Leviticus 2:13

13 Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings.

Leviticus 2:13 in Other Translations

King James Version (KJV)
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.
English Standard Version (ESV)
13 You shall season all your grain offerings with salt. You shall not let the salt of the covenant with your God be missing from your grain offering; with all your offerings you shall offer salt.
New Living Translation (NLT)
13 Season all your grain offerings with salt to remind you of God’s eternal covenant. Never forget to add salt to your grain offerings.
The Message Bible (MSG)
13 Season every presentation of your Grain-Offering with salt. Don't leave the salt of the covenant with your God out of your Grain-Offerings. Present all your offerings with salt.
American Standard Version (ASV)
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.
GOD'S WORD Translation (GW)
13 Also put salt on each of your grain offerings. The salt of God's promise must never be left out of your grain offerings. Put salt on all your offerings.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
13 You are to season each of your grain offerings with salt; you must not omit from your grain offering the salt of the covenant with your God. You are to present salt with each of your offerings.
New International Reader's Version (NIRV)
13 " 'Put salt on all of your grain offerings. Salt stands for the lasting covenant between you and your God. So do not leave it out of your grain offerings. Add it to all of your offerings.

Leviticus 2:13 Meaning and Commentary

Leviticus 2:13

And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season
with salt
Which makes food savoury, and preserves from putrefaction; denoting the savouriness and acceptableness of Christ as a meat offering to his people, he being savoury food, such as their souls love, as well as to God the Father, who is well pleased with his sacrifice; and also the perpetuity of his sacrifice, which always has the same virtue in it, and of him as a meat offering, who is that meat which endures to everlasting life, ( John 6:27 ) and also the grave and gracious conversation of those that by faith feed upon him, ( Mark 9:50 ) ( Colossians 4:6 )

neither shall thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be
lacking from thy meat offering;
this seems to suggest the reason why salt was used in meat offerings, and in all others, because it was a symbol of the perpetuity of the covenant, which from thence is called a covenant of salt, ( Numbers 18:19 ) namely, the covenant of the priesthood, to which these sacrifices belonged, ( Numbers 25:13 ) hence the Targum of Jonathan,

``because the twenty four gifts of the priests are decreed by the covenant of salt, therefore upon all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt:''

with all thine offerings thou shall offer salt,
even those that were not to be eaten, as well as those that were; as the burnt offering of the herd, of the flock, and of fowls, and their several parts; all were obliged to be salted that were offered, excepting wine, blood, wood, and incense F24; hence there was a room in the temple where salt was laid up for this purpose, called (xlm tkvl) , "the salt room" F25; and which was provided by the congregation, and not by a private person {z}; our Lord has reference to this law in ( Mark 9:49 ) the Heathens always made use of salt in their sacrifices F1.


FOOTNOTES:

F24 Maimon. Issure Mizbeach, c. 5. sect. 11.
F25 Misn. Middot, c. 5. sect. 2.
F26 Maimon. Issure Mizbeach, c. 5. sect. 13.
F1 Ante Deos Homini Ovid. Fastor. l. 1. Vid. Horat. Carmin. l. 3. Ode 23.

Leviticus 2:13 In-Context

11 “ ‘Every grain offering you bring to the LORD must be made without yeast, for you are not to burn any yeast or honey in a food offering presented to the LORD.
12 You may bring them to the LORD as an offering of the firstfruits, but they are not to be offered on the altar as a pleasing aroma.
13 Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings; add salt to all your offerings.
14 “ ‘If you bring a grain offering of firstfruits to the LORD, offer crushed heads of new grain roasted in the fire.
15 Put oil and incense on it; it is a grain offering.

Cross References 2

  • 1. Mark 9:49
  • 2. Numbers 18:19; 2 Chronicles 13:5; Ezekiel 43:24
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