1 When any one shall offer an oblation of sacrifice to the Lord, his offering shall be of fine flour, and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense, 2 And shall bring it to the sons of Aaron the priests: and one of them shall take a handful of the flour and oil, and all the frankincense, and shall put it a memorial upon the altar for a most sweet savour to the Lord. 3 And the remnant of the sacrifice shall be Aaron's, and his sons', holy of holies of the offerings of the Lord.



2:1 any one: 'Anima' That is, a human being. (Jac Menochius) offer an oblation: Prior to this it was referring to a sacrifice for those who resided there, but here is taken in a wide sense for the offering for those anywhere. (Nicholas of Lyra) The term "oblation" is common to all things offered for the Divine worship, so that if a thing be offered to be destroyed in worship of God, as though it were being made into something holy, it is both an oblation and a sacrifice. (St. Thomas Aquinas Summa Theologica)  Allegorically this sacrifice of grain might be signified as the flesh of Christ and the sacrifice, also as the bread and wine in the Eucharist. (Cornelius a Lapide)  fine flower: It was purged because it ought to be made out of the best of the offering. (Nicholas of Lyra)  Mystically the best flour is purity of mind and strength of love. (St. Eucharius of Lyons Formulae 7) Tropologically, as Ralph of Flaix says, the flour is the purity of conscience, for this is the most pleasing sacrifice to God. (Cornelius a Lapide)  Or the flour means the Church, where many persons, as if they were grain, are collected together. (St. Isidore of Seville)   Oil upon it: And the flour is said to be oiled, leavened with oil. (Hugh of St. Cher)  This was the cause of allegorically, in order to signify the love and the oil of mercy of Christ, in which He exhibited to us, by His sacrifice, as well as by the Cross, and the Eucharist. (Cornelius a Lapide)  put frankincense: That is, shall receive the frankincense to make an offering to use even with the flour. (Hugh of St. Cher)  Hence tropologically, incense and holy fuming signify works, the fervor of love as melted and smoking, which are burned in the fire of love for God, and so grateful to God, a sweet smell they emit. (Cornelius a Lapide)

2:1-9 We should also point out that the offering of fine grain, the pan-baked loaves, the hearth-baked loaves, and the cakes from the frying pan were also termed a 'sacrifice' to console the poor so they would not be upset at their lack of stock. (Theodoret of Cyrus)

2:2 flour and oil: Flour mingled with oil, or flour and oil is a figure of speech in which two words are joined by the conjunction. (Cornelius a Lapide)  memorial: that they may be placed in the offering with the priest before God in remembrance of their prayers. (Hugh of St. Cher)  After offering all that he had, which came from God, it was then yielded up as a portion for the Lord. (Nicholas of Lyra)  So here a handful is burnt in like manner to God, the rest of the flour is yielded to the priest. (Cornelius a Lapide)

sons: Symbolically, the sons are the doctors of the Church, in whom we are indebted.  Hence, Paul with the apostles conveyed the Gospel.  flour: Symbolically the knowledge or understanding of God. (Glossa Ordinaria)

2:3 Aaron and his sons: It was left for Aaron and his son's own use. (Nicholas of Lyra) Holy of holies: It is not to be eaten, except by the sacred persons, for instance, from the family of the priest, as appears from Lev. 22:10-11. (Cornelius a Lapide)

4 But when thou offerest a sacrifice baked in the oven of flour, to wit, loaves without leaven, tempered with oil, and unleavened wafers, anointed with oil: 5 If thy oblation be from the fryingpan, of flour tempered with oil, and without leaven, 6 Thou shalt divide it into little pieces, and shalt pour oil upon it. 7 And if the sacrifice be from the gridiron, in like manner the flour shall be tempered with oil: 8 And when you offer it to the Lord, thou shalt deliver it to the hands of the priest. 9 And when he hath offered it, he shall take a memorial out of the sacrifice, and burn it upon the altar for a sweet savour to the Lord. 10 And whatsoever is left, shall be Aaron's, and his sons', holy of holies of the offerings of the Lord.

2:4 you offer: That is, you offer willingly. (Hugh of St. Cher)  At this point it is a question of the oblation of meal, baked as it was, able to be done in four ways. In one way, in the oven, and so was the offering of bread. In another way, in the hot water, and is noted when we speak of such an offer. (Nicholas of Lyra)  As a Christian, you offer by believing, preaching, and veneration. (Interlinear Gloss)  tempered with oil: Oil subdued.  wafers: These are cakes, not thick, but thin and spread. See Ex. 29:15.  anointed with oil: Not mixed with oil, but upon the anointed and daubed. (Jac Menochius)

Allegorically, the meal-offering is the flesh of Christ.  Firstly, in the oven, that is to say the womb of the Blessed Virgin in the Incarnation.  Secondly, in a pan, that is, the Passion of the Cross, fried.  Thirdly, on the gridiron, is like the cross, he died, and is cooked for us in the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist providing food and nourishment. (Cornelius a Lapide)  The sacrifice of Christ was sacrificed on our behalf. (Hesychius of Jerusalem)

2:5 the fryingpan: That is, of flour, cooked in a pan. The wafers are applied properly. (Hugh of St. Cher)  tempered with oil: Symbolically this means that Christ is dead, and having compassion on us. without leaven: Symbolically without blemish. (Interlinear Gloss)

