Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Leviticus 2:2
And he shall bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests: and he shall take therefrom 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 savor unto the LORD:
2. and he shall take ] The personal pronoun in the English version refers to the person who brings the offering, but the subject of the verb ‘take’ is the priest mentioned in the following clause (cp. Lev 2:9). Dillm. suggests that the words from ‘and he shall take’ to ‘all the frankincense thereof’ may be an addition describing the material of the ‘memorial’ in the next clause.
the memorial ] Heb. ‘ azkrah, an expression applied to a part of the Meal-Offering in this ch. and Lev 6:15; elsewhere Lev 5:12 (of the poor man’s Sin-Offering), Lev 24:7 (of the frankincense offered with the shewbread), and Num 5:26 only (cp. Sir 38:11 ; Sir 45:16 ). It is generally explained as an offering which puts God in remembrance (cp. ‘memorial’ in Act 10:4, where the Gk. word is the same as in LXX. of these passages), and it has been suggested that Psalms 38, 70, with their titles ‘to bring to remembrance,’ may be in some way connected with this ceremony (Berth. Bibl. Theol. d. A.T. ii. p. 67). Others prefer sweet smelling offering; cp. Dillm. note here, Isa 66:3 (see Skinner’s note in C.B.), and Hos 14:7.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Better: And he shall bring it to Aarons sons, the priests; and the (officiating) priest shall take from it, etc.
Memorial – The regular name not only for the portion of the mnchah which was burned on the altar Lev 2:9, Lev 2:16; Lev 5:12; Lev 6:15; Num 5:26, but for the frankincense which was laid upon the showbread Lev 24:7. It is the word which is applied to the prayers and alms of Cornelius, Act 10:4.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 2. His handful of the flour] This was for a memorial, to put God in mind of his covenant with their fathers, and to recall to their mind his gracious conduct towards them and their ancestors. Mr. Ainsworth properly remarks, “that there was neither oil nor incense offered with the sin and jealousy offerings; because they were no offerings of memorial, but such as brought iniquities to remembrance, which were neither gracious nor sweet-smelling before the Lord.” Nu 5:15; Le 5:11.
In this case a handful only was burnt, the rest was reserved for the priest’s use; but all the frankincense was burnt, because from it the priest could derive no advantage.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
He shall take, i.e. that priest to whom he brought it, and who is appointed to offer it.
The memorial of it; that part thus selected and offered; which is called a memorial, either,
1. To the offerer, who by offering this part is minded that the whole of that he brought, and of all which he hath of that kind, is Gods, to whom this part was paid as a quitrent or acknowledgment. Or,
2. To God, whom (to speak after the manner of men) this did put in mind of his gracious covenant, and promises of favour and acceptance of the offerer and his offering. See Exo 30:16; Lev 6:15; Num 5:26
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
2. shall burn the memorialrather,”for a memorial”; that is, a part of it.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And he shall bring it to Aaron’s sons, the priests,…. And this is all that he did with it; he left it with the priest, who carried it to the altar, to the southwest horn of it b: the order of bringing it, according to Maimonides c, was this,
“a man brings fine flour from his house in baskets of silver or of gold or of other kind of metals, in a vessel fit to be a ministering vessel; and if it is a meat offering of fine flour, he puts it into a ministering vessel, and sanctifies it in a ministering vessel;”
then did what follows:
and he shall take thereout his handful of the flour thereof, and of the oil thereof; as mixed together: the Jews say d, this was done with the right hand, which is very likely, that being generally used in this way: the Talmudists thus describe the manner in which the handful was taken; the priest stretched out his three fingers over the palm of his hand, and gathered the handful in the plate or pan, and parted it off with his thumb above, and with his little finger below; and this was the most difficult piece of service in the sanctuary e: though Maimonides f rejects this notion of difficulty, and says it was done in the common way, in which men take up a handful of anything: but Bartenora says g, it was not in the usual way, but much as before described: the priest put the sides of his fingers into the flour, and gathered the flour with the sides of his fingers within his hand, and took of the flour only three fingers’ full, upon the palm of his hand, and no more; and that it might not be heaped or go out, he pared it off, above with his thumb, and below with his little finger; and this he affirms, according to the Gemara, and what his masters had taught him, was one of the hardest pieces of service in the sanctuary:
with all the frankincense thereof; this was not taken along with the handful of flour and oil; for if there was ever so small a quantity of frankincense in the handful it was not right h; for the frankincense, when brought, was put on one side of the fine flour, and when the handful was taken, then that was taken altogether, and put upon it:
and the priest shall burn the memorial of it upon the altar: that is, he was to burn the handful of fine flour and oil with the frankincense, as a “memorial”; either to put the Lord in mind of his lovingkindness to his people, and of his covenant with them, and promises unto them, to which the allusion is, Ps 20:3 or to put the offerer in mind of the great sacrifice of Christ, who was to be offered for his sins, and to be a meat offering to him: this was the part the Lord had in this offering, and which related to his worship, as the word used sometimes signifies, as De Dieu has observed:
[to be] an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord;
[See comments on Le 1:9].
