The Meaning of Leviticus 2:1 Explained

Leviticus 2:1

KJV: 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:

YLT: '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;

Darby: And when any one will present an oblation to Jehovah, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil on it, and put frankincense thereon.

ASV: And when any one offereth an oblation of a meal-offering unto Jehovah, his oblation shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense thereon:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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: 

What does Leviticus 2:1 Mean?

Study Notes

fine flour
The meal-offering. The fine flour speaks of the evenness and balance of the character of Christ; of that perfection in which no quality was in excess, none lacking; the fire, of His testing by suffering, even unto death; frankincense; the fragrance of His life Godward (see) Exodus 30:34 absence of leaven, His character as "the Truth" (see) Exodus 12:8 absence of honey;--His was not that mere natural sweetness which may exist quite apart from grace; oil mingled, Christ as born of the Spirit Matthew 1:18-23 oil upon, Christ as baptized with the Spirit; John 1:32 ; John 6:27 the oven, the unseen sufferings of Christ--His inner agonies; Hebrews 2:18 ; Matthew 27:45 ; Matthew 27:46 the pan, His more evident sufferings (e.g.) Matthew 27:27-31 salt, the pungency of the truth of God--that which arrests the action of leaven.

Context Summary

Leviticus 2:1-16 - Meal-Offerings With Oil And Incense
The meal-offering, which is described in this chapter, portrayed in emblem the perfect character of our Lord. He was as fine flour, of the best quality, without grit or coarseness. There was nothing uneven, nothing rough and harsh, nothing unseemly or forbidding in Him. He was anointed with the oil of the Holy Spirit; His perfect obedience was fragrant to the Father, and should be so to us; there was no leaven of guile or hypocrisy in His constitution. See Ephesians 5:2. We should feed on His holy character by meditation, and resemble it in daily living. The interposition of the priest was an essential feature of the ancient ritual, informing us that our prayer and self-surrender are acceptable to God through our Savior. We are also reminded by Leviticus 2:14 that we are called to be a kind of first-fruits of His creatures to the Creator. See James 1:18. [source]

Chapter Summary: Leviticus 2

1  The meat offering with oil and incense
4  either baked in the oven
5  or on a plate
7  or in a frying pan
12  The first fruits not to be burnt on the altar,
13  Salt to be used with every offering
14  The offering of first fruits

What do the individual words in Leviticus 2:1 mean?

And anyone when offers offering a grain to Yahweh [of] fine flour shall be his offering And he shall pour on it oil and put on it frankincense
וְנֶ֗פֶשׁ כִּֽי־ תַקְרִ֞יב קָרְבַּ֤ן מִנְחָה֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה סֹ֖לֶת יִהְיֶ֣ה קָרְבָּנ֑וֹ וְיָצַ֤ק עָלֶ֙יהָ֙ שֶׁ֔מֶן וְנָתַ֥ן עָלֶ֖יהָ לְבֹנָֽה

וְנֶ֗פֶשׁ  And  anyone 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
תַקְרִ֞יב  offers 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: קָרַב  
Sense: to come near, approach, enter into, draw near.
קָרְבַּ֤ן  offering 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קָרְבָּן 
Sense: offering, oblation.
מִנְחָה֙  a  grain 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִנְחָה  
Sense: gift, tribute, offering, present, oblation, sacrifice, meat offering.
לַֽיהוָ֔ה  to  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
סֹ֖לֶת  [of]  fine  flour 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: סׄלֶת  
Sense: fine flour.
יִהְיֶ֣ה  shall  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
קָרְבָּנ֑וֹ  his  offering 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרְבָּן 
Sense: offering, oblation.
וְיָצַ֤ק  And  he  shall  pour 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָצַק  
Sense: to pour, flow, cast, pour out.
עָלֶ֙יהָ֙  on  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
שֶׁ֔מֶן  oil 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֶׁמֶן  
Sense: fat, oil.
וְנָתַ֥ן  and  put 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
עָלֶ֖יהָ  on  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
לְבֹנָֽה  frankincense 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: לְבֹונָה 
Sense: frankincense.