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Leviticus 2:1-16 King James Version (KJV)

1 And 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:

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 savor unto the LORD:

3 And 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.

4 And if thou bring an oblation of a meat offering baked in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil.

5 And if thy oblation be a meat offering baked in a pan, it shall be of fine flour unleavened, mingled with oil.

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

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

8 And 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.

9 And 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 savor unto the LORD.

10 And 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.

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 savor.

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.

Leviticus 2:1-16 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

1 And when any H5315 will offer H7126 a meat H4503 offering H7133 unto the LORD, H3068 his offering H7133 shall be of fine flour; H5560 and he shall pour H3332 oil H8081 upon it, and put H5414 frankincense H3828 thereon:

2 And he shall bring H935 it to Aaron's H175 sons H1121 the priests: H3548 and he shall take H7061 thereout H8033 his handful H7062 H4393 of the flour H5560 thereof, and of the oil H8081 thereof, with all the frankincense H3828 thereof; and the priest H3548 shall burn H6999 the memorial H234 of it upon the altar, H4196 to be an offering made by fire, H801 of a sweet H5207 savour H7381 unto the LORD: H3068

3 And the remnant H3498 of the meat offering H4503 shall be Aaron's H175 and his sons': H1121 it is a thing most H6944 holy H6944 of the offerings H801 of the LORD H3068 made by fire. H801

4 And if thou bring H7126 an oblation H7133 of a meat offering H4503 baken H3989 in the oven, H8574 it shall be unleavened H4682 cakes H2471 of fine flour H5560 mingled H1101 with oil, H8081 or unleavened H4682 wafers H7550 anointed H4886 with oil. H8081

5 And if thy oblation H7133 be a meat offering H4503 baken in a pan, H4227 it shall be of fine flour H5560 unleavened, H4682 mingled H1101 with oil. H8081

6 Thou shalt part H6626 it in pieces, H6595 and pour H3332 oil H8081 thereon: it is a meat offering. H4503

7 And if thy oblation H7133 be a meat offering H4503 baken in the fryingpan, H4802 it shall be made H6213 of fine flour H5560 with oil. H8081

8 And thou shalt bring H935 the meat offering H4503 that is made H6213 of these things unto the LORD: H3068 and when it is presented H7126 unto the priest, H3548 he shall bring H5066 it unto the altar. H4196

9 And the priest H3548 shall take H7311 from the meat offering H4503 a memorial H234 thereof, and shall burn H6999 it upon the altar: H4196 it is an offering made by fire, H801 of a sweet H5207 savour H7381 unto the LORD. H3068

10 And that which is left H3498 of the meat offering H4503 shall be Aaron's H175 and his sons': H1121 it is a thing most H6944 holy H6944 of the offerings H801 of the LORD H3068 made by fire. H801

11 No meat offering, H4503 which ye shall bring H7126 unto the LORD, H3068 shall be made H6213 with leaven: H2557 for ye shall burn H6999 no leaven, H7603 nor any honey, H1706 in any offering H801 of the LORD H3068 made by fire. H801

12 As for the oblation H7133 of the firstfruits, H7225 ye shall offer H7126 them unto the LORD: H3068 but they shall not be burnt H5927 on the altar H4196 for a sweet H5207 savour. H7381

13 And every oblation H7133 of thy meat offering H4503 shalt thou season H4414 with salt; H4417 neither shalt thou suffer the salt H4417 of the covenant H1285 of thy God H430 to be lacking H7673 from thy meat offering: H4503 with all thine offerings H7133 thou shalt offer H7126 salt. H4417

14 And if thou offer H7126 a meat offering H4503 of thy firstfruits H1061 unto the LORD, H3068 thou shalt offer H7126 for the meat offering H4503 of thy firstfruits H1061 green ears H24 of corn dried H7033 by the fire, H784 even corn beaten H1643 out of full ears. H3759

15 And thou shalt put H5414 oil H8081 upon it, and lay H7760 frankincense H3828 thereon: it is a meat offering. H4503

16 And the priest H3548 shall burn H6999 the memorial H234 of it, part of the beaten corn H1643 thereof, and part of the oil H8081 thereof, with all the frankincense H3828 thereof: it is an offering made by fire H801 unto the LORD. H3068

Leviticus 2:1-16 American Standard (ASV)

1 And 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:

2 and 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:

3 and 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.

