Old Testament · Law

Leviticus 2

The Grain Offering

No blood — just flour, oil, and frankincense. An offering of daily sustenance given back to the God who provides it.

King James Version BSB KJV

1And 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:

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, to be an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD:

3And 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.

4And if thou bring an oblation of a meat 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 meat offering baken in a pan, it shall be of fine flour unleavened, mingled with oil.

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

7And if thy oblation be a meat offering baken in the fryingpan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil.

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 it upon the altar: it is an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD.

10And that which is left 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.

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, even corn beaten out of full ears.

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

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

Understand This

Leviticus 2, explained

What Leviticus 2 is saying

The grain offering (minchah) consists of fine flour with oil and frankincense, presented raw, baked, or cooked. A memorial portion is burned on the altar, and the remainder goes to the priests. Leaven and honey are prohibited; salt is required on every offering. Firstfruit grain offerings are also specified.

The background behind it

The grain offering represents the produce of human labor offered to God, complementing the animal sacrifices. The prohibition of leaven and honey may relate to their association with fermentation and decay, while salt symbolizes permanence and covenant fidelity ('covenant of salt,' Numbers 18:19; 2 Chronicles 13:5).

Themes running underneath

The grain offering sanctifies daily labor—it is the fruit of agricultural work presented to God. The salt requirement establishes every offering within the framework of enduring covenant. The priestly portion creates a practical system of priestly support while maintaining the sacred character of the offering.

Why it still matters

The grain offering teaches that ordinary work, when offered to God, becomes sacred. The required salt—symbolizing covenant permanence—reminds worshippers that every act of devotion occurs within an unbreakable relationship.

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Scripture text: King James Version — public domain.