the Hebrew word hjnm , “a meat offering”, may be derived from hjn , “to bring” or “offer”, and so is a name common to offerings of any sort; or from jynh , to “recreate” and delight, it being of a sweet savour to the Lord, as other offerings were; others derive it from jnm , a root not in use, and in the Chaldee language signifies a gift or present, in which sense this word is used, ( Genesis 32:13,20) 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 hence f43 ; and according to the Jewish writers f44 ; 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 40:7,8 Daniel 9:27) 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 21:6,8) ( 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 brought f45 ; 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 Maimonides 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 Song of Solomon 1:3) 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 it f47 ; 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 him f48 .
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-11 - Meat-offerings may typify Christ, as presented to God for us, and a being the Bread of life to our souls; but they rather seem to denot our obligation to God for the blessings of providence, and those goo works which are acceptable to God. The term "meat" was, and still is properly given to any kind of provision, and the greater part of thi offering was to be eaten for food, not burned. These meat-offerings ar mentioned after the burnt-offerings: without an interest in the sacrifice of Christ, and devotedness of heart to God, such service cannot be accepted. Leaven is the emblem of pride, malice, an hypocrisy, and honey of sensual pleasure. The former are directl 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, wa wholly free from the things denoted by leaven; and his suffering lif and agonizing death were the very opposites to worldly pleasure. Hi people are called to follow, and to be like him.
Original Hebrew
ונפשׁ 5315 כי 3588 תקריב 7126 קרבן 7133 מנחה 4503 ליהוה 3068 סלת 5560 יהיה 1961 קרבנו 7133 ויצק 3332 עליה 5921 שׁמן 8081 ונתן 5414 עליה 5921 לבנה׃ 3828
