Leviticus 2:1
| When *any one shall offer an oblation of sacrifice to the Lord, his offering shall be of fine flour, and he shall pour oil upon it, and put frankincense,
| Year of the World 2514. One, (anima). The soul is put to denote the whole person. --- Of sacrifice. Hebrew mincha, which is applied to inanimate things, particularly to flour, "a present of wheat." (Vatable) --- As the other sacrifices have peculiar names, this is barely called sacrifice by the Vulgate. It was instituted, 1. for the poor; 2. to support the ministers of religion; 3. to shew that God was to be honoured with the fruits of the earth; 4. sacrifice being intended as a sort of feast, bread, salt, wine, and oil accompany it; and also incense, which was almost solely reserved for God. (Menochius) --- The person who offered the sacrifice, had to furnish all things belonging to it. The Samaritan and Septuagint add at the end of this verse, "Behold what is the offering of the Lord." Similar words occur, (ver. 6. and 16,) in Hebrew. Sacrifices of flour were the most ancient of all. Ovid (Fast. ii.) says, Farra tamen veteres jaciebant, farra metebant, etc. "Numa taught the people to worship the gods with fruits and flour, and to make supplication with a salted cake." (Pliny, 18:2.) Fruge deos colere, et mola salsa supplicare. (Calmet)
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