Leviticus — Chapter 2

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1“When anyone brings a grain offering to the LORD, his offering must consist of fine flour. He is to pour olive oil on it, put frankincense on it,

2and bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests. The priest shall take a handful of the flour and oil, together with all the frankincense, and burn this as a memorial portion on the altar, a food offering, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.

3The remainder of the grain offering shall belong to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the food offerings to the LORD.

4Now if you bring an offering of grain baked in an oven, it must consist of fine flour, either unleavened cakes mixed with oil or unleavened wafers coated with oil.

5If your offering is a grain offering prepared on a griddle, it must be unleavened bread made of fine flour mixed with oil.

6Crumble it and pour oil on it; it is a grain offering.

7If your offering is a grain offering cooked in a pan, it must consist of fine flour with oil.

8When you bring to the LORD the grain offering made in any of these ways, it is to be presented to the priest, and he shall take it to the altar.

9The priest is to remove the memorial portion from the grain offering and burn it on the altar as a food offering, a pleasing aroma to the LORD.

10But the remainder of the grain offering shall belong to Aaron and his sons; it is a most holy part of the food offerings to the LORD.

11No grain offering that you present to the LORD may be made with leaven, for you are not to burn any leaven or honey as a food offering to the LORD.

12You may bring them to the LORD as an offering of firstfruits, but they must not go up on the altar as a pleasing aroma.

13And you shall season each of your grain offerings with salt. You must not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offering; you are to add salt to each of your offerings.

14If you bring a grain offering of firstfruits to the LORD, you shall offer crushed heads of new grain roasted on the fire.

15And you are to put oil and frankincense on it; it is a grain offering.

16The priest shall then burn the memorial portion of the crushed grain and the oil, together with all its frankincense, as a food offering to the LORD.

1And when any will offer a meat offering unto the LORD, his offering shall be

2And 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,

3And the remnant of the meat offerings

4And if thou bring an oblation of a meat offering baken in the oven,

5And if thy oblation

6Thou shalt part it in pieces, and pour oil thereon: it

7And if thy oblation

8And thou shalt bring the meat offering that is made of these things unto the LORD: and when it is presented unto the priest, he shall bring it unto the altar.

9And the priest shall take from the meat offering a memorial thereof, and shall burn

10And that which is left of the meat offering

11No meat offering, which ye shall bring unto the LORD, shall be made with leaven: for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of the LORD made by fire.

12As for the oblation of the firstfruits, ye shall offer them unto the LORD: but they shall not be burnt on the altar for a sweet savour.

13And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt.

14And if thou offer a meat offering of thy firstfruits unto the LORD, thou shalt offer for the meat offering of thy firstfruits green ears of corn dried by the fire,

15And thou shalt put oil upon it, and lay frankincense thereon: it

16And the priest shall burn the memorial of it,

1And 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:

2and 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:

3and that which is left of the meal-offering shall be Aaron`s and his sons`: it is a thing most holy of the offerings of Jehovah made by fire.

4And when thou offerest an oblation of a meal-offering baken in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil.

5And if thy oblation be a meal-offering of the baking-pan, it shall be of fine flour unleavened, mingled with oil.

6Thou shalt part it in pieces, and pour oil thereon: it is a meal-offering.

7And if thy oblation be a meal-offering of the frying-pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil.

8And thou shalt bring the meal-offering that is made of these things unto Jehovah: and it shall be presented unto the priest, and he shall bring it unto the altar.

9And the priest shall take up from the meal-offering the memorial thereof, and shall burn it upon the altar, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto Jehovah.

10And that which is left of the meal-offering shall be Aaron`s and his sons`: it is a thing most holy of the offerings of Jehovah made by fire.

11No meal-offering, which ye shall offer unto Jehovah, shall be made with leaven; for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, as an offering made by fire unto Jehovah.

12As an oblation of first -[fruits] ye shall offer them unto Jehovah: but they shall not come up for a sweet savor on the altar.

13And every oblation of thy meal-offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meal-offering: with all thine oblations thou shalt offer salt.

14And if thou offer a meal-offering of first-fruits unto Jehovah, thou shalt offer for the meal-offering of thy first-fruits grain in the ear parched with fire, bruised grain of the fresh ear.

15And thou shalt put oil upon it, and lay frankincense thereon: it is a meal-offering.

16And the priest shall burn the memorial of it, part of the bruised grain thereof, and part of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof: it is an offering made by fire unto Jehovah.

1“‘When a person presents a grain offering to the Lord, his offering must consist of choice wheat flour, and he must pour olive oil on it and put frankincense on it.

