Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Leviticus 2:11
No 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.
11. Leaven and honey are not to be mixed with any offering made by fire; they shall be offered as an oblation of firstfruits (Heb. rshth) but not on the altar ( Lev 2:12). See Driver ( C. B.) on Am. iv. 5. By ‘honey’ is meant not only that prepared by bees, but a syrup made from grapes, called by the Arabs dibs, the same as Heb. dbsh.
Both leaven and honey produce fermentation, a process which has been associated in thought with the working of unruly desires, and considered as a symbol of evil. The idea of corruption in connexion with leaven was familiar to the Romans. Plutarch ( Quaest. Rom. 109) says: ‘Leaven is born of corruption, and corrupts that with which it is mixed all fermentation is a kind of putrefaction.’ The Flamen Dialis, a priest of Jupiter in one of the oldest Roman cults, among many other restrictions of ancient date, was not allowed to touch leavened bread (Sir J. G. Frazer, Golden Bough 3 , Pt II. 13 and his references on p. 14, note 3, to Aulus Gellius x. 15, Pliny, Nat. Hist. xxviii. 146, and other writers: see also Pauly’s Real Encyc. (ed. G. Wissowa) vi. 2485 ff.). This idea is in the N.T., where ‘leaven’ is used figuratively of the corrupt doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees (Mat 16:16; Luk 12:1), and by St Paul as representing ‘malice and wickedness’ in contrast with ‘the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth’ (1Co 5:7-8). But there is no such contrast implied in the prohibition of leaven at the feast of the Passover (Exo 12:15; Exo 12:19; Exo 13:7). The unleavened bread is regarded as ‘bread of affliction’ (Deu 16:3), less pleasant than ordinary leavened bread, reminding the Israelites of bondage as well as deliverance.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
As for the oblation of the firstfruits – Rather, As an oblation of firstfruits. The words refer to the leaven and honey mentioned in Lev 2:11 which might be offered among the firstfruits and tithes (Deu 26:2, Deu 26:12; compare 2Ch 31:5). Honey, being used to produce fermentation, and leaven (or, a small piece of fermented dough) were excluded because fermentation was an apt symbol of the working of corruption in the human heart.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 11. No meat-offering – shall be made with leaven] See the reason of this prohibition in the note on Ex 12:8. See Clarke on Ex 12:8.
Nor any honey] Because it was apt to produce acidity, as some think, when wrought up with flour paste; or rather because it was apt to gripe and prove purgative. On this latter account the College of Physicians have totally left it out of all medicinal preparations. This effect which it has in most constitutions was a sufficient reason why it should be prohibited here, as a principal part of all these offerings was used by the priests as a part of their ordinary diet; and these offerings, being those of the poorer sort, were in greater abundance than most others. On this account, the griping, and purgative quality of the honey must render it extremely improper. As leaven was forbidden because producing fermentation, it was considered a species of corruption, and was therefore used to signify hypocrisy, malice, c., which corrupt the soul it is possible that honey might have had a moral reference, also, and have signified, as St. Jerome thought, carnal pleasures and sensual gratifications. Some suppose that the honey mentioned here was a sort of saccharine matter extracted from dates. Leaven and honey might be offered with the first-fruits, as we learn from the next verse; but they were forbidden to be burnt on the altar,
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
No meat offering, to wit, which is offered of free will; for in other offerings it might be used, Lev 7:13; 23:17.
Shall be made with leaven: this was forbidden, partly to mind them of their deliverance out of Egypt, when they were forced through haste to bring away their meal or dough (which was the matter of this oblation) unleavened; partly to signify what Christ would be, and what they should be, pure and free from all error in the faith and worship of God, and from all hypocrisy and malice or wickedness, all which are signified by
leaven, Mat 16:12; Mar 8:15; Luk 12:1; 1Co 5:8; Gal 5:9.
Nor any honey; either,
1. Because it hath the same effect with leaven in paste or dough, making it sour, and swelling. Or,
2. In opposition to the sacrifices of the Gentiles, in which the use of honey was most frequent. Or,
3. To teach us that Gods worship is not to be governed by mens fancies and appetites, to which honey might have been grateful, but by Gods will. The Jews conceive, that under the name of honey all sweet fruits, as figs, dates, &c., are contained and forbidden.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
11. ye shall burn no leaven, nor anyhoney, in any offering of the LordNothing sweet or sour was tobe offered. In the warm climates of the East leavened bread soonspoils, and hence it was regarded as the emblem of hypocrisy orcorruption. Some, however, think that the prohibition was that leavenand honey were used in the idolatrous rites of the heathen.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
No meat offering which ye shall bring unto the Lord shall be made with leaven,…. It might be used in peace offerings, and in the wave loaves, Le 7:13 but not in meat offerings; not only in the handful that was burnt, but in the rest that was eaten by Aaron and his sons; for so is the rule p,
“all meat offerings are kneaded in hot water, and are kept that they might not be leavened; and if what is left of them be leavened, a negative precept is transgressed, Le 2:11.”
