King James Version

What Does Leviticus 2:1 Mean?

“And when any will offer a meat offering unto the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon:”

Context

And when any will offer a meat offering unto the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon:

And he shall bring it to Aaron's sons the priests: and he shall take thereout his handful of the flour thereof, and of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof; and the priest shall burn the memorial of it upon the altar, to be an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD:

And the remnant of the meat offering shall be Aaron's and his sons': it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the LORD made by fire.

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Commentary

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

II. (1) **A meat offering.**—Better, *an oblation of a meat offering, *as the same two words are rendered in Leviticus 2:4; Leviticus 2:13. The meat offerings which come next in the legal enumeration, and which occupy the whole of the present chapter, consisted of three kinds. The first is fine flour with oil and frankincense (Leviticus 2:1-3). The flour was of wheat (Exodus 29:2), and was double the value of the ordinary barley flour (2Kings 7:1; 2Kings 7:16; 2Kings 7:18), and because of its use at the sacrifices formed part of the Temple stores (1Chronicles 9:29; 1Chronicles 23:29). **Shall pour oil upon it.**—Oil being to the food of the Israelites what butter is to ours, the offerer is here commanded to put some of it into this preparation in order to make it more palatable to the priests who were to eat part of it. (See Leviticus 2:3.) The frankincense was designed to counteract the offensive smell arising from the quantity of the flesh burnt there, as is evident from the following verse, where it is stated that it is wholly to be burnt.

Charles John Ellicott (1819–1905). Public Domain.

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Leviticus. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Leviticus 2:1 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.