2Then he must bring it to the sons of Aaron, the priests, and the priest must scoop out from there a handful of its choice wheat flour and some of its olive oil in addition to all of its frankincense, and the priest must offer its memorial portion up in smoke on the altar—it is a gift of a soothing aroma to the Lord.

3The remainder of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and to his sons—it is most holy from the gifts of the Lord.

4“‘When you present an offering of grain baked in an oven, it must be made of choice wheat flour baked into unleavened loaves mixed with olive oil or unleavened wafers smeared with olive oil.

5If your offering is a grain offering made on the griddle, it must be choice wheat flour mixed with olive oil, unleavened.

6Crumble it in pieces and pour olive oil on it—it is a grain offering.

7If your offering is a grain offering made in a pan, it must be made of choice wheat flour deep fried in olive oil.

8“‘You must bring the grain offering that must be made from these to the Lord. Present it to the priest, and he will bring it to the altar.

9Then the priest must take up from the grain offering its memorial portion and offer it up in smoke on the altar—it is a gift of a soothing aroma to the Lord.

10The remainder of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and to his sons—it is most holy from the gifts of the Lord.

11“‘No grain offering which you present to the Lord can be made with yeast, for you must not offer up in smoke any yeast or honey as a gift to the Lord.

12You can present them to the Lord as an offering of firstfruit, but they must not go up to the altar for a soothing aroma.

13Moreover, you must season every one of your grain offerings with salt; you must not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be missing from your grain offering—on every one of your grain offerings you must present salt.

14“‘If you present a grain offering of first ripe grain to the Lord, you must present your grain offering of first ripe grain as soft kernels roasted in fire—crushed bits of fresh grain.

15And you must put olive oil on it and set frankincense on it—it is a grain offering.

16Then the priest must offer its memorial portion up in smoke—some of its crushed bits, some of its olive oil, in addition to all of its frankincense—it is a gift to the Lord.

1“‘When anyone offers an offering of a meal offering to Yahweh, his offering shall be of fine flour. He shall pour oil on it, and put frankincense on it.

2He shall bring it to Aaron’s sons, the priests; and he shall take his handful of its fine flour, and of its oil, with all its frankincense; and the priest shall burn its memorial on the altar, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh.

3That which is left of the meal offering shall be Aaron’s and his sons’. It is a most holy thing of the offerings of Yahweh made by fire.

4“‘When you offer an offering of a meal offering baked in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mixed with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil.

5If your offering is a meal offering made on a griddle, it shall be of unleavened fine flour, mixed with oil.

6You shall cut it in pieces, and pour oil on it. It is a meal offering.

7If your offering is a meal offering of the pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil.

8You shall bring the meal offering that is made of these things to Yahweh: and it shall be presented to the priest, and he shall bring it to the altar.

9The priest shall take from the meal offering its memorial, and shall burn it on the altar, an offering made by fire, of a pleasant aroma to Yahweh.

10That which is left of the meal offering shall be Aaron’s and his sons’. It is a thing most holy of the offerings of Yahweh made by fire.

11“‘No meal offering, which you shall offer to Yahweh, shall be made with yeast; for you shall burn no yeast, nor any honey, as an offering made by fire to Yahweh.

12As an offering of first fruits you shall offer them to Yahweh: but they shall not rise up for a pleasant aroma on the altar.

13Every offering of your meal offering you shall season with salt. You shall not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your meal offering. With all your offerings you shall offer salt.

14“‘If you offer a meal offering of first fruits to Yahweh, you shall offer for the meal offering of your first fruits grain in the ear parched with fire, bruised grain of the fresh ear.

15You shall put oil on it, and lay frankincense on it: it is a meal offering.

16The priest shall burn as its memorial, part of its bruised grain, and part of its oil, along with all its frankincense: it is an offering made by fire to Yahweh.

Summary
Authorship & Background
Commentary
Videos
Articles
Reflection

Summary

The LORD instructs Israel on the grain offering, made of fine flour with oil and frankincense, of which the priest burns a token portion on the altar while the remainder belongs to Aaron and his sons as a most holy portion (vv. 1-3). Grain offerings may also be baked in an oven as unleavened cakes or wafers, cooked on a griddle, or prepared in a pan, but every kind must be brought to the priest for burning (vv. 4-10). No grain offering may contain yeast or honey, though these may be presented separately as firstfruits, and every offering must be seasoned with salt as a sign of the enduring covenant (vv. 11-13). A firstfruits grain offering of roasted, crushed new grain, mixed with oil and frankincense, is also described, with the priest again burning a memorial portion as a food offering to the LORD (vv. 14-16).