4 And 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.

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

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

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

8 And 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.

9 And 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.

10 And 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.

11 No 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.

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

13 And 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.

14 And 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.

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

16 And 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.

Leviticus 2:1-16 Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

1 `And when a person bringeth near an offering, a present to Jehovah, of flour is his offering, and he hath poured on it oil, and hath put on it frankincense;

2 and he hath brought it in unto the sons of Aaron, the priests, and he hath taken from thence the fulness of his hand of its flour and of its oil, besides all its frankincense, and the priest hath made perfume with its memorial on the altar, a fire-offering of sweet fragrance to Jehovah;

3 and the remnant of the present `is' for Aaron and for his sons, most holy, of the fire-offerings of Jehovah.

4 `And when thou bringest near an offering, a present baked in an oven, `it is of' unleavened cakes of flour mixed with oil, or thin unleavened cakes anointed with oil.

5 `And if thine offering `is' a present `made' on the girdel, it is of flour, mixed with oil, unleavened;

6 divide thou it into parts, and thou hast poured on it oil; it `is' a present.

7 `And if thine offering `is' a present `made' on the frying-pan, of flour with oil it is made,

8 and thou hast brought in the present which is made of these to Jehovah, and `one' hath brought it near unto the priest, and he hath brought it nigh unto the altar,

9 and the priest hath lifted up from the present its memorial, and hath made perfume on the altar, a fire-offering of sweet fragrance to Jehovah;

10 and the remnant of the present `is' for Aaron and for his sons, most holy, of the fire-offerings of Jehovah.

11 No present which ye bring near to Jehovah is made fermented, for with any leaven or any honey ye perfume no fire-offering to Jehovah.

12 `An offering of first-`fruits' -- ye bring them near to Jehovah, but on the altar they go not up, for sweet fragrance.

13 And every offering -- thy present -- with salt thou dost season, and thou dost not let the salt of the covenant of thy God cease from thy present; with all thine offerings thou dost bring near salt.

14 `And if thou bring near a present of first-ripe `fruits' to Jehovah, -- of green ears, roasted with fire, beaten out `corn' of a fruitful field thou dost bring near the present of thy first-ripe `fruits',

15 and thou hast put on it oil, and laid on it frankincense, it `is' a present;

16 and the priest hath made perfume with its memorial from its beaten out `corn', and from its oil, besides all its frankincense -- a fire-offering to Jehovah.

Leviticus 2:1-16 Darby English Bible (DARBY)

1 And when any one will present an oblation to Jehovah, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil on it, and put frankincense thereon.

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 thereof on the altar, an offering by fire to Jehovah of a sweet odour.

3 And the remainder of the oblation shall be Aaron's and his sons': [it is] most holy of Jehovah's offerings by fire.

4 And if thou present an offering of an oblation baken in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil.

5 And if thine offering be an oblation [baken] on the pan, it shall be fine flour unleavened, mingled with oil.

6 Thou shalt part it in pieces, and pour oil thereon: it is an oblation.

7 And if thine offering be an oblation [prepared] in the cauldron, it shall be made of fine flour with oil.

8 And thou shalt bring the oblation that is made of these things to Jehovah; and it shall be presented to the priest, and he shall bring it to the altar.

9 And the priest shall take from the oblation a memorial thereof, and shall burn it on the altar, an offering by fire to Jehovah of a sweet odour.

10 And the remainder of the oblation [shall be] Aaron's and his sons': [it is] most holy of Jehovah's offerings by fire.

11 No oblation which ye shall present to Jehovah shall be made with leaven; for no leaven and no honey shall ye burn [in] any fire-offering to Jehovah.

12 As to the offering of the first-fruits, ye shall present them to Jehovah; but they shall not be offered upon the altar for a sweet odour.