It denoted in Christ, the antitype of the meat offering, freedom from hypocrisy and all false doctrines, which were the leaven of the Scribes and Pharisees, Lu 12:1 and in his people that feed upon him by faith, that they should be clear of malice and wickedness, and of communion with profane and scandalous persons, 1Co 5:6 so the Jews q say, the corruption of nature is like to leaven, and therefore forbid:
for ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, in any offering of the Lord made by fire; as leaven was used in some offerings, so honey was brought with the first fruits, 2Ch 31:5 but neither of them might be used in offerings made by fire; they are forbidden to be burnt: the reason why they were forbidden, some think is, because they were used by the Heathens in their sacrifices, so Maimonides r, whose customs were not to be followed; and certain it is that honey was used in Heathen sacrifices: Homer speaks of honey as the sweet food of the gods s, and what they desire; and so Pausanias t relates of the Eleans, that, according to an ancient custom, they used to offer on the altar frankincense, and wheat mixed with honey: Porphyry u observes, that the ancient sacrifices with most were sober, the libations of water; after these, libations of honey, ready prepared by the bees, the first of moist fruits, next libations of oil, and, last of all, libations of wine; the Egyptians used honey in their sacrifices w; or the reason is, because it was much of the same fermenting nature with leaven, as Aben Ezra, and when burnt gave an ill smell, which was not proper in offerings made by tire, of a sweet savour to the Lord; or rather because a symbol of sin and sinful pleasures. Baal Hatturim on the place says, the corruption of nature is sweet to a man as honey, and intimates that that is the reason of its prohibition: it denotes unto us that such as would feed by faith on Christ ought to relinquish sinful lusts and pleasures; and that those that will live godly in Christ Jesus must not expect their sweets, but bitters, even afflictions, reproaches, and persecutions, for Christ’s sake, in this life.
p Misn. Menachot, c. 5. sect. 2. q Baal Hatturim in loc. r Moreh Nevochim, par. 3. c. 46, p. 481. s —– , &c. Hymn. in Mercur. prope finem.
, &c. Batrachomyo. t Eliac. 1. sive l. 5. p. 316. u De Abstinentia, l. 2. c. 20, 21. w Herodot. Euterpe, sive l. 2. c. 40.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
11 No 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. 12 As 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. 13 And 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. 14 And 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. 15 And thou shalt put oil upon it, and lay frankincense thereon: it is a meat offering. 16 And 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.
Here, I. Leaven and honey are forbidden to be put in any of their meat-offerings: No leaven, nor any honey, in any offering made by fire, v. 11. 1. The leaven was forbidden in remembrance of the unleavened bread they ate when they came out of Egypt. So much despatch was required in the offerings they made that it was not convenient they should stay for the leavening of them. The New Testament comparing pride and hypocrisy to leaven because they swell like leaven, comparing also malice and wickedness to leaven because they sour like leaven, we are to understand and improve this as a caution to take heed of those sins which will certainly spoil the acceptableness of our spiritual sacrifices. Pure hands must be lifted up without wrath, and all our gospel feasts kept with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 2. Honey was forbidden, though Canaan flowed with it, because to eat much honey is not good (Pro 25:16; Pro 25:27); it turns to choler and bitterness in the stomach, though luscious to the taste. Some think the chief reason why those two things, leaven and honey, were forbidden, was because the Gentiles used them very much in their sacrifices, and God’s people must not learn or use the way of the heathen, but his services must be the reverse of their idolatrous services; see Deu 12:30; Deu 12:31. Some make this application of this double prohibition: leaven signifies grief and sadness of spirit (Ps. lxxiii. 21), My heart was leavened; honey signifies sensual pleasure and mirth. In our service of God both these must be avoided, and a mean observed between those extremes; for the sorrow of the world worketh death, and a love to the delights of sense is a great enemy to holy love.