2:6 divide it into little pieces: Divided in such a way that, namely, portions of the oil was poured upon them against the imbibe, and that some portions of it were to be sacrificed to God. (Cornelius a Lapide)

2:7 gridiron: The sacrifice becomes supply, that is, plenty of food on the grill. The iron grating is reticulated, in which it is used to cook food. (Hugh of St. Cher)  Hence, they sprinkled the flour with oil, the same as other similar methods. (Nicholas of Lyra)

2:9 when he hath offered it: The Hebrew reads, 'he shall bring it', or 'bring it to the altar', that is, when he himself had offered, as is clear from the Hebrew, and most of all from the Septuagint. (Cornelius a Lapide)  he shall offer: namely the priest. (Jac Menochius)  memorial: so that God is in remembrance of the offerer.  Upon the altar: that is to say, of the burnt offering, namely the memorial of it. (Hugh of St. Cher)

2:10 is left: from the memorial. (Hugh of St. Cher)

11 Every oblation that is offered to the Lord shall be made without leaven, neither shall any leaven or honey be burnt in the sacrifice to the Lord. 12 You shall offer only the firstfruits of them and gifts: but they shall not be put upon the altar, for a savour of sweetness, 13 Whatsoever sacrifice thou offerest, thou shalt season it with salt, neither shalt thou take away the salt of the covenant of thy God from thy sacrifice. In all thy oblations thou shalt offer salt.

2:11 Without leaven: Although leaven bread has a sour flavor on account of it is more savory and is digested easier, God did not will that the Hebrews use it in the sacrifice, but unleavened bread only.  First, because of the purity of the sacrifice, for the unleavened bread is more pure.  Secondly, in order that they might have the perpetual memory of the deliverance of the Hebrews from Egypt, used for the haste of unleavened bread, Exodus 12:34. Whereby unleavened bread Deut. 16:3, is called "the bread of affliction." (Cornelius a Lapide)  Symbolically this means without heretical corruption. Strange doctrine. Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisee, Luke. 12. (Interlinear Gloss) honey: Some commentators have claimed that this is because bees rest even on unclean places and gather material to make honey from anywhere at all.  But others have said that this teaches us to offer sacrifices from the products of our own hard work in keeping with the exhortation of Solomon, which goes, "Honor the Lord with the righteous labors and give him the first-fruits of your righteousness.(Prov 3:9)"  According to this argument, honey is the produce of the bees, not of our own work.  But this explanation overlooks an important point; after all, honey-making is a human labor.  Some are engaged in the cultivation of the earth, others in the tending of the sheep, others in commerce, others in honey-making.  So my view is that in the case of the leaven there is an obscure reference to ancient wickedness, and in the case of the honey, a prohibition of pleasure. (Theodoret of Cyrus)  Honey should not be offered to God, because everything imperfect should be omitted. (St. Bede On Lev)

2:12 offer only the firstfruits of them and gifts: In Hebrew it is 'gift', that is, oblation, first fruits offering; for example the leaven and honey, and that is food for the priests. Which mystically, that is the priests, by the confession of the sins of the people, to eat, to cook, digest, in order to pray for them, to consult with them, through the sacrament of penance to absolve them. (Cornelius a Lapide)

2:13 season it with salt: That is, the salt shall be put  in every sacrifice. (Hugh of St. Cher)  He ordered that salt be thrown on the victims, in this signifying the soul's faculty of discernment. (Theodoret of Cyrus) Mystically, Apostolic wisdom. (Interlinear Gloss)  The whole spiritual meditation of the Scriptures is given to us as salt which stings in order to benefit, and which disinfects, without which it is impossible for a soul, by means of reason, to be brought to the Almighty; for “you are the salt of the earth,”(Mt 5:13) said the Lord to the apostles. (St. Methodius Ten Virgins 1.1)  He has not only commended them in the understanding of God, but also to the give alms and prayer for divine knowledge. (Hesychius of Jerusalem)

Offerings of first fruits

14 But if you offer a gift of the firstfruits of thy corn to the Lord, of the ears yet green, thou shalt dry it at the fire, and break it small like meal, and so shalt thou offer thy firstfruits to the Lord, 15 Pouring oil upon it and putting on frankincense, because it is the oblation of the Lord. 16 Whereof the priest shall burn for a memorial of the gift, part of the corn broken small and of the oil, and all the frankincense.

2:14 firstfruits: that is, from the beginning of the harvest, is commanded. If you remember well, the Law commands this is to be done on the day of Pentecost. (Cf. Exod 23.16; Deut 16.9f) This was obviously given to them as a “shadow” (Cf. Heb 10.1) but the truth was reserved for us. For on the day of Pentecost, after they offered up the sacrifice of prayers, the Church of the Apostles received the firstfruits of the coming of the “Holy Spirit.” (Cf. Acts 2.4) And truly, these things were fresh because it was new. (Origen Hom. on Lev. 2.5)  ears yet green: The third species of corn meal-offering or sacrifice.  break it small like meal: Namely by rubbing between the hands. (Hugh of St. Cher)

2:15 for a memorial: In remembrance of the offerer. (Hugh of St. Cher)

2:16 The whole sign of this task was to be a sacrifice offered to God. (Jac Menochius)  Allegorically, the first-fruits of the corn is Christ rising again at Passover, like the firstborn of the dead. (Cornelius a Lapide)

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