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

14 And if thou present an oblation of thy first-fruits to Jehovah, thou shalt present as the oblation of thy first-fruits green ears of corn roasted in fire, corn beaten out of full ears.

15 And thou shalt put oil on it, and lay frankincense thereon: it is an oblation.

16 And the priest shall burn the memorial thereof, [part] of the beaten corn thereof, and [part] of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof: [it is] an offering by fire to Jehovah.

Leviticus 2:1-16 World English Bible (WEB)

1 "'When anyone offers an offering of a meal offering to Yahweh, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil on it, and put frankincense on it.

2 He 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 the memorial of it on the altar, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor to Yahweh.

3 That 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.

5 If your offering is a meal offering of the baking pan, it shall be of unleavened fine flour, mixed with oil.

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

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

8 You 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.

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

10 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 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.

12 As an offering of firstfruits you shall offer them to Yahweh: but they shall not come up for a sweet savor on the altar.

13 Every offering of your meal offering you shall season with salt; neither shall you 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.

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

16 The 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.

Leviticus 2:1-16 Bible in Basic English (BBE)

1 And when anyone makes a meal offering to the Lord, let his offering be of the best meal, with oil on it and perfume:

2 And let him take it to Aaron's sons, the priests; and having taken in his hand some of the meal and of the oil, with all the perfume, let him give it to the priest to be burned on the altar, as a sign, an offering made by fire, for a sweet smell to the Lord.

3 And the rest of the meal offering will be for Aaron and his sons; it is most holy among the Lord's fire offerings.

4 And when you give a meal offering cooked in the oven, let it be of unleavened cakes of the best meal mixed with oil, or thin unleavened cakes covered with oil.

5 And if you give a meal offering cooked on a flat plate, let it be of the best meal, unleavened and mixed with oil.

6 Let it be broken into bits, and put oil on it; it is a meal offering.

7 And if your offering is of meal cooked in fat over the fire, let it be made of the best meal mixed with oil.

8 And you are to give the meal offering made of these things to the Lord, and let the priest take it to the altar.

9 And he is to take from the meal offering a part, for a sign, burning it on the altar; an offering made by fire for a sweet smell to the Lord.

10 And the rest of the meal offering will be for Aaron and his sons; it is most holy among the Lord's fire offerings.

11 No meal offering which you give to the Lord is to be made with leaven; no leaven or honey is to be burned as an offering made by fire to the Lord.

12 You may give them as an offering of first-fruits to the Lord, but they are not to go up as a sweet smell on the altar.

13 And every meal offering is to be salted with salt; your meal offering is not to be without the salt of the agreement of your God: with all your offerings give salt.

14 And if you give a meal offering of first-fruits to the Lord, give, as your offering of first-fruits, new grain, made dry with fire, crushed new grain.

15 And put oil on it and perfume: it is a meal offering.

16 And part of the meal of the offering and part of the oil and all the perfume is to be burned for a sign by the priest: it is an offering made by fire to the Lord.

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Leviticus 2

Commentary on Leviticus 2 Matthew Henry Commentary

John Gill   Keil & Delitzsch   Robert Jamieson: Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible  

Chapter 2

In this chapter we have the law concerning the meat-offering.

  • I. The matter of it; whether of raw flour with oil and incense (v. 1), or baked in the oven (v. 4), or upon a plate (v. 5, 6), or in a frying pan (v. 7).
  • II. The management of it, of the flour (v. 2, 3), of the cakes (v. 8-10).
  • III. Some particular rules concerning it, That leaven and honey must never be admitted (v. 11, 12), and salt never omitted in the meat-offering (v. 13).
  • IV. The law concerning the offering of firstfruits in the ear (v. 14, etc.).

Lev 2:1-10

There were some meat-offerings that were only appendices to the burnt-offerings, as that which was offered with the daily sacrifice (Ex. 29:38, 39) and with the peace-offerings; these had drink-offerings joined with them (see Num. 15:4, 7, 9, 10), and in these the quantity was appointed. But the law of this chapter concerns those meat-offerings that were offered by themselves, whenever a man saw cause thus to express his devotion. The first offering we read of in scripture was of this kind (Gen. 4:3): Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering.

