Leviticus 2:2

Lev 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:

Ver. 2. Shall burn the memorial of it.] Whereby God was reminded, as it were, of the party offering, and acknowledging all his store to be from God.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Lev 2:2. He shall take — That priest to whom he brought it, and who is appointed to offer it. The memorial — That part thus selected and offered; which is called a memorial, either, 1st, To the offerer, who by offering this part was reminded, that the whole of that which he brought, and of all which he had of that kind, was God’s, to whom this part was paid as an acknowledgment. Or, 2d, To God, whom (to speak after the manner of men) this did put in mind of his gracious covenant and promises of favour, and acceptance of the offerer and his offering. A sweet savour unto the Lord — And so are our spiritual offerings, which are made by the fire of holy love, particularly that of alms-giving. With such sacrifices God is well pleased.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2:2 The representative portion of the grain offering was burned on the altar to remind the worshiper that the whole offering belonged to God.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The Priest.

To signify that God remembereth him that offereth.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

shall burn the memorial--rather, "for a memorial"; that is, a part of it.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 2. His handful of the flour] This was for a memorial, to put God in mind of his covenant with their fathers, and to recall to their mind his gracious conduct towards them and their ancestors. Mr. Ainsworth properly remarks, "that there was neither oil nor incense offered with the sin and jealousy offerings; because they were no offerings of memorial, but such as brought iniquities to remembrance, which were neither gracious nor sweet-smelling before the Lord." Nu 5:15; Le 5:11.

In this case a handful only was burnt, the rest was reserved for the priest's use; but all the frankincense was burnt, because from it the priest could derive no advantage.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(2) And he shall take.—Better, And the priest shall take from it a handful of its flour and of its oil with all its frankincense, and this shall he burn as its memorial upon the altar, &c.

Memorial.—So called because it was designed to bring the worshipper into the grateful remembrance of God, and to remind him, as it were, of His promise to accept the service of His people rendered to Him in accordance with his command. Hence the declaration of the Psalmist, “the Lord remember all thine offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice” (Psa_20:4), and of the angel to Cornelius, “thy prayers and thy alms are come up for a memorial before God” (Act_10:4).

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2. and he shall take] The personal pronoun in the English version refers to the person who brings the offering, but the subject of the verb ‘take’ is the priest mentioned in the following clause (cp. Lev_2:9). Dillm. suggests that the words from ‘and he shall take’ to ‘all the frankincense thereof’ may be an addition describing the material of the ‘memorial’ in the next clause.

the memorial] Heb. ‘azkârah, an expression applied to a part of the Meal-Offering in this ch. and Lev_6:15; elsewhere Lev_5:12 (of the poor man’s Sin-Offering), Lev_24:7 (of the frankincense offered with the shewbread), and Num_5:26 only (cp. Sir_38:11; Sir_45:16). It is generally explained as an offering which puts God in remembrance (cp. ‘memorial’ in Act_10:4, where the Gk. word is the same as in LXX. of these passages), and it has been suggested that Psalms 38, 70, with their titles ‘to bring to remembrance,’ may be in some way connected with this ceremony (Berth. Bibl. Theol. d. A.T. ii. p. 67). Others prefer sweet smelling offering; cp. Dillm. note here, Isa_66:3 (see Skinner’s note in C.B.), and Hos_14:7.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And he shall bring it to Aaron's sons, the priests,.... And this is all that he did with it; he left it with the priest, who carried it to the altar, to the southwest horn of it (b): the order of bringing it, according to Maimonides (c), was this,"a man brings fine flour from his house in baskets of silver or of gold or of other kind of metals, in a vessel fit to be a ministering vessel; and if it is a meat offering of fine flour, he puts it into a ministering vessel, and sanctifies it in a ministering vessel;''then did what follows:

and he shall take thereout his handful of the flour thereof, and of the oil thereof; as mixed together: the Jews say (d), this was done with the right hand, which is very likely, that being generally used in this way: the Talmudists thus describe the manner in which the handful was taken; the priest stretched out his three fingers over the palm of his hand, and gathered the handful in the plate or pan, and parted it off with his thumb above, and with his little finger below; and this was the most difficult piece of service in the sanctuary (e): though Maimonides (f) rejects this notion of difficulty, and says it was done in the common way, in which men take up a handful of anything: but Bartenora says (g), it was not in the usual way, but much as before described: the priest put the sides of his fingers into the flour, and gathered the flour with the sides of his fingers within his hand, and took of the flour only three fingers' full, upon the palm of his hand, and no more; and that it might not be heaped or go out, he pared it off, above with his thumb, and below with his little finger; and this he affirms, according to the Gemara, and what his masters had taught him, was one of the hardest pieces of service in the sanctuary:

with all the frankincense thereof; this was not taken along with the handful of flour and oil; for if there was ever so small a quantity of frankincense in the handful it was not right (h); for the frankincense, when brought, was put on one side of the fine flour, and when the handful was taken, then that was taken altogether, and put upon it:

and the priest shall burn the memorial of it upon the altar: that is, he was to burn the handful of fine flour and oil with the frankincense, as a "memorial"; either to put the Lord in mind of his lovingkindness to his people, and of his covenant with them, and promises unto them, to which the allusion is, Psa 20:3 or to put the offerer in mind of the great sacrifice of Christ, who was to be offered for his sins, and to be a meat offering to him: this was the part the Lord had in this offering, and which related to his worship, as the word used sometimes signifies, as De Dieu has observed:

to be an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord; See Gill on Lev 1:9.