b T. Bab. Sotah, ib. & Meaachot, fol. 8. 2. c Hilchot Maaseh Hakorbanot, c. 13. sect. 12. d Misn. Menachot, c. 1. sect. 2. e T. Bab. Menachot, fol. 11. 1. f In Misn. Menachot, ib. g In ib. h Misn. ib. & Jarchi in loc.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(2) And he shall take.Better, And the priest shall take from it a handful of its flour and of its oil with all its frankincense, and this shall he burn as its memorial upon the altar, &c.
Memorial.So called because it was designed to bring the worshipper into the grateful remembrance of God, and to remind him, as it were, of His promise to accept the service of His people rendered to Him in accordance with his command. Hence the declaration of the Psalmist, the Lord remember all thine offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice (Psa. 20:4), and of the angel to Cornelius, thy prayers and thy alms are come up for a memorial before God (Act. 10:4).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
2. The memorial This is a sacrificial term peculiar to the bread offering. It is descriptive of either that which brings the offerer to the remembrance of God, or of that which brings God to the grateful recollection of the sacrificer. In the New Testament it is used in the former sense. See Mat 26:13; Act 10:4, notes. The same term is applied to the pure incense (in vases) set out with the showbread, (Lev 24:7,) and which, according to Josephus, was also burnt upon the altar.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Lev 2:2. The priest shall burn the memorial of it A part of it was to be burned in testimony of its being dedicated to God, and to be a memorial to him of his covenant, and promise in the sacred Seed Christ: accordingly Houbigant renders it partem memoriolem: so it is said of Cornelius, that his prayers and his alms came up for a memorial before God; Act 10:4. So, to remember all thy meat-offerings, ( minchah) says Ainsworth, is the same as to accept them. It appeals from the following verses, that this mincha or bread-offering might be made either of plain flour or else of flour baken, and made into cakes. For a full account of it, see Outram.
REFLECTIONS.As we are indebted to God for every bit of bread we put into our mouths, it is but reasonable and just that we should acknowledge his kind provision for us, by offering a part to his service. Though we have no longer the earthly sanctuary, we have the poor always with us; and when we break our bread to the hungry, God will accept the offering as done to himself. Note; 1. The least acknowledgment which flows from a grateful heart, is acceptable to God. 2. It is highly reasonable that they who minister in holy things, should live by the altars they serve.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Was not this bringing of the offering to Aaron, typical of believers bringing all their offerings to JESUS for acceptance? Joh 14:6 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Lev 2:2 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:
Ver. 2. Shall burn the memorial of it. ] Whereby God was reminded, as it were, of the party offering, and acknowledging all his store to be from God.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Aaron’s sons. See on Lev 1:5.
burn. Hebrew. katar. See App-43.
memorial: i.e. to remind. Compare Psa 20:3. Act 10:4.
offering. Hebrew. ‘ishsheh. App-43.
sweet savour. See note on Lev 1:9.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
the memorial: Lev 2:9, Lev 5:12, Lev 6:15, Lev 24:7, Exo 30:16, Num 5:18, Neh 13:14, Neh 13:22, Isa 66:3, Act 10:4
Reciprocal: Exo 29:25 – offering Lev 2:7 – of fine Lev 2:16 – General Lev 5:11 – no oil Lev 6:14 – the meat offering Lev 7:5 – General Lev 9:17 – the meat Num 5:26 – General Num 18:9 – every meat Neh 2:20 – memorial Mat 2:11 – frankincense Act 10:31 – are Heb 5:7 – when
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Lev 2:2. He shall take That priest to whom he brought it, and who is appointed to offer it. The memorial That part thus selected and offered; which is called a memorial, either, 1st, To the offerer, who by offering this part was reminded, that the whole of that which he brought, and of all which he had of that kind, was Gods, to whom this part was paid as an acknowledgment. Or, 2d, To God, whom (to speak after the manner of men) this did put in mind of his gracious covenant and promises of favour, and acceptance of the offerer and his offering. A sweet savour unto the Lord And so are our spiritual offerings, which are made by the fire of holy love, particularly that of alms-giving. With such sacrifices God is well pleased.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2:2 And he shall bring it to Aaron’s sons the priests: and {b} 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 {c} memorial of it upon the altar, [to be] an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD:
(b) The priest.
(c) To signify that God remembers him that offers.