FocusApproaching God in worship
Connection to the wholeThe offerings and priestly responsibilities establish the sacrificial framework assumed by the following accounts and laws.
interpretation Leviticus 2:11
KJVNo 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.
Read it in context
Laws for Grain Offerings
Start reading at Leviticus 2:1 (Leviticus 2:1 to Leviticus 2:16).
An editorial reading unit, not a claim that the surrounding context stops here. Book background below applies to the shared passage; individual verses may need more specific explanation.
The offerings and priestly responsibilities establish the sacrificial framework assumed by the following accounts and laws.
- 2:1 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:
- 2:2 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:
- 2:3 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.
- 2:4 And if thou bring an oblation of a meat offering baken in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil.
- 2:5 And if thy oblation be a meat offering baken in a pan, it shall be of fine flour unleavened, mingled with oil.
- 2:6 Thou shalt part it in pieces, and pour oil thereon: it is a meat offering.
- 2:7 And if thy oblation be a meat offering baken in the fryingpan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil.
- 2:8 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.
- 2:9 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 savour unto the LORD.
- 2:10 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.
- 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.
- 2:12 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.
- 2:13 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.
- 2:14 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.
- 2:15 And thou shalt put oil upon it, and lay frankincense thereon: it is a meat offering.
- 2:16 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.
Who
- Who wrote the book? Moses is the traditional author, with the laws presented as the LORD's instructions given through him. Aaron and his sons are key recipients of priestly instructions, not alternate named authors. Biblical references: Leviticus 1:1; Leviticus 27:34. Historical source: Babylonian Talmud, Bava Batra 14b–15a (record of Jewish attribution, not contemporary proof). traditionally held
- Who was present or being addressed in this passage? In the surrounding chapter context (Leviticus 1:1–5:19): The LORD gives Moses instructions for Israelite worshippers bringing offerings. The priests receive and carry out the prescribed sanctuary duties. stated in the text
- Who was the book written to? Israel under the Sinai covenant. Some instructions address the whole congregation; others specifically address Aaron and the priests. Biblical references: Leviticus 1:2; Leviticus 6:9; Leviticus 19:2. stated in the text
What
- What is the topic of this reading unit? Laws for Grain Offerings. Read Leviticus 2:1 through Leviticus 2:16 as a connected unit. interpretation
- How does it contribute to the book? The offerings and priestly responsibilities establish the sacrificial framework assumed by the following accounts and laws. interpretation
When
- When are the events or message set? The laws and priestly narratives are set in Israel's Sinai sanctuary setting. A modern date of composition is not given by a publication statement in the text. book background
Where
- What is the book’s geographic setting? The tabernacle and Israel's camp form the main setting. Instructions about priests, offerings, houses, and the land have different immediate objects. book background
- Where does the context start? This passage sits in Laws for Grain Offerings (Leviticus 2:1 to Leviticus 2:16). Start reading at Leviticus 2:1. An editorial reading unit, not a claim that the surrounding context stops here. Book background below applies to the shared passage; individual verses may need more specific explanation.
How
- How does this book connect with Jesus Christ? Hebrews explicitly relates the sacrificial and priestly order to Christ's priesthood and offering. Read the comparison in Hebrews rather than assigning an unsupported meaning to each ritual detail. See Hebrews 9:11, Hebrews 10:1, Hebrews 10:10. interpretation
- How should this book guide our response? Take worship, holiness, and the treatment of others seriously. Distinguish ritual uncleanness, moral wrongdoing, and the specific duties of priests; they are not interchangeable categories. interpretation
Cited: Leviticus 2:1, Leviticus 2:16, Hebrews 9:11, Hebrews 10:1, Hebrews 10:10
Who wrote it, and how we know
Moses (traditional)
Named in Scripture
What Scripture saysThe book presents its laws as the LORD speaking to Moses, from beginning to end.
Leviticus 1:1Leviticus 27:34
Early traditionJewish and Christian tradition names Moses.
What is debatedCritical scholars commonly assign this material to a later priestly collection.
Related passages
- no leaven Lev 6:17 Exod 12:19-20 Matt 16:6,11-12 Mark 8:15 Luke 12:1 1 Cor 5:6-8 Gal 5:9
- honey Prov 24:13 Prov 25:16,27 Luke 21:34 Acts 14:22 1 Pet 4:2
Cross references from CrossReferences-org (CC BY 4.0).
Macro-Structure
See how this passage fits the chapter and the book.
Macro-Structure of Leviticus 2
Leviticus presents the LORD's instructions to Moses for Israel, including priestly duties. A command's immediate audience, sanctuary setting, and covenant purpose should remain visible. The opening identifies Moses as the recipient of speech, not by itself as the narrator of every line. Local headings and stanza divisions are editorial reading aids adapted from public-domain BSB headings; verse boundaries and Scripture links use the KJV. Connections describe the surrounding book movement.
Leviticus 1:1 Leviticus 1:2 Leviticus 27:34
Suggested literary divisions. Headings summarize the passage; they are not part of the biblical text.
Macro-Structure of Leviticus
Leviticus presents the LORD's instructions to Moses for Israel, including priestly duties. A command's immediate audience, sanctuary setting, and covenant purpose should remain visible. The opening identifies Moses as the recipient of speech, not by itself as the narrator of every line.
Leviticus 1:1 Leviticus 1:2 Leviticus 27:34
FocusApproaching God in worship
Connection to the wholeThe offerings and priestly responsibilities establish the sacrificial framework assumed by the following accounts and laws.
interpretation The priests begin their service
Leviticus 8:1–10:20FocusConsecration and holy responsibility
Connection to the wholeThe consecration and beginning of priestly service lead to an account of judgment, emphasizing the seriousness of distinguishing holy from common.
interpretation Clean and unclean
Leviticus 11:1–15:33FocusBodies, food, and the camp
Connection to the wholeThese distinctions order Israel's life around the sanctuary; ritual uncleanness should not automatically be equated with a personal moral offense.
interpretation The day of atonement
Leviticus 16:1–34FocusCleansing the sanctuary and the people
Connection to the wholeThe chapter brings priestly access, blood, and cleansing together in a recurring observance within the covenant's sacrificial order.
interpretation Holiness in daily and priestly life
Leviticus 17:1–22:33FocusWorship, relationships, and conduct
Connection to the wholeInstructions concerning blood, relationships, justice, and priests extend the call to holiness through the life of the people.
interpretation Sacred times and the land
Leviticus 23:1–25:55FocusSabbaths, feasts, and release
Connection to the wholeThe appointed times and land arrangements connect worship, rest, provision, and the treatment of fellow Israelites.
interpretation Covenant outcomes and dedicated things
Leviticus 26:1–27:34FocusResponsibility and consecration
Connection to the wholeBlessings and warnings state covenant consequences, followed by regulations concerning vows and things dedicated to the LORD.
interpretation Suggested literary divisions. Headings summarize the passage; they are not part of the biblical text.