The Meaning of Leviticus 2:2 Explained

Leviticus 2:2

KJV: 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:

YLT: and he hath brought it in unto the sons of Aaron, the priests, and he hath taken from thence the fulness of his hand of its flour and of its oil, besides all its frankincense, and the priest hath made perfume with its memorial on the altar, a fire-offering of sweet fragrance to Jehovah;

Darby: 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 thereof on the altar, an offering by fire to Jehovah of a sweet odour.

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

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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: 

What does Leviticus 2:2 Mean?

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 2:2 mean?

And He shall bring it to sons of Aaron the priests and one of whom shall take from it - his handful of fine flour and oil with all the frankincense and shall burn [it] the priest - [as] a memorial on the altar an offering made by fire aroma a sweet to Yahweh
וֶֽהֱבִיאָ֗הּ אֶל־ בְּנֵ֣י אַהֲרֹן֮ הַכֹּהֲנִים֒ וְקָמַ֨ץ מִשָּׁ֜ם מְלֹ֣א קֻמְצ֗וֹ מִסָּלְתָּהּ֙ וּמִשַּׁמְנָ֔הּ עַ֖ל כָּל־ לְבֹנָתָ֑הּ וְהִקְטִ֨יר הַכֹּהֵ֜ן אֶת־ אַזְכָּרָתָהּ֙ הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חָה אִשֵּׁ֛ה רֵ֥יחַ נִיחֹ֖חַ לַיהוָֽה

וֶֽהֱבִיאָ֗הּ  And  He  shall  bring  it 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
בְּנֵ֣י  sons 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
אַהֲרֹן֮  of  Aaron 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַהֲרֹון  
Sense: brother of Moses, a Levite and the first high priest.
הַכֹּהֲנִים֒  the  priests 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
וְקָמַ֨ץ  and  one  of  whom  shall  take 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָמַץ  
Sense: (Qal) to grasp, enclose with the hand, take a handful.
מִשָּׁ֜ם  from  it 
Parse: Preposition-m, Adverb
Root: שָׁם  
Sense: there, thither.
מְלֹ֣א  - 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מְלֹא  
Sense: fullness, that which fills.
קֻמְצ֗וֹ  his  handful 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: קֹמֶץ  
Sense: closed hand, fist, handful.
מִסָּלְתָּהּ֙  of  fine  flour 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: סׄלֶת  
Sense: fine flour.
וּמִשַּׁמְנָ֔הּ  and  oil 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: שֶׁמֶן  
Sense: fat, oil.
לְבֹנָתָ֑הּ  the  frankincense 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: לְבֹונָה 
Sense: frankincense.
וְהִקְטִ֨יר  and  shall  burn  [it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מֻקְטָר 
Sense: .
הַכֹּהֵ֜ן  the  priest 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אַזְכָּרָתָהּ֙  [as]  a  memorial 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: אַזְכָּרָה  
Sense: memorial-offering, the portion of the meal (food) offering which is burned.
הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חָה  on  the  altar 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: מִזְבֵּחַ  
Sense: altar.
אִשֵּׁ֛ה  an  offering  made  by  fire 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אִשֶּׁה  
Sense: burnt-offering, offering made by fire, fire offering.
רֵ֥יחַ  aroma 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: רֵיחַ  
Sense: scent, fragrance, aroma, odour.
נִיחֹ֖חַ  a  sweet 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: נִיחֹחַ  
Sense: soothing, quieting, tranquillising.
לַיהוָֽה  to  Yahweh 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.