  • I. This sort of offerings was appointed,
    • 1. In condescension to the poor, and their ability, that those who themselves lived only upon bread and cakes might offer an acceptable offering to God out of that which was their own coarse and homely fare, and by making for God's altar, as the widow of Sarepta for his prophet, a little cake first, might procure such a blessing upon the handful of meal in the barrel, and the oil in the cruse, as that it should not fail.
    • 2. As a proper acknowledgment of the mercy of God to them in their food. This was like a quitrent, by which they testified their dependence upon God, their thankfulness to him, and their expectations from him as their owner and bountiful benefactor, who giveth to all life, and breath, and food convenient. Thus must they honour the Lord with their substance, and, in token of their eating and drinking to his glory, must consecrate some of their meat and drink to his immediate service. Those that now, with a grateful charitable heart, deal out their bread to the hungry, and provide for the necessities of those that are destitute of daily food, and when they eat the fat and drink the sweet themselves send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared, offer unto God an acceptable meat-offering. The prophet laments it as one of the direful effects of famine that thereby the meat-offering and drink-offering were cut off from the house of the Lord (Joel 1:9), and reckoned it the greatest blessing of plenty that it would be the revival of them, Joel 2:14.
  • II. The laws of the meat-offerings were these:-
    • 1. The ingredients must always be fine flour and oil, two staple commodities of the land of Canaan, Deu. 8:8. Oil was to them then in their food what butter is now to us. If it was undressed, the oil must be poured upon the flour (v. 1); if cooked, it must be mingled with the flour, v. 4, etc.
    • 2. If it was flour unbaked, besides the oil it must have frankincense put upon it, which was to be burnt with it (v. 1, 2), for the perfuming of the altar; in allusion to this, gospel ministers are said to be a sweet savour unto God, 2 Co. 2:15.
    • 3. If it was prepared, this might be done in various ways; the offerer might bake it, or fry it, or mix the flour and oil upon a plate, for the doing of which conveniences were provided about the tabernacle. The law was very exact even about those offerings that were least costly, to intimate the cognizance God takes of the religious services performed with a devout mind, even by the poor of his people.
    • 4. It was to be presented by the offerer to the priest, which is called bringing it to the Lord (v. 8), for the priests were God's receivers, and were ordained to offer gifts.
    • 5. Part of it was to be burnt upon the altar, for a memorial, that is, in token of their mindfulness of God's bounty to them, in giving them all things richly to enjoy. It was an offering made by fire, v. 2, 9. The consuming of it by fire might remind them that they deserved to have all the fruits of the earth thus burnt up, and that it was of the Lord's mercies that they were not. They might also learn that as meats are for the belly, and the belly for meats, so God shall destroy both it and them (1 Co. 6:13), and that man lives not by bread alone. This offering made by fire is here said to be of a sweet savour unto the Lord; and so are our spiritual offerings, which are made by the fire of holy love, particularly that of almsgiving, which is said to be an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well pleasing to God (Phil. 4:18), and with such sacrifices God is well pleased, Heb. 13:16.
    • 6. The remainder of the meat-offering was to be given to the priests, v. 3, 10. It is a thing most holy, not to be eaten by the offerers, as the peace-offerings (which, though holy, were not most holy), but by the priests only, and their families. Thus God provided that those who served at the altar should live upon the altar, and live comfortably.

Lev 2:11-16

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 (Prov. 25:16, 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, 31. Some make this application of this double prohibition: leaven signifies grief and sadness of spirit (Ps. 73:21), 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. 3:20), 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 7:20-22. 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 (Mk. 9:49, 50), and our speech must be always with grace (Col. 4:6), 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, Deu. 26:2. 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. 23:17. And we read of the first-fruits of honey brought to the house of God, 2 Chr. 31:5.
    • 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. 1:14.
      • (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.