Leviticus 2 11

Leviticus 2:11 kjv

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.

Leviticus 2:11 nkjv

'No grain offering which you bring to the LORD shall be made with leaven, for you shall burn no leaven nor any honey in any offering to the LORD made by fire.

Leviticus 2:11 niv

"?'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.

Leviticus 2:11 esv

"No grain offering that you bring to the LORD shall be made with leaven, for you shall burn no leaven nor any honey as a food offering to the LORD.

Leviticus 2:11 nlt

"Do not use yeast in preparing any of the grain offerings you present to the LORD, because no yeast or honey may be burned as a special gift presented to the LORD.

Leviticus 2 verses

Leviticus 2 11 Meaning

Leviticus 2:11 unequivocally states that any grain offering presented to the Lord, particularly those intended to be burnt on the altar, must not be made with leaven or contain any honey. This divine mandate emphasizes the essential nature of purity, the complete absence of corruption, and separation from earthly sweetness or impurities in sacrifices wholly dedicated to the Lord.

Leviticus 2 11 Context

Leviticus Chapter 2 meticulously outlines the laws for the "grain offering" (minchah), a voluntary offering distinct from animal sacrifices. This offering typically consisted of fine flour, bread, or grain, symbolizing the worshiper's gratitude, dedication, and acknowledgment of God as the source of their sustenance. Verse 11 introduces a specific restriction that all grain offerings brought to the Lord, intended to be consumed by fire on the altar, must exclude both leaven and honey. This prohibition is part of a broader set of divine instructions designed to maintain the absolute purity, holiness, and distinctiveness of Israel's worship in contrast to the often defiled or self-serving religious practices prevalent among surrounding nations. Historically, this law was critical for a people forming their national identity and religious practices, emphasizing God's transcendental holiness and demanding unblemished, singular devotion in His presence.

Leviticus 2 11 Word analysis

• No (לֹא - lo): An emphatic, absolute negative command. It conveys a strict and undeniable prohibition, establishing an unbreakable rule concerning the required elements for an acceptable offering to God.
• grain offering (מִנְחָה - minchah): In the context of Leviticus, this refers specifically to an offering of grain products (flour, baked goods). It typically represented a gift, tribute, or expression of gratitude from one's agricultural yield, signifying dependence on God as Provider.
• that you bring (תַּקְרִיבוּ - takrivu): Derived from the root karav, meaning "to draw near" or "to present." It highlights the deliberate and personal act of approaching God with one's offering, emphasizing human initiative within divine parameters. The plural form includes all individuals responsible for bringing offerings.
• to the Lord (לַיהוָה - la'Adonai): Designates YHWH, the covenant God of Israel, as the sole recipient of these offerings. This dedicates the sacrifice entirely to His honor and worship, distinguishing it from pagan rituals.
• shall be made with leaven (חָמֵץ - chametz): Chametz refers to fermented dough or bread made with a leavening agent. Biblically, leaven frequently symbolizes corruption, sin, malice, pride, or anything that "puffs up" or spoils. Its prohibition underscores God's demand for purity, truth, and the absence of spiritual corruption in His presence.
• for (כִּי - ki): This conjunction acts as an explanatory "because" or "for this reason," introducing the divine rationale behind the preceding command. It indicates that the following clause provides the underlying principle or justification for the prohibition.
• any leaven (כָל־שְׂאֹר - kol-se'or): Se'or denotes the actual fermenting agent, the "sour dough starter" itself, rather than just the fermented product. Its inclusion emphasizes the absolute and comprehensive ban: neither the agent nor the product of fermentation should be involved. It stresses eliminating the source of corruption.
• nor any honey (וְכָל־דְּבַשׁ - ve'khol-devash): Refers to natural honey. While typically good for food, its prohibition from the altar-fire likely stems from its potential to ferment (like leaven), its common use in pagan fertility rituals as an offering to idols (making it impure for YHWH's worship), or the idea that its "natural sweetness" might represent human indulgence rather than pure devotion, or produce an undesirable aroma when burnt. It promotes an unadulterated form of worship free from any hint of self-gratification.
• you shall burn no... as a food offering (לֹא תַקְטִירוּ מִמֶּנּוּ אִשֶּׁה - lo taktiruu mimennu isheh): Taktiru (from katar) means "to cause to go up in smoke," referring specifically to burning an offering on the altar so its smoke ascends to God. Isheh denotes an "offering made by fire" to the Lord. This phrase precisely specifies the context of the prohibition: leaven and honey are forbidden only when an offering is incinerated on the sacred altar as an act of worship to God.

Leviticus 2 11 Bonus section

The specific application of this prohibition only to items burned on the altar (an isheh) is a vital distinction often overlooked. Leavened bread was permitted and even required for other parts of the sanctuary rituals, such as the Bread of the Presence (showbread, Lev 24:5-9) and certain peace or thank offerings (Lev 7:13), but in these cases, the leavened portions were eaten by the priests and offerers and explicitly not offered up in fire on the altar. Similarly, honey was a dietary staple and a symbol of abundance, frequently referenced positively in the land of Israel. This precise qualification emphasizes that the divine fire of the altar represents absolute holiness and consuming purity, accepting only what is symbolically flawless and utterly devoted. The distinct fumes of fermenting dough or burning sugars from honey were deemed unfit for an aroma ascending to God's pure presence, emphasizing that certain elements, though permissible for human consumption, were utterly rejected when intended as a sanctified offering to the Lord Himself.

Leviticus 2 11 Commentary

Leviticus 2:11 provides a crucial stipulation for the Israelite grain offering, absolutely prohibiting leaven and honey when it is burned on the Lord’s altar. This directive is rooted in profound theological symbolism. The ban on leaven (chametz or se’or) underscores God's demand for unblemished purity in all forms of worship. Leaven, with its capacity to ferment and cause dough to "rise," consistently symbolizes sin's pervasive and corrupting influence, its ability to "puff up" (like pride), and decay. God's holiness permits no trace of moral or spiritual corruption in that which ascends to Him in sacrificial fire.

The prohibition against honey, though perhaps less intuitive, holds similar weight. While honey signifies blessing in other biblical contexts (e.g., land flowing with milk and honey), its exclusion from the altar is significant. It could be because honey, like leaven, can ferment; it may also have been frequently used in pagan fertility cults, which Israelite worship was explicitly commanded to eschew. Alternatively, honey's natural sweetness might have been seen as representing human desire or an attempt to "sweeten" God, detracting from the true spirit of humble, selfless dedication required. God demands an offering devoid of any worldly enticement or anything that hints at human gratification.

This verse ultimately teaches that approaching a holy God requires deliberate purification and distinction. Our worship and offerings must be untainted by sin's corruption (leaven) and free from anything that elevates human pleasure or pagan influence (honey) above God's absolute holiness. The Lord delights in sincere, pure devotion, symbolized by the unleavened and unhoneyed grain, prefiguring Christ's own spotless sacrifice (Heb 9:14), which truly became the "unleavened bread" (1 Cor 5:7-8) perfectly pleasing to God.