(b) T. Bab. Sotah, ib. & Meaachot, fol. 8. 2. (c) Hilchot Maaseh Hakorbanot, c. 13. sect. 12. (d) Misn. Menachot, c. 1. sect. 2. (e) T. Bab. Menachot, fol. 11. 1. (f) In Misn. Menachot, ib. (g) In ib. (h) Misn. ib. & Jarchi in loc.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Better: “And he shall bring it to Aaron’s sons, the priests; and the (officiating) priest shall take from it,” etc.

Memorial - The regular name not only for the portion of the מנחה mı̂nchāh which was burned on the altar Lev 2:9, Lev 2:16; Lev 5:12; Lev 6:15; Num 5:26, but for the frankincense which was laid upon the showbread Lev 24:7. It is the word which is applied to the prayers and alms of Cornelius, Act 10:4.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Memorial. "To worship and celebrate the name of God." (Louis de Dieu.)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

He shall take, i.e. that priest to whom he brought it, and who is appointed to offer it.

The memorial of it; that part thus selected and offered; which is called a memorial, either,

1. To the offerer, who by offering this part is minded that the whole of that he brought, and of all which he hath of that kind, is God’s, to whom this part was paid as a quitrent or acknowledgment. Or,

2. To God, whom (to speak after the manner of men) this did put in mind of his gracious covenant, and promises of favour and acceptance of the offerer and his offering. See Exo 30:16; Lev 6:15; Num 5:26

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

2. The memorial — This is a sacrificial term peculiar to the bread offering. It is descriptive of either that which brings the offerer to the remembrance of God, or of that which brings God to the grateful recollection of the sacrificer. In the New Testament it is used in the former sense. See Mat_26:13; Act_10:4, notes. The same term is applied to the pure incense (in vases) set out with the showbread, (Lev_24:7,) and which, according to Josephus, was also burnt upon the altar.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He shall take there out his handful. This was the task of the priest. The handful that he took and burnt upon the altar has the technical and significative name of the memorial. It acted as a memorial before God, in the same way as Cornelius"s prayers and alms prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God" (Act_10:4) being something which should cause God to think graciously of the offerer. The frankincense is not mixed with the flour and the oil and the salt, as a constituent element of the offering, but is placed upon them, and is all of it burnt in "the memorial," symbolizing the need of adding prayer to sacrifice, that the latter may be acceptable to God.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He shall take - That priest to whom he brought it, and who is appointed to offer it. The memorial - That part thus selected and offered; which is called a memorial, either

1. to the offerer, who by offering this part is minded, that the whole of that he brought, and of all which he hath of that kind, is God's to whom this part was paid as an acknowledgment. Or

2. to God, whom (to speak after the manner of men) this did put in mind of his gracious covenant and promises of favour, and acceptance of the offerer and his offering. 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. With such sacrifices God is well-pleased.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

הכהנים וקמץ [AND HE SHALL BRING UNTO …] THE PRIESTS: AND HE SHALL TAKE A FISTFUL — from the קמיצה (the taking of the fistful) and onwards is the duty of the priesthood (Menachot 9a).

וקמץ משם AND HE SHALL TAKE A FISTFUL FROM THERE — from the place where the feel of the layman may stand; and this is stated in order to teach you that the קמיצה is valid at whatever place in the fore-court it is carried out, even in that eleven cubits) which are the area where the feet of the ordinary Israelites may tread (cf. Yoma 16b).

מלא קמצו HIS FISTFUL — One might think that it (the fist) may be full to overflowing — that it may burst through his fist and come out on every side! Scripture, however, states in another passage, (Leviticus 6:8) “and he shall take from it in his closed hand [some of the flour … and burn it on the altar)”, which shows that only that is fitted to be burnt which is within his closed hand. If, then, he has to take what is בקמצו, within his closed hand, one might assume that it may be defective (underfull)? Scripture, however, states here, מלא, “his full [closed hand]”. How then does he do it that it shall be neither overfull nor underfull? After placing his hand in the vessel containing the meal-offering he (the priest) bends his three fingers (those next to his thumb) at full length over on to the palm of his hand, removing with his thumb and little finger all the flour that shows outside these three fingers. This is the literal meaning that the word קמץ has in the Hebrew language (Sifra, Vayikra Dibbura d'Nedavah, Section 9 6; Menachot 11a; Yoma 47a).

‎ על כל לבנתה‎‎ [HIS FISTFUL OF FLOUR …] BESIDES ALL THE FRANKINCENSE — i. e. apart from all the frankincense shall his fist be full.

לבנתה והקטיר ITS FRANK-INCENSE. AND HE SHALL BURN — The frankincense too comes under the law of burning (cf. Sifra, Vayikra Dibbura d'Nedavah, Section 9 10).

מלא קמצו מסלתה ומשמנה [AND HE SHALL TAKE THEREOUT] HIS HANDFUL OF THE FLOUR THEREOF AND OF THE OIL THEREOF — Consequently if when he takes the handful of the flour a grain of salt (for salt was mingled with every offering; cf. v. 13) or a particle of frankincense comes into his hand with the flour it (the offering) is invalid (Sifra, Vayikra Dibbura d'Nedavah, Section 9 10; Menachot 6a).

אזכרתה THE MEMORIAL PORTION THEREOF — The handful of flour that is offered to the Most High God forms the memorial portion of the meal-offering, being that part of it through which the owner is remembered for good and for having caused satisfaction to the Lord.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.