II. Salt is required in all their offerings, v. 13. The altar was the table of the Lord; and therefore, salt being always set on our tables, God would have it always used at his. It is called the salt of the covenant, because, as men confirmed their covenants with each other by eating and drinking together, at all which collations salt was used, so God, by accepting his people’s gifts and feasting them upon his sacrifices, supping with them and they with him (Rev. iii. 20), did confirm his covenant with them. Among the ancients salt was a symbol of friendship. The salt for the sacrifice was not brought by the offerers, but was provided at the public charge, as the wood was, Ezra vii. 20-22. And there was a chamber in the court of the temple called the chamber of salt, in which they laid it up. Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt? God would hereby intimate to them that their sacrifices in themselves were unsavoury. The saints, who are living sacrifices to God, must have salt in themselves, for every sacrifice must be salted with salt (Mar 9:49; Mar 9:50), and our speech must be always with grace (Col. iv. 6), so must all our religious performances be seasoned with that salt. Christianity is the salt of the earth.
III. Directions are given about the first-fruits. 1. The oblation of their first-fruits at harvest, of which we read, Deut. xxvi. 2. These were offered to the Lord, not to be burnt upon the altar, but to be given to the priests as perquisites of their office, v. 12. And you shall offer them (that is, leaven and honey) in the oblation of the first-fruits, though they were forbidden in other meat-offerings; for they were proper enough to be eaten by the priests, though not to be burnt upon the altar. The loaves of the first-fruits are particularly ordered to be baked with leaven, Lev. xxiii. 17. And we read of the first-fruits of honey brought to the house of God, 2 Chron. xxxi. 5. 2. A meat-offering of their first-fruits. The former was required by the law; this was a free-will offering, v. 14-16. If a man, with a thankful sense of God’s goodness to him in giving him hopes of a plentiful crop, was disposed to bring an offering in kind immediately out of his field, and present it to God, owning thereby his dependence upon God and obligations to him, (1.) Let him be sure to bring the first ripe and full ears, not such as were small and half-withered. Whatever was brought for an offering to God must be the best in its kind, though it were but green ears of corn. We mock God, and deceive ourselves, if we think to put him off with a corrupt thing while we have in our flock a male, Mal. i. 14. (2.) These green ears must be dried by the fire, that the corn, such as it was, might be beaten out of them. That is not expected from green ears which one may justly look for from those that have been left to grow fully ripe. If those that are young do God’s work as well as they can, they shall be accepted, though they cannot do it so well as those that are aged and experienced. God makes the best of green ears of corn, and so must we. (3.) Oil and frankincense must be put upon it. Thus (as some allude to this) wisdom and humility must soften and sweeten the spirits and services of young people, and then their green ears of corn shall be acceptable. God takes a particular delight in the first ripe fruits of the Spirit and the expressions of early piety and devotion. Those that can but think and speak as children, yet, if they think and speak well, God will be well pleased with their buds and blossoms, and will never forget the kindness of their youth. (4.) It must be used as other meat-offerings, v. 16, compare v. 9. He shall offer all the frankincense; it is an offering made by fire. The fire and the frankincense seem to have had a special significancy. [1.] The fire denotes the fervency of spirit which ought to be in all our religious services. In every good thing we must be zealously affected. Holy love to God is the fire by which all our offerings must be made; else they are not of a sweet savour to God. [2.] The frankincense denotes the mediation and intercession of Christ, by which all our services are perfumed and recommended to God’s gracious acceptance. Blessed be God that we have the substance of which all these observances were but shadows, the fruit that was hid under these leaves.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
11. No meat-offering, which ye shall bring. God here forbids leavened cakes to be offered to Him, by which rite the ancients were taught that God’s service is corrupted if any strange invention be mingled with it. Nor can it be doubted but that. Christ alluded to this when He warned His disciples to “beware of the leaven of the Pharisees,” (Mat 16:11😉 understanding by that word the fictions whereby they had corrupted religion. The eating of leaven was forbidden in the Passover for another reason, viz., that they might remember their sudden departure, or rather flight, in which there had been no time to prepare provisions for their journey. Although Paul extends it even further, viz., that believers should abstain from all “leaven of malice and wickedness.” (1Co 5:8.) It is clear, however, that in this general rule all adventitious corruptions are condemned, whereby pure religion is polluted, as if it were said that no offerings would be approved by God except such as were genuine and free from all strange savor. With reference to the honey, the ground of its use is more obscure, for I know not whether there is much dependence to be placed on the subtle disquisitions of some respecting its nature. (252) But although I scarcely dare to make any assertion as to this, still I pass by conceits, and advance what seems to me more probable. Cooked honey immediately becomes sour, and causes the bread with which it is mixed to ferment; these two things, therefore, seem to be combined, that neither honey nor leaven should be offered in the fire. As to what Moses adds just afterwards, “Ye shall offer them among the first-fruits,” I know not whether it applies to the leaven, as some think; assuredly the exception seems to be more simple, that the first-fruits of honey would indeed be acceptable to God, provided it did not corrupt the offerings of the altar. But no doubt the ancients understood the meaning of this precept, else it would have been useless, and thus knew that nothing was legitimate in the sacrifices except what God appointed. But let us, since the use of the ceremony is abolished, learn not to intrude our own imaginations or inventions in God’s service, but to follow obediently the rule which he prescribes.
