The Meaning of Leviticus 2:13 Explained

Leviticus 2:13

KJV: 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.

YLT: And every offering -- thy present -- with salt thou dost season, and thou dost not let the salt of the covenant of thy God cease from thy present; with all thine offerings thou dost bring near salt.

Darby: And every offering of thine oblation shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou suffer the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thine oblation: with all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt.

ASV: 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does Leviticus 2:13 Mean?

Study Notes

salt
Cf. Numbers 18:19 ; Mark 9:49 ; Mark 9:50 ; Colossians 4:6

Context Summary

Leviticus 2:1-16 - Meal-Offerings With Oil And Incense
The meal-offering, which is described in this chapter, portrayed in emblem the perfect character of our Lord. He was as fine flour, of the best quality, without grit or coarseness. There was nothing uneven, nothing rough and harsh, nothing unseemly or forbidding in Him. He was anointed with the oil of the Holy Spirit; His perfect obedience was fragrant to the Father, and should be so to us; there was no leaven of guile or hypocrisy in His constitution. See Ephesians 5:2. We should feed on His holy character by meditation, and resemble it in daily living. The interposition of the priest was an essential feature of the ancient ritual, informing us that our prayer and self-surrender are acceptable to God through our Savior. We are also reminded by Leviticus 2:14 that we are called to be a kind of first-fruits of His creatures to the Creator. See James 1:18. [source]

Chapter Summary: Leviticus 2

1  The meat offering with oil and incense
4  either baked in the oven
5  or on a plate
7  or in a frying pan
12  The first fruits not to be burnt on the altar,
13  Salt to be used with every offering
14  The offering of first fruits

What do the individual words in Leviticus 2:13 mean?

And every offering of your grain offering with salt you shall season And not you shall allow to be lacking the salt of the covenant of your God from your grain offering with all your offerings you shall offer salt -
וְכָל־ קָרְבַּ֣ן מִנְחָתְךָ֮ בַּמֶּ֣לַח תִּמְלָח֒ וְלֹ֣א תַשְׁבִּ֗ית מֶ֚לַח בְּרִ֣ית אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ מֵעַ֖ל מִנְחָתֶ֑ךָ עַ֥ל כָּל־ קָרְבָּנְךָ֖ תַּקְרִ֥יב מֶֽלַח ס

וְכָל־  And  every 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
קָרְבַּ֣ן  offering 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קָרְבָּן 
Sense: offering, oblation.
מִנְחָתְךָ֮  of  your  grain  offering 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: מִנְחָה  
Sense: gift, tribute, offering, present, oblation, sacrifice, meat offering.
בַּמֶּ֣לַח  with  salt 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלַח  
Sense: salt.
תִּמְלָח֒  you  shall  season 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: מָלַח 
Sense: to tear away, dissipate.
וְלֹ֣א  And  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
תַשְׁבִּ֗ית  you  shall  allow  to  be  lacking 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: שָׁבַת 
Sense: to cease, desist, rest.
מֶ֚לַח  the  salt 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלַח  
Sense: salt.
בְּרִ֣ית  of  the  covenant 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: בְּרִית  
Sense: covenant, alliance, pledge.
אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ  of  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
מִנְחָתֶ֑ךָ  your  grain  offering 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: מִנְחָה  
Sense: gift, tribute, offering, present, oblation, sacrifice, meat offering.
קָרְבָּנְךָ֖  your  offerings 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: קָרְבָּן 
Sense: offering, oblation.
תַּקְרִ֥יב  you  shall  offer 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: קָרַב  
Sense: to come near, approach, enter into, draw near.
מֶֽלַח  salt 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלַח  
Sense: salt.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation