Read Leviticus 2 at Bible Gateway.
And when any will offer a grain offering unto YHVH, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense upon it. Lev 2:1
‘Grain offering’ is in Hebrew, minchah, Strong’s H4503, the next type of qorban described in Leviticus. It means, ‘gift;’ from the verb meaning, ‘to apportion, to bestow.’
nun נ ן = seed (continue, heir, son)
chet ח = wall (outside, divide, half)
hey ה = man w/upraised arms (look, reveal, wonder, worship, breath)
The Hebrew Root Word parable is of the seed (nun) planted outside (chet) which provides the grain used to sustain the man’s livestock and household. A blessed grain harvest (nun + chet) inspired a sense of wonder, even astonishment and appreciation (hey) for it as a gift. The grain offering is a gift returned to the original gift-Giver of the grain.
Often in the Hebrew minchah is translated simply as ‘present’ or ‘gift.’
And their father Israel said unto them, “If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds.” Gen 43:11
Do you ever bring home a gift for your spouse, not for an obligatory reason such as a birthday or anniversary, but just because, to express your love for them? That’s the idea of the minchah.
Messiah fulfilled the law of the minchah.
Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Messiah also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. Eph 5:1-2
Offering in Greek is προσφορά / prosphora, the LXX equivalent to the Hebrew minchah.
Why This Matters: While in Leviticus the worshiper brought the grain offering as a love gift to God, Messiah Yeshua gave Himself for us as a love gift to God, being the fulfillment of the law of the minchah, the grain offering.
The Hebrew paragraphs for this chapter:
2:1-3 {s} The grain offering (minchah) of flour
2:4 {s} The grain offering (minchah) of unleavened cakes
2:5-6 {s} The grain offering (minchah) of unleavened bread
2:7-13 {s} The grain offering (minchah) of unleavened porridge
2:14-16 {p} The grain offering (minchah) of firstfruits
If there are questions, these are good resources:
The ancient Hebrew parable of the sweet aroma – Christine Miller
Lev 1:1-2:16, Fully expanded chiasm – Christine Miller
Lev 1:14-2:16, The puzzle of the strong theme of the grain offering – Christine Miller
Leave a Reply