Authorship & Background

Author: Moses. Leviticus is the third book of the Pentateuch, written during the wilderness period (approximately 1445-1405 BC). Hebrew title: "Vayikra" — "And He called." God speaks from the Tabernacle, giving instructions for worship, sacrifice, and holy living.
Historical Context: The grain offering (Hebrew: "minchah") is the second offering described in Leviticus. Unlike the burnt offering of chapter 1, this is a non-blood offering — a gift of fine flour, oil, and frankincense presented to God. The minchah was typically offered alongside the burnt offering, never alone (except in the case of the poor man's sin offering in 5:11). It represented the fruit of man's labor — grain cultivated from the ground — offered back to the God who gave the harvest. In the ancient Near East, grain offerings were common in pagan worship, but Israel's grain offering was distinct: no leaven (representing sin/corruption), no honey (representing natural sweetness that ferments), and always with salt (representing the enduring covenant). The offering pointed forward to Christ, whose perfect, sinless humanity was offered to God — fine flour without impurity, anointed with oil (the Spirit), and a fragrant offering.
Classification: Law — Sacrificial Instruction
Key Themes: The one offering with no death in it, grain as the fruit of human labor given back, a memorial portion burned and the rest fed to the priests, leaven and honey excluded while salt is required, and firstfruits given before the harvest is enjoyed
Fine Flour, Oil, and Frankincense (vv.1-3): The grain offering is the only one of the five that involves no death. What is brought is fine flour with oil poured on it and frankincense laid on top, and the priest burns a handful as a memorial while the remainder goes to Aaron and his sons. That remainder is called “a thing most holy”, the highest grade of sanctity in the system, applied here to what is essentially the priests' food. The offering represents cultivated produce, so what is given back is the result of work rather than something taken from a herd.
Baked, Fried, and Griddled (vv.4-10): Three prepared forms follow, and the variety is practical rather than symbolic: cakes or wafers baked in an oven, a flat offering from the griddle, and one cooked in a pan. Each is unleavened and each uses oil, mixed in or poured over or both. The pattern in every case is identical to the uncooked form, a memorial portion burned and the rest to the priest, which keeps the differences from becoming a hierarchy of offerings.
No Leaven, No Honey, Always Salt (vv.11-13): Two exclusions and one requirement, and they belong together. Leaven and honey are both agents of fermentation, so neither goes on the altar, though they were permitted in offerings not burned. Salt is required with every grain offering and is called “the salt of the covenant of thy God”. The contrast is between what changes a thing over time and what keeps it, and in the surrounding cultures grain offerings were common while these particular rules were not.
The Firstfruits Offering (vv.14-16): A seasonal variation closes the chapter: green ears of corn dried by fire and beaten out of full ears, with oil and frankincense added as before. What makes it distinct is timing rather than substance. The first of a harvest is handed over before any of it has been enjoyed, which asks for confidence that the rest will come.

Commentary

  • Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik emphasizes the grain offering as a picture of the perfect humanity of Jesus Christ — fine flour representing His even, balanced character; oil representing the Holy Spirit; frankincense representing the fragrance of His life to God. He notes the prohibition of leaven and honey as excluding sin and mere natural sweetness from what is offered to God.
  • Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
  • Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.

Videos

Seasoned with Salt - Leviticus 2:13
David Guzik

Leviticus 1-3 | The Sacrificial System | Bible Study
Spoken Gospel

How The Grain Offering Points to Jesus – Leviticus Chapter 2
David Guzik

Articles

  • BibleProject: bibleproject.com On the whole book: a case for reading the book most reading plans stall in.
  • GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of the book of Leviticus -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.

Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.

Reflection

  • An Offering From What You've Worked For (vv.2-3) — The grain offering came from flour prepared by human labor, with only a handful burned and the rest given to the priests who served at the altar. Do you offer God the fruit of your own labor, and do you support those who serve Him?
  • No Leaven, No Honey (v.11) — Grain offerings excluded leaven, a picture of corruption, and honey, a natural sweetness that ferments. Is your worship genuine devotion, or a mix of hidden compromise and pleasant feelings that don't hold up over time?
  • Seasoned With the Salt of the Covenant (v.13) — Every grain offering required salt, a lasting reminder of God's enduring commitment to His people. Does your life season the people around you with faithfulness that lasts, or does it fade under pressure?
  • Firstfruits Given Before the Harvest Is In (vv.14-16) — The firstfruits offering came from grain roasted and crushed before the full harvest was gathered, given in faith rather than from surplus. Do you give God the first of your time and resources, or only what's left over once you feel secure?