(252) They appear, indeed, to have been manifold. “R. Salomon (says Corn. a Lapide, in loco) understands by honey, sweet fruits, such as figs and dates. Philo, lib. de Vict., thinks that honey was forbidden in the sacrifices, because the bee is an impure animal, generated by the putrid carcases of oxen.” Oleaster gives as a reason that honey burns with an offensive smell; and many commentators, because it was constantly offered in the Gentile sacrifices.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(11) No meat offering.Lev. 2:11-13 add some general rules respecting meat offerings. As honey was used in olden times to produce fermentation, it is excluded, like fermented dough, from these offerings. (See Lev. 11:20.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
11. Burn no leaven See note on Lev 2:4.
Nor any honey This prohibition is surprising. There must be a good reason. We cannot accept that assigned by Fairbairn, that it was “to indicate that what is peculiarly pleasing to the flesh is distasteful to God, and must be renounced by his faithful servants.” This contains the essence of all asceticism abstinence from a harmless thing simply because it is pleasing. A sufficient ground for excluding honey from the altar is suggested by its mention with leaven. It is capable of fermentation, turning sour, and even forming vinegar. Hence the active principle of corruption is in its very nature. It was also a wild product, and did not involve the notion of property which was requisite to sacrifices. As an article of food it was lawful, but it does not suit every one’s taste, nor conduce to the health of all persons. This may be another reason why it was prohibited. The priest should be required to eat only perfectly healthful food.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
The Grain Offering Must Not Contain Anything That Corrupts But What Preserves ( Lev 2:11-13 ).
It is now pointed out that the Grain Offering must not contain anything that ferments, neither leaven nor honey. Rather it must positively be seasoned with salt as a preservative. The emphasis is on its unalloyed purity and its continual permanence in that state.
Lev 2:11-12
‘No grain-offering, which you (plural) shall offer to Yahweh, shall be made with leaven, for you (pl) shall burn no leaven, nor any honey, as an offering made by fire to Yahweh. As an oblation of first -fruits you (pl) shall offer them to Yahweh, but they shall not come up for a pleasing odour on the altar.’
The change to the plural verb emphasises the overall coverage of this provision. It applies to all. Yahweh is so pure and holy that nothing that ferments and thus corrupts inwardly must be offered to Him by fire. It is not acceptable to Him offered in such a way. This reminds us that the fire is not seen as destroying but as ‘preserving’ and lifting up to the spiritual realm. It goes up in the smoke as a pleasing odour.
The idea would appear to be that the offering must be pristine as God gave it, without earthly influence having altered it (their own labour was not looked on in this way, for they were made in the image of God). It must be pure and unaffected by the world. By this provision He brought home a warning of the danger of a person becoming corrupted within by what was corrupting in the world, and of retaining within thoughts and aims that would produce corruption (see Mar 7:20-23). It reminded them that He required holiness, (likeness to Himself as those separated to Him), and that any corruption would make them unacceptable to Him. They, like the offering, must ensure that in dedicating themselves to Him they removed from themselves all that was corrupt (1Co 5:6-8). In mind may have been Adam, created pure but ‘fermenting’ within and becoming sinful. Or the fermented wine that made men behave so unworthily (compare Gen 9:20-23), and the ‘strong drink’ which did so even more. The leaven used for leavening was a piece of old dough retained and allowed to ferment so that it could be used to ferment new dough, thus lightening the pastry.
However we should note that both leaven and honey can be offered as first-fruits, which suggests that we are here dealing with domesticated honey. They are not forbidden for food, and gratitude should be shown for them, as for all that God has given us. But their unacceptability as a fire-offering and as a pleasing odour is a pointed symbol that nothing that corrupts brings pleasure to God because of what it symbolises about the state of the world, about the state of men and women, and about the sin that has marred and caused corruption in creation. It cannot therefore be offered in pure worship as something wholly pleasing to God. A sacrifice of thanksgiving, however, could be offered with leavened bread along with unleavened cakes (Lev 7:13; compare Amo 4:5) because like the first-fruits it was an expression of gratitude for God’s gifts, not something totally for God’s enjoyment and benefit. Man partook of the peace sacrifice, and of the cereal offerings offered with them. They were not exclusive. They were not as ‘holy’. This emphasises that the holiness of something very much depends on the motive and purpose. It is not intrinsic in the thing. And he must therefore give thanks for leaven. And the wave loaves at the Feast of Weeks were of leavened bread because they were first-fruits, again an expression of gratitude, but no leaven could seemingly be offered with offerings made by fire. The leavened bread in Lev 7:13 was presumably for the consumption of the participants/priests as part of the thankoffering.
Lev 2:13
‘And every oblation of your grain-offering shall you (sing.) salt with salt; neither shall you allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your grain-offering. With all your (sing.) oblations you shall offer salt.’
In contrast the grain offering should be seasoned with salt in all circumstances. A supply of salt would be kept by for that purpose. Salt preserves and prevents corruption. It was therefore an important symbol of faithfulness to the covenant. Its introduction indicated a heart that intended to be true to the covenant. Each person (singular verbs) must therefore always offer salt with their grain offering, as a sign of their dedication to the permanent maintenance of God’s covenant requirements by obedience to His will, and as a symbol of God’s own faithfulness to His promises in the covenant. Salt seals the promises on both sides and ensures their preservation. It is ‘the salt of the covenant of your God’. See also Num 18:19 and 2Ch 13:5 where the same idea is expressed, in both cases with the emphasis being on permanence. It stresses the permanent nature of the covenant relationship on both sides.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Lev 2:11. Ye shall burn no leaven, nor any honey In our note on Exo 12:8 we have assigned some reasons why leaven was forbidden. It is more difficult to say why honey was prohibited. It is certain, that honey was very generally used by the heathens in their sacrifices; and, therefore, Spencer observes, that “the reason why the use both of honey and leaven was forbidden to the Jews in their bread or meat-offerings, might be, to prevent their having the same absurd notions of the Deity, which the heathens seem to have had of their gods; namely, that he regarded the gifts, more than the hearts of men: or that leaven and honey which rendered bread more savoury to men, would also render it more acceptable to God.” A writer observes, that they were forbidden to offer honey, because the heathens always used honey in their sacrifices to the dead. As leaven had undoubtedly a moral reference, so it is most probable that honey had the same. Philo says, that it imported a prohibition from all voluptuousness.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
We read before of GOD’S solemn prohibition of leaven. Exo 12:15 . No doubt some important doctrine was veiled under this covering. And what more likely, than to teach, that a whole Savior, and not leavened with the supposed merit of our creature works, is the true, and only redemption, for the soul. Gal 6:14 . Perhaps, the prohibition, of the use of honey, in those offerings by fire, was, because it was so likely to ferment, and thereby of itself when mixed with flour, make leaven, without the intention of the Israelites.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Lev 2:11 No 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.
Ver. 11. Nor any honey. ] Which hath a leavening virtue in it. Sweet sins are to be abandoned there will be bitterness in the end. Pro 26:26-27
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
leaven. See App-38.
honey. Leaven is fermentation, and honey or any sweet liquor is the cause of it. These two things forbidden because there was no error or corruption in the Antitype. All was Divine perfection. Nothing therefore which answers to leaven may be in our sacrifice of praise now.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
leaven
honey
For meanings of leaven see Mat 13:33. Also Lev 7:13, (See Scofield “Lev 7:13”)
2 Honey is mere natural sweetness and could not symbolize the divine graciousness of the Lord Jesus.
Fuente: Scofield Reference Bible Notes
no leaven: Lev 6:17, Exo 12:19, Exo 12:20, Mat 16:6, Mat 16:11, Mat 16:12, Mar 8:15, Luk 12:1, 1Co 5:6-8, Gal 5:9
honey: Pro 24:13, Pro 25:16, Pro 25:27, Luk 21:34, Act 14:22, 1Pe 4:2
Reciprocal: Exo 23:18 – blood Mal 1:7 – polluted
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Lev 2:11. No leaven Namely, in that which is offered of free-will; for in other offerings it might be used, Lev 7:13; Lev 23:17. This was forbidden, partly to remind them of their deliverance out of Egypt, when they were forced through haste to bring away their meal or dough (which was the matter of this oblation) unleavened; partly to signify what Christ would be, and what they should be, pure and free from all error in the faith and worship of God, and from all hypocrisy, and malice or wickedness, all which are signified by leaven. Nor any honey Either, 1st, Because it hath the same effect with leaven in paste or dough, making it sour, and swelling. Or, 2d, In opposition to the sacrifices of the Gentiles, in which the use of honey was most frequent. Or, 3d, To teach us that Gods worship is not to be governed by mens fancies and appetites, but by Gods will.